JBoss Heap Space issue Due to Image Uploads

Question

We have a web application in which users are uploading hundreds of images via the web. The application then takes these images and moves them off to storage (in FileNet ).

The issue we are seeing is that the heap space is eventually filling up and the application is crashing.

It seems for some reason these images are not being cleaned up via Garbage Collection even though they aren't being referenced anymore.

We have used AppDynamics on our Jboss servers to monitor and check for memory leaks. So far, we haven't found any.

Any suggestions on what we should be looking for in addition?

Answer 1

I am assuming that you are using FileNet Content Engine. The first thing to look for would be memory leaks. Since you said you have not found any, here are some practical tips to try out:

• Allocate more heap space and observe the time it takes to crash. See if allocation of more space results in any significant difference.
• Scale horizontally by adding more server instances to lessen the load per server and observe the time taken for heap space to fill. If it decreases proportionately, that means your server is overloaded.
• If you are using any third party software, look for memory leaks there.
• Search the IBM Fix Central portal for any existing fixes for your problem.