Inactive memory

Hi,

we've ended in a linux machine (kernel 2.6.16.46-0.12-smp x86_64) with more "inactive memory" than "cached+buffered". Is
it possible to get to this situation or is it a bug ?
Should be consider the inactive memory as free ?

Example in a 32 Gb server:

cat /proc/meminfo

..
Buffers: 76500 kB
Cached: 987345 kB
..
Active: 4845821 kB
Inactive: 25189976 kB



Inactive memory of 25 Gb !!! current free memory according to -/+ buffers/cache, around 1GB

I we start a program which allocates 5 Gb of memory, it will take it from the inactive memory !! and once it finishes it will
put it back as free memory. So, actually the inactive memory was like "free" memory....

This is perfectly OK. Inactive and Active memory encompass buffers, cached, swapcached and anonymous memory that is mapped into processes.