JDK-6528750 : JRE fails to load with large runtime parameter value
  • Type: Bug
  • Component: deploy
  • Sub-Component: plugin
  • Affected Version: 5.0u11
  • Priority: P2
  • Status: Closed
  • Resolution: Duplicate
  • OS: windows_xp
  • CPU: x86
  • Submitted: 2007-02-27
  • Updated: 2010-04-04
  • Resolved: 2007-03-05
Related Reports
Duplicate :  
JDK-6622332 - Initial integration of new Java Plug-In
Relates :  
JDK-6359309 - Large setting for -Xmx param prevents plugin from starting in Internet Explorer
Relates :  
JDK-6392705 - Setting -Xmx512M causes problems in IE
Relates :  
JDK-6749176 - Standard heap memory size (of Applets) too low
Relates :  
JDK-6433218 - Java applet fails with Large Java Runtime Parameter setting
Relates :  
JDK-6440867 - Plug-in crashes just by specifying -Xmx512m in 1.4.2_09
Description
Try to run a particular applet requiring higher runtime parameter value. It fails to initialize with Java Plug-in Fatal Error message "The Java Runtime Environment cannot be loaded" followed by "Several java Virtual Machines running in the same process caused an error".

Steps to reproduce this issue:
System configuration:
OS: Windows XP SP2
The installed JRE version is: Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0-b105)
Browser: IE7
RAM: 512 MB
Applet url:
http://www.duckware.com/pmvr/index.html (See PVMR Example on the web page)

Steps to reproduce:
a) Change the Parameter settings to a higher value (-Xmx756m) in the Java Control Panel
Note: see attached screenshot

b) Run the applet from browser (IE 7)
Most likely, you should receive the error messages as below:
Java Plug-in Fatal Error message "The Java Runtime Environment cannot be loaded" 
followed by 
"Several java Virtual Machines running in the same process caused an error".
Press "OK"
This step will ask about installing active x control which will lead to the message with red x:
Java support is required for panoramic images. 
Note: For reference see the attached images in sequence.

3) Now, close the browser and change the Parameter settings to -Xmx300m as suggested in the applet help page at:
http://www.duckware.com/pmvr/howtoincreaseappletmemory.html

4) Run the said applet again from the browser:
http://www.duckware.com/pmvr/index.html
This time the applet run normally and you should be able to view the (PVMR Example - Upper Front Porch 360).

The change in Parameter setting is suggested for following reasons:
Problem: The Java plugin in your web browser has run out of memory
Cause: The memory limit for the Java plugin is usually around 60-90 MB
Solution: Increase the Java Applet memory limit
For detailed explanation, please refer:
http://www.duckware.com/pmvr/howtoincreaseappletmemory.html

This bug is always reproducible.
Comments
EVALUATION There have historically been many reports of problems running applets when a large -Xmx setting has been specified via the Java Control Panel. Some bugs where this either definitely is the root cause, or may be the root cause, include 6359309, 6433218, 6516270, 6528750, and 6559586. Up until recently, it was not technically feasible to fix this problem in the Java Plug-In due to its in-process architecture. In recent months a new implementation of the Java Plug-In has been developed which changes the execution model of applets. Instead of running the applets in a JVM embedded in the web browser's process, they are now run in a separate JVM process which communicates back to the web browser. The initial checkin of this work done under bug ID 6622332. This new plug-in solves this problem in two ways. First, since the JVM is no longer running in the same process as the web browser, the address space fragmentation problem (which occurs most often in the Internet Explorer browser) does not interfere with the specification of a large -Xmx value via the Java Runtime Parameters in the Java Control Panel. Second, the new Java Plug-In supports specification of JVM command-line arguments, including -Xmx, on a per-applet basis via a new java_arguments parameter in the applet's HTML. This eliminates the need to do any global setting of this or other parameters in the Java Control Panel. The new Java Plug-In is currently available for testing in the early access builds of the "6uN" release, which can be downloaded from https://jdk6.dev.java.net/6uNea.html . See https://jdk6.dev.java.net/testPlugIn.html for instructions on testing the new Java Plug-In specifically. In 6uN build 10, the new Java Plug-In is enabled by default upon installation on the Windows platform; see the testing instructions for installation on the Solaris and Linux platforms. Customer feedback so far indicates that the new Java Plug-In conclusively solves this longstanding problem. For tracking purposes, this bug is being closed as a duplicate of 6622332, which is the "umbrella" bug covering the initial integration of the new Java Plug-In. Note that currently the new plug-in does not change the default heap size for applets, but we believe that this will be far less of an issue now that an individual applet can request a particular heap size. We are open to revisiting this particular issue, in particular in the context of the new plug-in. Please try the new Java Plug-In and file any issues against it under product java, category java_plugin, subcategory plugin2.
17-01-2008
EVALUATION This is a known issue. Closing as duplicate of 4741914 RFE: Dynamic heap sizes.
05-03-2007