Sonar analysis gives out of memory error, should I increase JVM heap space of Ant or Sonar server?

Question

I am analysing a large project in Sonar and get the following error:

[sonar:sonar] 03:55:39.511 INFO  p.PhasesTimeProfiler - Execute decorators...

BUILD FAILED
[...]
[...] java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
at org.sonar.batch.index.MeasurePersister.model(MeasurePersister.java:127)
at org.sonar.batch.index.MeasurePersister.getMeasuresToSave(MeasurePersister.java:117)
at org.sonar.batch.index.MeasurePersister.dump(MeasurePersister.java:70)
at org.sonar.batch.index.DefaultPersistenceManager.dump(DefaultPersistenceManager.java:63)
at org.sonar.batch.phases.Phases.execute(Phases.java:95)
at org.sonar.batch.bootstrap.ProjectModule.doStart(ProjectModule.java:139)
at org.sonar.batch.bootstrap.Module.start(Module.java:83)
at org.sonar.batch.bootstrap.BatchModule.analyze(BatchModule.java:131)
at org.sonar.batch.bootstrap.BatchModule.doStart(BatchModule.java:121)
at org.sonar.batch.bootstrap.Module.start(Module.java:83)
at org.sonar.batch.bootstrap.BootstrapModule.doStart(BootstrapModule.java:121)
at org.sonar.batch.bootstrap.Module.start(Module.java:83)
at org.sonar.batch.Batch.execute(Batch.java:104)
at org.sonar.ant.Launcher.execute(Launcher.java:78)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:616)
at org.sonar.ant.SonarTask.delegateExecution(SonarTask.java:244)
at org.sonar.ant.SonarTask.execute(SonarTask.java:193)
at org.apache.tools.ant.UnknownElement.execute(UnknownElement.java:291)
at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor4.invoke(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:616)
at org.apache.tools.ant.dispatch.DispatchUtils.execute(DispatchUtils.java:106)
at org.apache.tools.ant.Task.perform(Task.java:348)
at org.apache.tools.ant.Target.execute(Target.java:392)
at org.apache.tools.ant.Target.performTasks(Target.java:413)
at org.apache.tools.ant.Project.executeSortedTargets(Project.java:1399)
at org.apache.tools.ant.helper.SingleCheckExecutor.executeTargets(SingleCheckExecutor.java:38)
at org.apache.tools.ant.Project.executeTargets(Project.java:1251)
at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.Ant.execute(Ant.java:442)

Should I increase the java heap space of the running Sonar server, or the Ant target executing the Sonar job?

Answer 1

As you can see from the stack trace, the Ant starts the Sonar analysis, so you should increase the heap space for the VM the Ant runs in.

This is a very similar question BTW: How to increase Sonar Java heap space

For command line Ant usage

Quote from the answer by Mark O'Connor on the other question:

The Sonar ANT task executes as part of ANT so you need to set the JVM heap using the standard ANT environment parameter. For example:

export ANT_OPTS=-Xmx256m

Remarks:

• this is for Linux, for Windows, use the set command
• this is strictly for the heap space. for Permgen, use -XX:MaxPermSize=<desired amount>

This is an even more similar question: Build Failed java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space

For Eclipse IDE

Quote from the article http://soenkerohde.com/2008/06/change-eclipse-ant-settings-when-you-run-out-of-memory/

• In Eclipse open menu: Run->External Tools->Open External Tools Dialog…
• Select the build script you want to change on the left
• Select the JRE tab on the right
• Set the following as VM arguments: -Xms768m -Xmx1024m -XX:MaxPermSize=512m

For IntelliJ Idea

This forum thread is useful: ANT build java heap space

Quote from the answers:

Please make sure that you increased heap in a correct place. You need to click 'Properties' button in IDEA's Ant tool window and edit 'Maximum heap size (Mb)' field there.

Also, from the IntelliJ Idea page: Increasing Memory Heap

Quote from the article:

The memory heap of the build process is independent of IntelliJ IDEA memory heap, and is released after the build process is complete.

To increase a memory heap: Open the Build File Properties dialog box. In the Maximum heap size field, type the required amount of memory.

For Jenkins Continuous Integration and Ant build

This question is useful : How to use the Java Options in jenkins ant build tool to set ANT_OPTS

Quote from the answer:

Set the JAVA OPTIONS as -Xmx512m -XX:MaxPermSize=256m only without the ANT_OPTS=

For Maven builds, this article is of use: How to increase maven heapspace in hudson builds

1. Navigate to your hudson job,
2. click Configure,
3. scroll down to the Build section, and
4. click the Advanced button.
5. Enter this into MAVEN_OPTS: -Xmx512m -XX:MaxPermSize=128m