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Could not create Java Virtual Machine error when updating using Installation Manager

Troubleshooting


Problem

Attempts to upgrade from IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software v7.5 to 7.5.4 using IBM Installation Manager 1.3.2 results in the error "Could not create the Java virtual machine."

Symptom


Screenshot of the error:

Cause

The Machine does not have enough free contiguous memory available in the process address space for the request by the JVM.

  1. The -Xmx value being to high.
    For example add or change it to -Xmx2500m and you can get the error on start up of the offering.

  2. DLLs being loaded into the address space in a fragmented way will prevent a large enough block of free memory.

Note: Most of the time the windows is in Non-English Windows.

Environment


Resolving The Problem

WORKAROUND:

If your machine can allocate more than 512MB of continuous heap space, here is one workaround that can allow install/update to complete:

  1. Start Command Prompt (Start > Run type cmd)
  2. Change directory to where Installation Manager is installed.
    For example, C:\Program Files\IBM\Installation Manager\eclipse
  3. Start Installation Manager using this command:
                                 
    IBMIM.exe -vmargs -Dcic.doNotInitialize=true -Xquickstart -Xgcpolicy:gencon
  4. Install/update product as usual
  • This will install/update product normally.
  • The main difference is that it will skip eclipse initialization.
  • Because of that, the first startup of the product will take longer.
  • Should not have functional impact.
  • With this change, you can update eclipse.ini manually after the install/update to update -Xmx option to workaround the memory issue.

[{"Product":{"code":"SSDV2W","label":"IBM Installation Manager"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU053","label":"Cloud & Data Platform"},"Component":"Update","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"1.3.2","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"}}]

Document Information

Modified date:
25 October 2021

UID

swg21410196