## MinSpareServers

Syntax: MinSpareServers number
Default: `MinSpareServers 5`
Context: server config
Status: core

The MinSpareServers directive sets the desired minimum number of idle child server processes. An idle process is one which is not handling a request. If there are fewer than MinSpareServers idle, then the parent process creates new children at a maximum rate of 1 per second.

Tuning of this parameter should only be necessary on very busy sites. Setting this parameter to a large number is almost always a bad idea.

This directive has no effect on Microsoft Windows.

See also MaxSpareServers and StartServers.