topic Re: RAM usage by users won't release in QlikView

RAM usage by users won't release

shayraber — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:19:17 GMT

Hi all,

I'm facing an issue lately with my QV server deployment.

recently, users tend to get very often an error message saying the server is unreachable (and they can't open documents via access point).

exploring that issue led me to the conclusion is high RAM usage which is solved only by restarting the Qlikview server service.

what I've noticed is that users which opens documents increase (as expected) the RAM usage, BUT when they close the documents the RAM they used is NOT releasing... the RAM usage only keeps increasing and increasing until users can no longer open documents until a restart is being made.

I've read this thread:

RAM usage high

which explains that this is how QV originally designed to work (use every available RAM for better end-user experience) but what if that RAM usage effects badly on other users?

it doesn't seem right to schedule a service restart few times a day...

any other idea? suggestion?

please assist

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

Gysbert_Wassenaar — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 08:29:44 GMT

Try lowering the document timeout setting.

From the help file:

Documents

On the Documents tab, the settings for document control can be managed.

Server

Document Timeout

Open documents take up valuable system resources (that is, memory space, RAM, is allocated) and should not be allowed to remain open when not in use. However, if a document is closed too quickly, the users may get longer delay times when accessing the document, because the server has to reopen it. This value controls for how long a document will be allowed to be unused before the QlikView Server (QVS) closes the document and reclaims the resources.

Default value: 480 minutes.

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

berkarmagan — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 08:56:54 GMT

Just try to change your document timeout settings which located on QMC->Documents->Your QVD->Server->Performance. Hope it helps you.

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

shayraber — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:00:14 GMT

hi Gysbert,

i'll give it a try...

but, something i noticed now -

doesn't it suppose to free the RAM that was in use?

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

Gysbert_Wassenaar — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:04:00 GMT

If you use Qlikview Desktop to open and then close a document then the memory will be released immediately. Qlikview Desktop when used stand alone (i.e. not with open in server) doesn't use Qlikview Server and won't have any effect on the memory usage of Qlikview Server.

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

agomes1971 — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:04:45 GMT

Hi,

the RAM is not managed by the QV Server is managed by OS.

My advice is to do a restart at least once a week.

Regards

André Gomes

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

adamdavi3s — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:05:42 GMT

No the documents are held in memory until they timeout so you will see a drop in RAM usage of around 10% of the document size (in RAM) when a user disconnects, but the main data remains in memory.

My rule of thumb is generally:

Document size * 10 = RAM requirement + 10% for each user logged on

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

berkarmagan — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:06:26 GMT

Yes but, if anyone on session, click on aything hard to calculate ram will increase and hovewer that user closed document, qlik will try to calculate on server side so ram wont decraese on this scenierio.

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

shayraber — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:48:12 GMT

The fact that the desktop is not effecting the memory used by the server is known to me.

what I'm trying to figure out is why, when user closes the document and exits the access point - the RAM used by him doesn't releases...

now, when no task is running, when num of users is about 5 users the RAM usage is around 50GB...

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

adamdavi3s — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:55:37 GMT

Ok expanding on my answer below my understanding is something like this:

1gb document

User opens it > 10gb Ram is used

Next user opens it > 1gb of Ram is used

One user closes it> RAM drops 1gb

Next user closes it > no drop in ram

document timeout hits limit > Ram drops to 0

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

shayraber — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:56:05 GMT

hi Andre,

I already do restart once a day...

there is a task process which occurs at 9am. the RAM keeps increasing and increasing when the work day starts, in addition, at 9am the process begins, more users open documents and the memory (which keep increasing and not dropping, even when users leave the documents) reaches to a point where the RAM is about 70GB (out of the 80GB of the machine) which results with users that can't access any document

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

adamdavi3s — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:58:46 GMT

As already advised, change your document timeout to 30mins or something

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

shayraber — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 10:13:42 GMT

as i said before - I'll give it a try (nothing to lose)

what i wonder - regarding the document timeout:

If I open the document and increase the RAM usage - when i close the document and leave the access point isn't it equal to the situation where the document reaches the timeout limit? should the memory i consumed be dropped? is so - then why i didn't see it at the RAM monitor? when i closed the document the the RAM remain at its level prior the document closing

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

adamdavi3s — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:12:50 GMT

shay raber wrote:

when i close the document and leave the access point isn't it equal to the situation where the document reaches the timeout limit?

Nope, the document remains in memory until it times out, its one of the clever bits of Qlik that the document is then there instantly if another user connects.

The system just needs to be managed well so you find the balance between speed of access and RAM usage, the governance dashboard will give you some good metrics to monitor sessions.

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

shayraber — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:16:38 GMT

thank you all!

i'll give it a try. reduced the time limit for document timeout to 30 minutes.

let's see if it's help

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

berkarmagan — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:18:19 GMT

pls let us know.

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

marcus_sommer — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:31:01 GMT

Which QV release do you use? Earlier with QV 10 we had problems with the RAM releasing from the server (it didn't work as it should) and we re-started te server regulary. But since using QV 11 SR 12 it worked stable - this meant an release upgrade might help.

- Marcus

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

adamdavi3s — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:35:31 GMT

Actually that rings a bell for me at my old place of work which used 10... I am sure I scheduled the QVS service to restart regularly or something

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

ToniKautto — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:41:15 GMT

Your question does not clearly describe an actual problem. High memory utilization is not per definition a problem, it would rather indicate a high utilization in terms of allow large cache to enable quick calculation times.

The server is expected to stay within the working set limits. What is your working set limit? What amount of physical memory do you have? Is the allocation higher than working set limit(s)?

For best performance and stability, it is recommended to update to the latest Service Release. Which major version and Sr are you currently running?

In a healthy environment there should be no need for daily restarts.

Re: RAM usage by users won't release

shayraber — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:41:29 GMT

QV 11.2 SR3