Using HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError parameter for heap dump for JBoss

Question

Here's what Oracle's documentation has to say:

By default the heap dump is created in a file called java_pid.hprof in the working directory of the VM, as in the example above. You can specify an alternative file name or directory with the -XX:HeapDumpPath= option. For example -XX:HeapDumpPath=/disk2/dumps will cause the heap dump to be generated in the /disk2/dumps directory.

You can view this dump from the UNIX console.

The path for the heap dump will be provided as a variable right after where you have placed the mentioned variable.

E.g.:

-XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -XX:HeapDumpPath=${DOMAIN_HOME}/logs/mps"

You can view the dump from the console on the mentioned path.

I found it hard to decipher what is meant by "working directory of the VM". In my example, I was using the Java Service Wrapper program to execute a jar - the dump files were created in the directory where I had placed the wrapper program, e.g. c:\myapp\bin. The reason I discovered this is because the files can be quite large and they filled up the hard drive before I discovered their location.

If you are not using "-XX:HeapDumpPath" option then in case of JBoss EAP/As by default the heap dump file will be generated in "JBOSS_HOME/bin" directory.