Threaded inner classes & heap memory exhaustion

Question

(_) how can i maximize my threading without running out of
heap memory?
push it to the limit, but throttle back before an
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError.
(_) within 1 threaded class ThreadClass, i have two threaded inner classes. for each instance of ThreadClass i only
start one instance of each inner class.
and, i start hundreds of ThreadClass, but not until the previously running ThreadClass object exits, so only one should be running at any given time.
so, what about threaded inner classes?
are they good? bad? cause "OutOfMemoryErrors"?
are those inner threads not dying?
what are common causes of:
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: java heap space?
my program runs for about 5-minutes, then
bails with the memory error.
how can i drill down and see what
is eating-up all my memory?
thanks.

Answer 1

A Thread class is not the same as a thread of
execution. Those inner class based threads of
execution are not dying.maybe. but this is the way i test a thread's life:
public void run() {
System.out.println("thread start");
System.out.println("thread dies and release memory");
}for each inner thread, and the outer thread, this approach for
testing thread life reveals that they die.
Why don't you use a thread pool?ok. i will think about how to do this.
>
If not, you need to ensure those inner threads have
exited and completed.what is a 100% sure check to guarantee a thread exits other than
the one i use above?
note:
the outer thread is running on a remote host, and the inner threads
are running locally. here are the details:
public class BB implements Runnable, FinInterface {
  public void run() {
    // do some work on the remote machine
  private void startResultsHandler(OisXoos oisX) {
     ResultHandler rh = new ResultHandler(oisX);
     rh.start();
  public void startDataProxy(OisXoos oisX, String query) {
     DataProxy dp = new DataProxy(oisX, query);
     dp.start();
        public class ResultsHandler extends Thread {
           // runs locally; waits for results from servers
           public void run() {
               ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(oisX.input);
                Set result = (Set) ois.readObject();
        }  // ____ class :: _ ResultsHandler _ :: class ____
       public class DataProxy extends Thread {
           // runs locally; performs db queries on behalf of servers
           public void run() {
               ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(oisX.output);
                while(moreData) {
                    .... // sql queries
                    oos.writeObject(data);
             StartResultsHandler(oisX);
        } // _____ class  :: _ DataProxy _ :: class _____
}now, the BB class is not started locally.
the inner threads are started locally to both service data requests
by the BB thread as well as wait for its results.
(_) so, maybe the inner threads cannot exit (but they sure look
like they exit) until their parent BB thread exits.
(_) yet, those inner threads have no knowledge that the BB
thread is running.
externalizing those inner thread classes will put 2-weeks of work
in the dust bin. i want to keep them internal.
thanks.
here this piece of code that controls everything:
while(moreData) {
  FinObjects finObj = new BB();
  String symb = (String) data_ois.readObject();
  OisXoos oisX = RSAdmin.getServer();
  oisX.xoos.writeObject(finObj);
  finObj.startDataProxy(finObj, oisX, symb);
}