---
id: 66f1c5f6-4988-422e-b36a-7b7a81e59547
---

# Tomcat PermGen or Metaspace Usage exceeds 90%
---

This incident type occurs when the PermGen or Metaspace usage of the Tomcat server exceeds 90%. PermGen and Metaspace are memory pools used for storing class definitions and metadata of the Java virtual machine (JVM). When these memory pools reach their maximum capacity, the server may experience performance issues or even crash. This incident requires immediate attention from the software engineer to investigate the root cause and take appropriate actions to resolve the issue.

### Parameters
```shell
export PID="PLACEHOLDER"

export TOMCAT_CONF_FILE="PLACEHOLDER"

export PERMGEN_METASPACE="PLACEHOLDER"

export PATH_TO_TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE="PLACEHOLDER"

export OLD_SIZE="PLACEHOLDER"

export NEW_SIZE="PLACEHOLDER"
```

## Debug

### Check the current memory usage of the Tomcat process
```shell
ps -p ${PID} -o rss,vsz
```

### Check the current PermGen usage of the Tomcat process
```shell
jstat -gc ${PID} | awk '{print $8}'
```

### Check the current Metaspace usage of the Tomcat process
```shell
jstat -gc ${PID} | awk '{print $12}'
```

### Check the limits of the PermGen or Metaspace in the Tomcat configuration
```shell
grep -i "${PERMGEN_METASPACE}.*[0-9]\+" ${TOMCAT_CONF_FILE}
```

### Check the available memory on the server
```shell
free -m
```

### Check the size of the PermGen or Metaspace in the Tomcat configuration
```shell
grep -i "${PERMGEN_METASPACE}.*[0-9]\+" ${TOMCAT_CONF_FILE} | awk -F'[><]' '{print $3}'
```

## Repair

### Increase the PermGen or Metaspace size in the Tomcat configuration file to accommodate the application's memory usage.
```shell


#!/bin/bash



TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE=${PATH_TO_TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE}



# Back up the original config file

cp $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE.bak



# Increase the PermGen or Metaspace size

sed -i 's/PermGenSize=${OLD_SIZE}/PermGenSize=${NEW_SIZE}/g' $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE

sed -i 's/MaxPermSize=${OLD_SIZE}/MaxPermSize=${NEW_SIZE}/g' $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE

sed -i 's/MetaspaceSize=${OLD_SIZE}/MetaspaceSize=${NEW_SIZE}/g' $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE

sed -i 's/MaxMetaspaceSize=${OLD_SIZE}/MaxMetaspaceSize=${NEW_SIZE}/g' $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE



echo "PermGen or Metaspace size increased in the Tomcat configuration file."


```

This incident type occurs when the PermGen or Metaspace usage of the Tomcat server exceeds 90%. PermGen and Metaspace are memory pools used for storing class definitions and metadata of the Java virtual machine (JVM). When these memory pools reach their maximum capacity, the server may experience performance issues or even crash. This incident requires immediate attention from the software engineer to investigate the root cause and take appropriate actions to resolve the issue.


When too many requests are sent to a Tomcat server, the thread pools that handle these requests can run out of available threads. This means that incoming requests will not be processed, leading to service degradation or even a complete outage. This incident type is critical for web applications that rely on Tomcat as their application server.


Tomcat thread pool exhaustion.

Tomcat Server Crash incident type refers to a situation where the Tomcat Server, an open-source web server and servlet container, becomes unresponsive and stops functioning. This can result in a complete or partial system outage, leading to a disruption in the delivery of web applications and services. The root cause of the crash can be attributed to a variety of factors such as misconfiguration, network or hardware issues, software bugs, or excessive server load. It is critical to address this incident quickly to minimize the impact on users and restore normal system functionality.


Tomcat Server Crash

This incident type is related to the Tomcat server, which is a popular open-source Java application server. It occurs when the available threads in the connection pool are running low, which means that there are not enough resources to serve incoming requests. This can cause delays or even failures in the application's performance, impacting the end-user experience. It is important to monitor and address this issue promptly to ensure that the application runs smoothly and efficiently.


Tomcat Low Available Threads in Connection Pool

In software engineering, a large number of suspended threads in Tomcat is an incident type that occurs when a high number of threads are created but are blocked from executing. This can happen due to a variety of reasons, such as slow database queries, network latency, or resource contention. When this occurs, the system may become unresponsive or slow, causing a degradation in performance or even a complete system failure. It is important to investigate and resolve this issue as quickly as possible to ensure the system can continue to function properly.


Tomcat Large Number of Suspended Threads Incident.

Tomcat JVM OutOfMemory incident occurs when the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) running the Apache Tomcat server runs out of memory, which causes the server to crash or become unresponsive. This type of incident can happen due to a variety of reasons such as incorrect configuration settings, memory leaks, or insufficient memory allocation. When this incident occurs, it can impact the availability and performance of the web application running on the Tomcat server.


Tomcat JVM OutOfMemory Incident

```shell
export PID="PLACEHOLDER"

export TOMCAT_CONF_FILE="PLACEHOLDER"

export PERMGEN_METASPACE="PLACEHOLDER"

export PATH_TO_TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE="PLACEHOLDER"

export OLD_SIZE="PLACEHOLDER"

export NEW_SIZE="PLACEHOLDER"
```


### Check the current memory usage of the Tomcat process

```shell
ps -p ${PID} -o rss,vsz
```

### Check the current PermGen usage of the Tomcat process

```shell
jstat -gc ${PID} | awk '{print $8}'
```

### Check the current Metaspace usage of the Tomcat process

```shell
jstat -gc ${PID} | awk '{print $12}'
```

### Check the limits of the PermGen or Metaspace in the Tomcat configuration

```shell
grep -i "${PERMGEN_METASPACE}.*[0-9]\+" ${TOMCAT_CONF_FILE}
```

### Check the available memory on the server

```shell
free -m
```

### Check the size of the PermGen or Metaspace in the Tomcat configuration

```shell
grep -i "${PERMGEN_METASPACE}.*[0-9]\+" ${TOMCAT_CONF_FILE} | awk -F'[><]' '{print $3}'
```


### Increase the PermGen or Metaspace size in the Tomcat configuration file to accommodate the application's memory usage.

```shell


#!/bin/bash



TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE=${PATH_TO_TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE}



# Back up the original config file

cp $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE.bak



# Increase the PermGen or Metaspace size

sed -i 's/PermGenSize=${OLD_SIZE}/PermGenSize=${NEW_SIZE}/g' $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE

sed -i 's/MaxPermSize=${OLD_SIZE}/MaxPermSize=${NEW_SIZE}/g' $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE

sed -i 's/MetaspaceSize=${OLD_SIZE}/MetaspaceSize=${NEW_SIZE}/g' $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE

sed -i 's/MaxMetaspaceSize=${OLD_SIZE}/MaxMetaspaceSize=${NEW_SIZE}/g' $TOMCAT_CONFIG_FILE



echo "PermGen or Metaspace size increased in the Tomcat configuration file."


```


Tomcat PermGen or Metaspace Usage exceeds 90%

Overview

Parameters

Debug

Check the current memory usage of the Tomcat process

Check the current PermGen usage of the Tomcat process

Check the current Metaspace usage of the Tomcat process

Check the limits of the PermGen or Metaspace in the Tomcat configuration

Check the available memory on the server

Check the size of the PermGen or Metaspace in the Tomcat configuration

Repair

Increase the PermGen or Metaspace size in the Tomcat configuration file to accommodate the application's memory usage.

Learn more

Related Runbooks

Tomcat thread pool exhaustion.

Tomcat Server Crash

Tomcat Low Available Threads in Connection Pool

Tomcat Large Number of Suspended Threads Incident.

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