Memory Fluctuation (Process Heap)

In process heap Memory Leak (Volume 1, page 356) pattern we recommended acquiring sequential memory dumps spaced by 100MB. Unfortunately customers may send memory dumps spaced more closely, say by 10 - 20 MB or less after memory consumption growth already started some time in the past, for example, when they feel further process growth may impact their system performance. The analysis of process heap from memory dumps with enabled user mode stack database and corresponding UMDH log differences may show only Memory Fluctuation, where memory increases for specific stack trace allocations may follow by decreases or by small increases (S_i is for memory dump size [horizontal bars], t_i is for memory acquisition time):

In such cases, it is difficult to choose among various local memory fluctuations to continue further investigation. However, a baseline process memory dump, for example, just after process start, helps to choose which stack trace allocations investigate first: those having bigger absolute memory allocation increase (Allocation Stack Trace B):