Adjust Code42 app settings for memory usage with large backups
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Overview
The amount of available memory needed to use the Code42 app increases with the size of your archive or backup file selection. If your backup selection exceeds 1 TB of storage or 1 million files, you may benefit from adjusting several Code42 app settings to reduce the amount of memory required for your backup.
Affects
Backups exceeding 1 TB of storage or 1 million files.
Considerations
This article assumes you have the ability to edit your backup settings. Your administrator may prevent editing of these settings.
Additional memory considerations:
- The Code42 app uses memory up to the maximum allotted. The maximum is used only if it is needed.
- We recommend allocating 1 GB (1024 MB) of memory per 1 TB of storage (or per 1 million files). The Code42 app only needs about 600 MB of memory per 1 TB of storage (or per 1 million files), but our recommendation is intended to account for growth in your file selection.
Sample recommendations
| Backup Selection Size | Recommended Memory Allocation (MB) |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 TB or up to 1 million files | 1024 (default) |
| 1.5 TB or 1.5 million files | 1536 |
| 2 TB or 2 million files | 2048 |
| 2.5 TB or 2.5 million files | 2560 |
| 3 TB or 3 million files | 3072 |
Memory limitations
You should not allocate more memory to the Code42 app than the maximum supported by your device. For example, if your device has 8 GB of RAM, you shouldn’t allocate more than 8 GB (8192 MB) to the Code42 app.
On devices running a 32-bit Windows operating system, programs are limited to a maximum of 2 GB of RAM. After accounting for other resources required by your system, this limits the Code42 app's maximum memory allocation to approximately 1200-1500 MB.
Recommended solution
On Mac and Linux systems, you can increase the amount of memory available to the Code42 app. The necessary CLI commands have no effect on Windows systems.
If you are able to open and sign into the Code42 app, you can use the command-line interface (CLI) to allocate more memory.
Code42 for Enterprise administrators can execute this command from the administration console.
Steps
- Open the Code42 app.
- If necessary, sign in to your account.
- Use the keyboard shortcut for your operating system:
- Mac: Option+Command+C
- Linux: Ctrl+Shift+C
The command-line area opens.
- Enter the following command, using a value appropriate for the size of your backup selection (for example, 1536 for a 1.5 TB selection):
java mx 1536, restart
The Code42 app closes. - Open the Code42 app and sign in.
Alternative solution
The Code42 app only uses the maximum memory allotted if it is needed. However, if the maximum memory supported by your device does not accommodate the size of your backup file selection, there are several alternative ways to reduce memory usage.
Remove system and application files from your backup selection
The Code42 app is designed to back up user files (photos, documents, etc.). It is not designed to back up your operating system or application files. When system and application files are included in your backup file selection, the Code42 app uses more resources, like memory, backing up these files. Review our guidelines for choosing what to back up for more information.
Reduce backup frequency
The Code42 app monitors changes to files in real time based on your backup frequency and versions settings. More frequent backups or large numbers of files require the Code42 app to use more system resources to process your backup. You can reduce the frequency of the New Versions scan to conserve memory.
Reduce CPU allocated to the Code42 app
You can control the amount of CPU the Code42 app is allowed to use both when you are present (working on your device) and away. Most modern devices can support allowing the Code42 app to use a high CPU percentage without experiencing any performance issues, but you may want to adjust these settings for older devices. You can adjust these settings from the Code42 app.
- Sign in to the Code42 app.
- From Home, click Details.
- Select the arrow next to your device name.
- Choose Device preferences.
- Click Usage.
- Reduce the percent CPU is allowed to use when the user is both away and present.
Schedule backup
Finally, if you are still experiencing performance issues related to memory, you can configure the Code42 app to back up only at specified times. However, be careful to set a schedule that allows the Code42 app to run while your device is on and not in standby mode. You can adjust your backup schedule from the Code42 app.
- Sign in to the Code42 app.
- Click the backup set settings button.
- Next to Backup Schedule, click Change.
- Select Only run between specified times.
- Select the days and hours when the Code42 app is allowed to back up.
- Click Save.
Reduce your file selection
If you experience issues related to the Code42 app's memory usage after adjusting the settings described above, you may need to remove files from your selection to reduce the amount of memory needed to run the Code42 app.
Deselecting files from your backup file selection permanently deletes them from your backup archive. You cannot download files that have been removed from your backup file selection.