Symptoms

JIRA crashes or behaves unpredictably. Logs contain errors like:

 
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space 

Cause

JIRA plugins can cause out of memory errors. One known issue is the Eclipse Mylyn plugin. The Mylyn bundled with Eclipse 3.3 (2.0.0.v20070627-1400) uses the getProjects method, causing problems as described in OutOfMemory due to Remote API. Ensure you are using the latest version.

Workaround

If you have any third-party plugins in use, try disabling them temporarily:

1. Get a directory listing of the WEB-INF/lib directory, and check for *-plugin*.jar files.
2. Disable the plugin in the Administration page.
3. Remove the JAR file from the WEB-INF/lib directory.

Resolution

1. As a temporary measure, increase JIRA's Heap Space allocation.
2. Check the plugin's JIRA project for specific resolutions. See the Cause section above for specifics.