When you perform memory-intensive tasks (such as manipulating large amounts of data or cubes or executing complex queries) within SAS^® Web applications, you might receive a java.lang.outofmemory exception error in the application-server log. As a result, you cannot perform any other tasks within the Web applications, and you will need to restart the application server.

Restarting the application server might enable you to use the Web applications again, but the exception error can re-occur. If that happens, you must address the problem directly, as follows, to resolve the error:

1. Verify the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) arguments that you are using and compare them with the ones that are recommended in "Chapter4: Best Practices for Configuring Your Middle Tier" of the SAS^® 9.1.3 Intelligence Platform: Web Application Administration Guide, Third Edition.
2. Install the latest hot fixes for the SAS Web applications because they address performance issues within the web applications. You can find the hot fixes for your particular application from the Technical Support Hot Fixes page.

If you still encounter a java.lang.outofmemory exception after you perform these actions, turn on the Java garbage collection logging, as follows:

Sun Java Development Kit (JDK)

If you are using the Sun JDK, add the following options to your JVM arguments:

In the last option, replace your directory with the directory on your machine to which you want to write the gcLogFile.txt file.

IBM Java Development Kit (JDK)

If you use the IBM JDK, you are most likely using it with IBM WebSphere software. To enable the GC logging facility using the IBM Software Development Kit (SDK) in WebSphere versions 5.1, 5.0, and 6.x follow these steps:

1. In the WebSphere Administrative Console, expand Servers and click Application Servers.
2. Click the server in which you are interested.
3. Under the Additional Properties section, click the Process Definition link. This link opens the Process Defintion page.
4. Under the Additional Properties section on the Process Defintion page, click Java Virtual Machine.
5. Select the check box verbose garbage collection.
6. Click Apply.
7. At the top of the Administrative Console, click Save to save the changes to your configuration.
8. Stop and then restart the application server.

These steps in administrative console add the –verbose:gc option to the JVM, and the verbose garbage collection output is written to the native_stderr.log file. The IBM JVM provides extensive memory tracing when –verbose:gc is set.

If you use the IBM JDK, and you use either Apache Tomcat or Oracle WebLogic, add the following two parameters to your JVM arguments:

In this second option, replace your directory with the name of the directory on your machine to which you want to write the gcLogFile.txt file.

Then send the following information to SAS Technical Support for help in troubleshooting the java.lang.outofmemory exception further:

• A detailed description of the problem, including the answers to the following questions: things
• With which SAS Web application are you having problems?
• What actions are you performing in the Web application that cause the java.lang.outofmemory exception? You might not be able to determine this information, but if you can, it will greatly help in the troubleshooting process.
• After you restart the application server, how long does it take before the java.lang.outofmemory exception occurs again?
• A detailed description of the environment, including the answers to the following questions:
  • How much physical memory is on your machine?
  • Is the machine dedicated to just the SAS middle tier, or are other components (such as SAS^® Metadata Server) on the machine?
  ;
  • How many concurrent users use the Web applications?
• A list of the current JVM arguments that you use are using
• Your GC logs (in gcLogFile.txt)
• application-server logs (see SAS Note 37500, "Location of log files for the SAS^® 9.1.3 middle tier")
• SAS Web-application log for the application with which you are having problems (also see SAS Note 37500)

Operating System and Release Information