Error invoking CFC /CFIDE/administrator/updates/download.cfc | Coldfusion 2016

[Nebukad]

Hi, we recently upgraded our websites to a new server with coldfusion 2016 (old server coldfusion 9). We are running into strange behaviour. Coldfusion becomes unresponsive after running for several days (sometimes within a day). And even more strange, sometimes our webpages do respond normally but the coldfusion administrator returns blank pages.The administrator 'sometimes' gives the following message 'Error invoking CFC /CFIDE/administrator/updates/download.cfc : Metaspace [Enable debugging by adding 'cfdebug' to your URL parameters to see more information]'

We are trying multiple things to solve these problems but we have not been succesfull. Currently we monitor our server every 5 minutes and when it becomes unresponsive we do a quick restart.

Any thoughts what might cause this strange behaviour?

Kind regards Thijs

[Charlie Arehart · Accepted solution]

Just remove the maxmetaspace element from the java args in cf, and restart. You may want save first a copy of cf's bin/jvm.config (in the cfusion folder and that of any sibling folder for any instances created, if you run cf enterprise,  developer, or trial editions.) Then restart cf.

Adobe should not be setting that max, like they DID need to set the old maxpermsize (from java 8 and before, because it had a tiny default). And we don't need to "chase" setting a "good" value for it. Just take it out.

[Nebukad]

Thank you for replying. Removed the setting and now we have to wait and see if the server start hanging again.

[Charlie Arehart]

Good to hear, but did you heed the step, "Then restart cf"? If not, then the problem may come back until you do restart CF.

[Nebukad]

Yes I restarted the server. There is also a warning after changing the parameters that coldfusion needs to be restarted. Thanks for checking.

[Charlie Arehart]

How did things work out? I suspect the metaspace errors are gone and have stayed gone, if you removed the maxmetaspacesize argument.

I will add that for the sake of other readers who may come across this, I took things a step further and that evening created a couple of blog posts, one with the least one needed to know:

https://coldfusion.adobe.com/2020/02/quickly-solve-outofmemory-metaspace-errors/

and one with far more detail, for those needing/preferring it:

https://www.carehart.org/blog/client/index.cfm/2020/2/24/solving_metaspace_errors/

[Nebukad]

So far so good. The server is up for 3 days now, but this was not uncommon before changing the java args. Will have to wait untill monday to be sure the problem is solved.

[Nebukad]

Server still up ad running so your solution fixed the issues we had we are server. Many thanks for your help.