Troubleshooting
Problem
When using IBM Content Navigator (ICN) with FileNet, uploading large files (e.g., 9GB) via an entry template fails without generating error messages, despite successful uploads using the 'Add Document' feature. The issue occurs in environments with WebLogic servers, and adjustments to FileNet.Content.PutBlockSizeKB have been explored to mitigate the problem.
Symptom
Users can experience issues uploading large files (e.g., 9GB zip file) to FileNet using an entry template. The upload process appears to be ongoing, indicated by an animation window, but it takes an excessively long time (over 5 hours) and never completes successfully. No error messages are displayed during or after the upload attempt. The issue persists across different network environments (office and VPN). Smaller files (e.g., 1GB, 2.5GB) also fail to upload when using the entry template. However, using the 'Add Document' feature, a 9GB file was successfully uploaded in approximately 37 minutes.
Cause
The Content Platform Engine JVM temporary directory did not have sufficient available space or appropriate permissions to process the large upload.
Large document uploads may require temporary disk space while Content Platform Engine processes and stores the document content. By default, the JVM may use the operating system temporary directory, such as /tmp. If that directory is constrained, mounted with restrictive permissions, or does not have enough free space, the upload may fail or remain incomplete.
The relevant JVM is the Content Platform Engine JVM, because the document content is processed and uploaded through Content Platform Engine, even when the upload is initiated from IBM Content Navigator.
Environment
This issue may occur in environments with:
- IBM Content Navigator
- IBM FileNet Content Platform Engine
- IBM Administrative Console for Content Platform Engine (ACCE)
- WebLogic Server or another supported application server
- Large document uploads, such as 2.5 GB, 5 GB, or 9 GB files
- Entry Template-based document uploads
- A restricted or undersized system temporary directory, such as
/tmp
Diagnosing The Problem
- Investigate the client's issue with uploading large files (9GB) to FileNet using an Entry Template in ICN.
- Verify that smaller files could be uploaded successfully using the same Entry Template.
- Compare the upload process using 'Add Document' feature, which worked for large files.
- Analyze ICN logs and system configurations to identify potential causes.
- Adjust the FileNet.Content.PutBlockSizeKB parameter to increase the block size for content uploads.
- Test the upload process with different file sizes after adjusting the parameter.
- Enable ICN tracing and debug logging to gather detailed logs during the upload process.
- Review logs to identify any patterns or errors related to the upload failure.
- Check for any plugins or antivirus software that might be intercepting the /addItem request.
- Configure CPE's Content Processing temp location to a non-system directory with full permissions.
- Enable FileNet traces to gather more insights on the upload process and potential points of failure.
Resolving The Problem
The issue was caused by the JVM temp directory (/tmp) running out of space during large file uploads via an entry template. To resolve:
1. Configure the CPE JVM temp directory parameter by adding -Djava.io.tmpdir=<full permissions directory> to the JVM settings.
2. Ensure the new temp directory has full permissions and sufficient space.
3. Restart the CPE JVM after making the change.
4. Test the upload process again using an entry template with a large file (e.g., 9GB).
5. Verify that the upload completes successfully without errors.
Document Location
Worldwide
Product Synonym
ICN
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Document Information
Modified date:
05 June 2026
UID
ibm17275228