server load

[Full_of_nothing]

we're using php4 with apache and mysql, plus a small nph server that opens a file and sends it through http coded in C , we have a dedicated server for mysql so we have no prboelms with the web server and even two more servers for the download software, simply we have a very high server load while opening over 1000 http connection, the httpd process takes something like 20MB , which i think is normal, but the problem is that the high load sometimes exceeds 600 ?????? which is a very strange thing actually, we're not doing something special , we're using redhat linux 6.2 , any ideas ????

[john8675309]

I think your talking http being your php pages. if your pulling 1000 http requests at one time and there all querying databases in your mysql among other things. I wouldn't be surprised at all for it to be over 600