MAT , and Native memory of JAVA - unix1998/technical_notes GitHub Wiki

Eclipse Memory Analyzer Tool (MAT) is primarily designed to analyze Java heap dumps. It excels at identifying memory leaks, high memory consumption, and other issues related to the Java heap. However, MAT has limited capability when it comes to analyzing native memory usage directly.

Java Heap Analysis

MAT is very effective for:

  • Identifying objects that are consuming the most memory in the Java heap.
  • Finding memory leaks by detecting objects that are no longer in use but are still referenced.
  • Generating reports and visualizations that help in understanding the memory footprint of the application.

Native Memory Analysis

MAT is not specifically designed to analyze native memory issues. Native memory refers to the memory used by the JVM itself and by native libraries loaded by the JVM, which is outside the scope of the Java heap. To analyze native memory issues, you would typically use different tools such as:

  • Native Memory Tracking (NMT): Available in the HotSpot JVM, NMT helps track native memory usage by various components of the JVM.
  • Operating System Tools: Tools like valgrind, pmap, top, and vmmap (on macOS) can be used to track native memory usage.
  • Other Profiling Tools: Tools like VisualVM, YourKit, or JProfiler may offer more insights into native memory usage, although their primary focus is often on Java memory.

Integration Possibilities

While MAT is not designed for native memory analysis, combining its use with other tools can give you a more comprehensive view of your application's memory usage. For example, you could use MAT to address Java heap issues and NMT or OS tools for native memory analysis.

Conclusion

Eclipse MAT is excellent for analyzing Java heap issues but is not suitable for native memory analysis. For a complete memory analysis covering both Java heap and native memory, you should use MAT in conjunction with other tools like NMT or operating system-specific memory analysis tools.