Adapt the RAM allocation
From Documentation
This tutorial aims at explaining how to adapt the RAM allocation for openLCA for better performance. It applies to all versions of openLCA since 1.1.
More information about the openLCA project are available here: http://www.openlca.org/index.html.
Introduction
As a Java application, openLCA consumes not more RAM (Random Access Memory) than specified in the config.ini. After installation, the threshold value is set at 512 MB. This follows the minimum requirements specifications. Note that the computer needs still additional RAM to run the operating system and so on.
If you use openLCA on a computer that has more RAM available, you should change the threshold to higher values. This will increase calculation speed and overall application performance.
Modifying the config.ini
The RAM settings are specified in a small file called config.ini. If you used the installer, you find it under "programs", in the same directory as openLCA.exe.
You can open openLCA.ini with a normal text editor. In a German operating system, it looks like this (and in English, you have an English file menu, and also the entry "en" instead of "de"):
The RAM allocation is specified by the entry -Xmx512M, 512M means 512 MB. Before doing any modifications to the file, you should create a save copy.
Then, for a 32 bit application, you can change the entry in the original config.ini to e.g. "-Xmx1300".
On WinXP systems, you can simply save the modified config.ini, and restart openLCA.
On Win7 and Vista systems, you will not be allowed to save the config.ini in the program folder, even not as admin. However, you can save the file at another place, and then copy the file again back into the program folder, overwriting the old config.ini.
Troubleshooting
Changing the config.ini is quite safe. What can happen is:
- If you allocate more RAM to the openLCA process than 32 bit processes can handle, then the openLCA will not start. You can then try smaller values.
- If you allocate more Ram than is available from the operating system, then either openLCA will not start, or other programs will become slow. You can check this in the task manager in Windows for example.
