Changing the Java VM Memory Limits in Pentaho BI

You can find docs biserver-ce\tomcat\webapps\pentaho\docs\

Changing the Java VM Memory Limits

If you are running out of memory even though your server has a lot of RAM, you probably need to increase the resources allocated to the JRE instance that runs the Pentaho software you're trying to improve performance on. Adjusting the memory limit is an easy configuration change to make, but the instructions differ depending on the client tool or Web application server you're using. Refer only to the sections below that apply to your situation.

Note: If you are running multiple Pentaho programs concurrently, the sum of their JVM maximum memory limits must not exceed the available RAM minus system overhead.

Increasing Memory Limits on Microsoft Windows with a Graphical Installation

By default, Tomcat has a relatively low memory allotment. This can cause out-of-memory errors in the BA Server fromtime to time. The below instructions will explain how to increase the memory so you don't get this error. Instructions are also included for renaming the tomcat6 executable file so that BA Server starts automatically.

These instructions are for those who installed Pentaho Business Analytics graphically (as opposed to manually) and are Windows users.

1. Go to the Windows Search Box and enter C:\Program Files\pentaho\server\biserver-ee\tomcat\bin\shutdown.bat to shutdown the Pentaho BA Server.

2. Type services.msc into the Windows Search Box.

3. Find the Pentaho Server name (Pentaho BA Server or Pentaho BI Server) and open it so you can find the servicename. The service name should appear at the top of the first tab (General). It will be pentahobaserver.

4. Go into the bin file (C:\Program Files\pentaho\server\biserver-ee\tomcat\bin\) and rename the tomcat6w.exe file to match the service name (pentahobaserver or pentahobiserver). This will ensure that the server starts with the software.

5. After you have renamed the file, open it by double-clicking on it. This will not open the file, it will allow you to edit it. The Properties Window will open.

6. Select the Java tab.

7. Set the memory setting to a minimum of 4096 M and a maximum of 6144 M, depending on your computer's memory capabilities.

8. Start the Tomcat server or service.

Your Tomcat server now has increased minimum and maximum memory limits. You can adjust the JvmMx number, which is a parameter that specifies the maximum limit, to a higher number if you prefer. However, if the java virtual machine refuses to start with increased limits, then you will have to add more RAM to your system, stop some memory intensive services, or reduce the maximum memory limit to a lower number. This problem occurs when there is not enough contiguous memory available to assign to the JVM.

Increasing Memory Limits on Linux with a Graphical Install

By default, Tomcat has a relatively low memory allotment. This can cause out-of-memory errors in the BA Server fromtime to time. To avoid errors, increase the memory allocation so you can start the BA Server automatically.

These instructions apply if you installed Pentaho Business Analytics using the graphical installer as opposed

to manual installer and are Linux users.

1. Go to /pentaho/server/biserver-ee/tomcat/bin/ directory and run the ./shutdown.sh command to stop the appropriate server.

2. Change the directory to biserver-ee/tomcat/scripts.

3. Edit the ctl.sh file.

4. Locate the line under start tomcat, which looks like this: export JAVA OPTS="-

Dpentaho.installed.licenses.file=/opt/pentaho/.insalledLicenses.xml -Xms128m

Xmx768m -XX-MaxPermSize=256m -Dsun.rmi.dyc.client.gcInterval=3600000 -

Dsun.rmi.dgc.server.gcInterval=3600000"

5. Set the memory to a minimum of 4096 M and a maximum of 6144 M, depending on your computer's memory capabilities.

6. Start the Tomcat server or service.

Your Tomcat server now has increased minimum and maximum memory limits. You can adjust the JvmMx parameter to specify a higher maximum limit if you prefer. However, if the Java virtual machine refuses to start with increased limits, then you will have to add more RAM to your system, stop some memory-intensive services, or reduce the maximum memory limit to a lower number. This problem occurs when there is not enough contiguous memory available to assign to the JVM, and appears to happen more often on Microsoft Windows at lower thresholds than on other operating

systems.

Increasing Memory Limits with an Archive or Manual Deployment

By default, Tomcat has a relatively low memory allotment. This can cause out-of-memory errors in the BA Server fromtime to time. To increase the memory limit, follow the below process.

1. Stop the Tomcat server or service.

2. Because you are modifying your own Tomcat instance and have performed a manual deployment of the BA Server WAR, edit the ~/.bashrc for the user account that starts the Tomcat service, or whatever configuration file or dialogue that contains global system variables on your BA Server machine. Set or modify the CATALINA_OPTS system variable to include reasonable minimum and maximum memory settings using the -Xms and -Xmx options.

export CATALINA_OPTS="-Xms4096m -Xmx6144m"

3. If you are using a Pentaho-supplied Tomcat instance provided in BA Server archive packages, edit the startpentaho script (.bat for Windows, and .sh for Linux), and modify the CATALINA_OPTS environment variable, adjusting the values of Xms and Xmx in the same manner as the previous step.

export CATALINA_OPTS="-XMs4096m -Xmx6144m -XX:MaxPermSize=6144m -

Dsun.rmi.dgc.client.gcInterval=3600000

-Dsun.rmi.dgc.server.gcInterval=3600000"

4. If you are modifying a Windows service for Tomcat, you must use the tomcat6.exe command to reconfigure the service parameters within a command line window. You can access Windows Services by going to the Windows

Start Menu and typing services in the Search Programs and Files box. See the below example.

Windows (this only applies to a Windows service for Tomcat)

tomcat6 //US//Tomcat6 --JvmMs=4096m --JvmMx=6144m

5. Start the Tomcat server or service.

Your Tomcat server now has increased minimum and maximum memory limits. You can adjust the JvmMx number

(this parameter specifies the maximum limit) to a higher number if you prefer. However, if the Java virtual machine refuses to start with increased limits, then you will have to add more RAM to your system, stop some memory-intensive services, or reduce the maximum memory limit to a lower number. This problem occurs when there is not enough contiguous memory available to assign to the JVM, and appears to happen on Windows at lower thresholds than on other operating systems.

Increasing the Memory Limit in Aggregation Designer

Pentaho Aggregation Designer's startup script uses the default memory settings for your Java environment, which may be insufficient for your work. If you're experiencing an OutOfMemory exception, you must increase the amount of heap space available to Aggregation Designer by changing the Java options that set memory allocation. Follow the directions below to accomplish this.

Note: In the examples below, the memory size notations are m for megabytes and g for gigabytes. You can use whichever is most appropriate for your situation.

1. Exit Aggregation Designer if it is currently running.

2. Edit the startaggregationdesigner script and modify your Java command to include an -Xmx line that specifies a large upper memory limit.

Linux/Solaris shell script:

"$_PENTAHO_JAVA" $LICENSEPARAMETER -Xmx2g -jar "$DIR/lib/launcher-1.0.0.jar"

Windows batch file:

"%_PENTAHO_JAVA%" %LICENSEPARAMETER% -Xmx2g -jar "%~dp0lib\launcher-1.0.0.jar"

3. Start Aggregation Designer and ensure that there are no memory-related exceptions.

The Java virtual machine instance that Aggregation Designer uses now has access to more heap space, which should solve OutOfMemory exceptions and increase performance.

Increasing the Memory Limit in PDI

Pentaho Data Integration's startup script uses the default memory settings for your Java environment, which may be insufficient for your work. If you're experiencing an OutOfMemory exception, you must increase the amount of heap space available to PDI by changing the Java options that set memory allocation. Follow the directions below to accomplish this.

Note: In the examples below, the memory size notations are m for megabytes and g for gigabytes. You can use whichever is most appropriate for your situation.

1. Exit Spoon if it is currently running.

2. Edit your Spoon startup script and modify the -Xmx value in the OPT variable so that it specifies a large upper

memory limit.

Linux/Solaris shell script:

OPT="$OPT -Xmx2g -Xms256m -XX:MaxPermSize=128m -Djava.library.path=$LIBPATH -

DKETTLE_HOME=$KETTLE_HOME -DKETTLE_REPOSITORY=$KETTLE_REPOSITORY -DKETTLE_USER=

$KETTLE_USER -DKETTLE_PASSWORD=$KETTLE_PASSWORD -DKETTLE_PLUGIN_PACKAGES=

$KETTLE_PLUGIN_PACKAGES -DKETTLE_LOG_SIZE_LIMIT=$KETTLE_LOG_SIZE_LIMIT"

Windows batch file:

set OPT="-Xmx2g" "-XX:MaxPermSize=256m" "-Djava.library.path=%LIBSPATH%"

"-DKETTLE_HOME=%KETTLE_HOME%" "-DKETTLE_REPOSITORY=%KETTLE_REPOSITORY%"

"-DKETTLE_USER=%KETTLE_USER%" "-DKETTLE_PASSWORD=%KETTLE_PASSWORD%" "-

DKETTLE_PLUGIN_PACKAGES=%KETTLE_PLUGIN_PACKAGES%" "-DKETTLE_LOG_SIZE_LIMIT=

%KETTLE_LOG_SIZE_LIMIT%"

3. Start Spoon and ensure that there are no memory-related exceptions.

The Java virtual machine instance that PDI uses now has access to more heap space, which should solve OutOfMemory exceptions and increase performance.

Increasing the Memory Limit in Report Designer

Pentaho Report Designer's startup script uses the default memory settings for your Java environment, which may be insufficient for your work. If you're experiencing an OutOfMemory exception, you must increase the amount of heap space available to Report Designer by changing the Java options that set memory allocation. Follow the directions below to accomplish this.

Note: In the examples below, the memory size notations are m for megabytes and g for gigabytes. You can use whichever is most appropriate for your situation.

1. Exit Report Designer if it is currently running.

2. Edit the report-designer script and modify the value of -Xmx to allocate more memory to Report Designer's JVM instance.

Linux/Solaris shell script:

"$_PENTAHO_JAVA" "-Dpentaho.installed.licenses.file=$PENTAHO_INSTALLED_LICENSE_PATH"

-XX:MaxPermSize=256m -Xmx2g -jar "$DIR/launcher.jar" $@

Windows batch file:

set OPT="-XX:MaxPermSize=256m" "-Xmx2g"

3. Start Report Designer and ensure that there are no memory-related exceptions.

The Java virtual machine instance that Report Designer uses now has access to more heap space, which should solve

OutOfMemory exceptions and increase performance.

Increasing the Memory Limit in Weka

Weka uses the memory settings passed to it from the Java command line or the script that invokes it. If you're experiencing an OutOfMemory exception, you must increase the amount of heap space available to Weka by changing the Java options that set memory allocation. Follow the directions below to accomplish this.

Note: In the examples below, the memory size notations are m for megabytes and g for gigabytes. You can use whichever is most appropriate for your situation.

1. Exit Weka if it is currently running.

2. If you are running Weka standalone from the command line, modify your Java command to include an -Xmx line that specifies a large upper memory limit.

java -Xmx2g weka.jar

3. If you are running Weka as part of a script, change your Java invocation so that it includes the above -Xmx setting.

4. Start Weka and ensure that there are no memory-related exceptions.

The Java virtual machine instance that Weka uses now has access to more heap space, which should solve OutOfMemory exceptions and increase performance.