In this blog, we’ll look at how to adjust the default memory allocations for Tridium Niagara stations and Workbench.

By default, a specific amount of memory is allocated for a station to run. Workbench is also permitted to use a defined amount of memory, beyond which it cannot allocate any more.

This will probably not affect most standard installations. However, with larger Web Supervisor stations, you may need to increase the available heap memory. Likewise, if you’re working across multiple complex stations, you may want to increase the amount of memory available to Workbench. Otherwise, it could run out of memory and close unexpectedly.

We’ll start by looking at the station. In this example, I have a station running Niagara 4.13.2.

Right-click the station, select Views, and then open Resource Manager. You’ll see a setting called Heap Max. It is currently reporting approximately 910 MB, meaning that the station can use up to this amount of heap memory.

As the station approaches this limit, its performance may be affected, and it may no longer operate as expected.

To increase the memory allocation, navigate to the ProgramData folder. This folder is hidden by default, so you may need to enable the option to display hidden files.

I have several Niagara versions installed, so we’ll first look at the Niagara 4.10 installation. Within the relevant brand folder, you’ll find an etc directory containing a file called nre.properties.

This is a plain-text file. We recommend opening it with Notepad++, as you will need administrator privileges to save your changes.

Inside the file, you’ll see two entries:

• station.java.options
• wb.java.options

For now, we’re interested in station.java.options. The -Xmx parameter specifies the maximum heap size and is currently set to 1024M, which is equivalent to 1 GB.

To increase the memory allocation, you could change this to 2048M for 2 GB or 4096M for 4 GB, depending on your system and station requirements.

After making the change, save the file.

Now, let’s look at the Niagara 4.13 installation. Return to the ProgramData folder, open the 4.13 directory, select the appropriate brand folder—in this example, Vicon—and then open etc followed by nre.properties.

This version contains some additional settings and comments explaining the configuration. The station’s maximum heap allocation is currently set to 1g. I’ll change this to 2g and save the file.

If administrator privileges are required, Notepad++ will prompt you and relaunch with elevated permissions, allowing you to save the updated file.

Once this is complete, return to the Web Supervisor, restart the station and verify that the new memory allocation has been applied.

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One important point: the 910 MB Heap Max reading is normal even when -Xmx is set to 1024M, as the displayed usable heap may be slightly lower than the configured maximum. Also, only allocate memory that the host computer can safely support.

Watch the full step-by-step video here: https://youtu.be/TdLw39pj0Nw?si=B4SuSGywvgHKnatb

Need Help with Niagara Memory Allocation?

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