Oracle iPlanet Web Server Failed to Load JVM "Could not reserve enough space for object heap" Due to 32-bit 2GB Windows Process Limitation (Doc ID 1337346.1)

Symptoms

When you change the JVM heap settings with Oracle iPlanet Web Server running on Windows 2008 you may encounter the issues recorded in the errors log shown below:

The log entries written above indicate that you do not have enough address space available for the JVM heap size that you have requested.

Windows 2008 has a limitation in memory associated to the process. The default maximum process address space for 32-bit applications on Windows is 2GB which leaves approximately 1.5GB available for the heap. The JVM and Web Server need some internal address space for threads, libraries, etc... .

You have reached a Windows limitation "Maximum Address Space Per Process" due to your current JVM settings. Please reference the Microsoft document on "Memory Limits for Windows Releases" at the link below for details:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778(v=vs.85).aspx#physical_memory_limits_windows_server_2003_sp2

Changes

Change the JVM settings.

Cause