The Silent Intruder: Tackling Memory Leaks in Node.js

Imagine your Node.js application as a bustling city. Every day, people (requests) come and go, and the city (application) handles them smoothly. But one day, an invisible intruder starts squatting in the city, occupying space, refusing to leave. At first, the impact is minimal, but over time, the city becomes crowded and slow. This intruder is what we call a memory leak.

In the world of Node.js, memory leaks can silently wreak havoc, gradually degrading performance until your application comes to a grinding halt. But fear not! By understanding how these leaks occur and adopting best practices to avoid them, you can keep your application running smoothly.

Understanding Memory Leaks

Memory leaks happen when your application allocates memory but fails to release it when it’s no longer needed. Over time, this unused memory accumulates, leading to increased memory consumption and, eventually, application crashes.

Here are some common culprits behind memory leaks in Node.js:

1. Global Variables: Variables declared globally persist throughout the application’s lifecycle, occupying memory indefinitely.
2. Closures: If closures unintentionally capture references to variables that are no longer needed, they prevent garbage…