How to configure linux file descriptor limit with fs.file-max and ulimit

Your operating system set limits on how many files can be opened by any running application on your host. You can extend the basic values usually 1024 easily by modifying 2 configuration files:

# vi /etc/sysctl.conf

fs.file-max = 32000

# vi /etc/security/limits.conf

youruser       soft    nofile   10000
youruser       hard    nofile   30000

The hard and soft limits:

man 5 limits.conf

hard
for enforcing hard resource limits. These limits are set by the superuser and 
enforced by the Kernel. The user cannot raise his requirement of system resources
above such values.

soft
for enforcing soft resource limits. These limits are ones that the user
can move up or down within the permitted range by any pre-exisiting hard 
limits. The values specified with this token can be thought of as default values,
for normal system usage.

HTH