How to Troubleshoot Metaspace OutOfMemoryError in Spring Boot

Spring Boot, widely used for Java-based applications, often encounters Metaspace OutOfMemory issues due to high class metadata usage, leaked classes, and inadequate size configuration. Proper JVM adjustments, like increasing Metaspace size and optimizing class loading, alongside tools like yCrash for monitoring, can help troubleshoot and resolve these exceptions effectively.

Chaos Engineering – Metaspace OutOfMemoryError

JVM memory consists of various regions, including Young Generation, Old Generation, and Metaspace. 'java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Metaspace' occurs when the Metaspace is full due to excessive metadata from dynamically created classes. Solutions include increasing Metaspace size or troubleshooting memory leaks. A sample program demonstrates this memory issue.

In which region intern strings are stored?

The intern() function in Java's String class helps reduce memory consumption by eliminating duplicate string objects, storing intern strings in the JVM heap memory. Earlier, intern strings were in the Perm Generation, but since Java 7, they reside in the Heap region. A practical experiment confirmed this memory behavior.

Inspect the contents of the Java Metaspace region

The JVM memory consists of regions: Young Generation, Old Generation, and Metaspace. To inspect loaded classes in Metaspace, various methods can be used: -verbose:class (Java 8), -Xlog:class+load (Java 9+), jcmd GC.class_histogram, a programmatic approach, and Heap Dump analysis. Each method provides insights without significant application overhead.

Troubleshooting Microservice’s OutOfMemoryError: Metaspace

The post discusses a 'java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Metaspace' issue encountered in a Microservice application. It highlights the significance of the Metaspace memory region, outlines steps for diagnosing the error using garbage collection logs, and identifies a memory leak caused by an outdated third-party library. Upgrading the library resolved the issue.

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