My Oracle Support Banner

Understanding the Java Heap Versus the Native (C) Heap (Doc ID 1355284.1)

Last updated on FEBRUARY 07, 2023

Applies to:

Java SE JDK and JRE - Version 8 and later
Information in this document applies to any platform.

Purpose

A Java process consists of two separate heap spaces:

This can be confusing when it comes to understanding OutOfMemoryErrors and memory allocation failures.  This document explains some differences between these memory spaces and how to handle various OutOfMemoryErrors related to the C heap and Java heap.

Troubleshooting Steps

To view full details, sign in with your My Oracle Support account.

Don't have a My Oracle Support account? Click to get started!

In this Document
Purpose
Troubleshooting Steps
References

My Oracle Support provides customers with access to over a million knowledge articles and a vibrant support community of peers and Oracle experts.