Debugging Memory Issues in Elixir: Navigating the BEAM Memory Model - A. Frolov | ElixirConf EU 2024

CodeSync · January 21, 2025, 2:00pm

This talk was recorded at ElixirConf EU in April 2024. If you’re curious about our upcoming event, check https://elixirconf.eu

Elixir operates on the BEAM Virtual Machine, which boasts a distinctive memory model designed to alleviate common memory-related pitfalls. However, when memory issues arise within an application, debugging becomes complex without a deep comprehension of the BEAM memory model.

Rather than delving into intricate BEAM memory management implementations, the focus is on the pragmatic side of memory issue resolution. We’ll explore scenarios where BEAM makes full copies of data versus optimizing it, uncovering the unexpected effects that can ensue.

A foundational understanding of application memory management principles (e.g., allocation, deallocation, and garbage collection) is recommended to derive the utmost benefit from this session. If you lack direct experience working with application memory or solving memory issues, fear not; real-life examples will elucidate the main concepts, and I will guide you through the tools employed to identify and debug such challenges.

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