Java "Could not reserve enough space for object heap" but lots of RAM free

Question

I have a problem running Java applications on a server.

root@dobby [/opt]# jdk1.7.0_09/jre/bin/java -version
Error occurred during initialization of VM
Could not reserve enough space for object heap
Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine.
Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit.

...but the free RAM is about 4GB (of which 3GB is used by the Linux cache). If I add Xmx to the command:

root@dobby [/opt]# jdk1.7.0_09/jre/bin/java -Xmx100m -version
#
# There is insufficient memory for the Java Runtime Environment to continue.
# pthread_getattr_np
# An error report file with more information is saved as:
# /opt/hs_err_pid32241.log

What's up?

Details:

64-bit system
Linux 2.6.32
CentOS 6.2
Oracle JDK 1.7.0 update 9 (problem also occurred in an earlier version)

Java error report: http://pastebin.com/uaxdSyh3

ulimit:

root@dobby [/home/bart]# ulimit -a -S
core file size          (blocks, -c) 0
data seg size           (kbytes, -d) unlimited
scheduling priority             (-e) 0
file size               (blocks, -f) unlimited
pending signals                 (-i) 62763
max locked memory       (kbytes, -l) 64
max memory size         (kbytes, -m) 1048576
open files                      (-n) 1024
pipe size            (512 bytes, -p) 8
POSIX message queues     (bytes, -q) 819200
real-time priority              (-r) 0
stack size              (kbytes, -s) 10240
cpu time               (seconds, -t) unlimited
max user processes              (-u) 1024
virtual memory          (kbytes, -v) 1048576
file locks                      (-x) unlimited


root@dobby [/home/bart]# ulimit -a H
core file size          (blocks, -c) 0
data seg size           (kbytes, -d) unlimited
scheduling priority             (-e) 0
file size               (blocks, -f) unlimited
pending signals                 (-i) 62763
max locked memory       (kbytes, -l) 64
max memory size         (kbytes, -m) 1048576
open files                      (-n) 1024
pipe size            (512 bytes, -p) 8
POSIX message queues     (bytes, -q) 819200
real-time priority              (-r) 0
stack size              (kbytes, -s) 10240
cpu time               (seconds, -t) unlimited
max user processes              (-u) 1024
virtual memory          (kbytes, -v) 1048576
file locks                      (-x) unlimited

These errors are about the ability to reserve *virtual* memory. How much physical memory you have or how much of it is available is irrelevant. — David Schwartz, Nov 21 '12 at 19:58
@DavidSchwartz, could be. I can run ''java -version'' on machines with a lot less memory than this though and Linux can overcommit memory pretty well with the default settings. I could be a non-default memory overcommit setting though, I can give you that ;) AFAIK, that could hinder virtual memory reservavtion. — wzzrd, Nov 22 '12 at 09:35
This line is your culprit: `max memory size (kbytes, -m) 1048576`. It is limiting the heap to 1GB maximum. I think the `virtual memory` one too. — Mircea Chirea, Nov 22 '12 at 12:52
@MirceaChirea 1GB may not be an incredible amount for a real application, but shouldn't it be more than enough for `java -Xmx100m -version`? After all, that shouldn't require more than 100MB, ever. — Bart van Heukelom, Nov 22 '12 at 12:59
@BartvanHeukelom: No, it shouldn't. 1GB is a ridiculously small virtual memory limit on a 64-bit OS. One of the great things about 64-bit operating systems is that they can create nearly unlimited amounts of virtual memory at near zero cost. To impose such a draconian limit is just plain silly. The heap is just one way processes use virtual memory. — David Schwartz, Nov 22 '12 at 17:36
@DavidSchwartz Well it worked before. I suppose the limit was lowered, though I don't know how or when (I'm not the only server admin). I'll try changing it. — Bart van Heukelom, Nov 22 '12 at 20:35
@DavidSchwartz Yes, setting it to unlimited fixes my problem. Now to finding out why it isn't set to that. — Bart van Heukelom, Nov 22 '12 at 21:25
http://serverfault.com/questions/451371/finding-the-source-of-a-ulimit-setting — Bart van Heukelom, Nov 22 '12 at 22:10

wzzrd · Answer 1 · 2012-11-22T20:48:00.867

Simple answer would be a problem with your limits.conf. Can you post the output of

ulimit -a -S
ulimit -a -H

Ok, I went ahead and checked this. The problem is with the ''-v'' setting, with the virtual memory setting, not the ''-m'' one. This is on a Fedora 17 machine, but that should matter:

$ ulimit -S -v
unlimited
$ java -version
java version "1.7.0_09-icedtea"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (fedora-2.3.3.fc17.1-x86_64)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.2-b09, mixed mode)

$ ulimit -v 1048576
$ java -version
Error occurred during initialization of VM
Could not reserve enough space for object heap
Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine.
Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit.

Go fix! ;)

Appended to question. – Bart van Heukelom Nov 22 '12 at 12:37 — Bart van Heukelom, Nov 22 '12 at 12:37

Java "Could not reserve enough space for object heap" but lots of RAM free

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