java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: PermGen space in tomcat with eclipse

i get this exception frequently when running my app on tomcat using eclipse:

java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: PermGen space
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClassCond(ClassLoader.java:632)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:616)
    at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:141)
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.findClassInternal(WebappClassLoader.java:1850)
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.findClass(WebappClassLoader.java:890)
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadClass(WebappClassLoader.java:1354)
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadClass(WebappClassLoader.java:1233)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClassCond(ClassLoader.java:632)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:616)
    at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:141)
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.findClassInternal(WebappClassLoader.java:1850)
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.findClass(WebappClassLoader.java:890)
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadClass(WebappClassLoader.java:1354)
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadClass(WebappClassLoader.java:1233)
    at org.hibernate.hql.ast.QueryTranslatorImpl.parse(QueryTranslatorImpl.java:265)
    at org.hibernate.hql.ast.QueryTranslatorImpl.doCompile(QueryTranslatorImpl.java:180)
    at org.hibernate.hql.ast.QueryTranslatorImpl.compile(QueryTranslatorImpl.java:134)
    at org.hibernate.engine.query.HQLQueryPlan.<init>(HQLQueryPlan.java:101)
    at org.hibernate.engine.query.HQLQueryPlan.<init>(HQLQueryPlan.java:80)
    at org.hibernate.engine.query.QueryPlanCache.getHQLQueryPlan(QueryPlanCache.java:94)
    at org.hibernate.impl.AbstractSessionImpl.getHQLQueryPlan(AbstractSessionImpl.java:156)
    at org.hibernate.impl.AbstractSessionImpl.createQuery(AbstractSessionImpl.java:135)
    at org.hibernate.impl.SessionImpl.createQuery(SessionImpl.java:1650)
    at com.spacerdv.dao.impl.UserDaoImpl.getUserDetails(UserDaoImpl.java:170)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:307)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:183)

try to raise perm space, add following parameters to vm start-up

-XX:PermSize=256m -XX:MaxPermSize=256m

also add -XX:MaxPermSize=256m to Tomcat in Eclipse: Server > Open Launch Configuration > Arguments

Update (in 2014): take a look here at this question and answer about the new Java 8 Metaspace.

and take a look here:

How to deal with “java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: PermGen space” error

You can configure these arguments for eclipse:

"To solve this I stopped the server in Eclipse. Double clicked on the server in the Servers tab to open the Overview page for the server. Clicked on Open Launch Configuration and then on the Arguments tab.

I added the following VM arguments :

-XX:+CMSClassUnloadingEnabled -XX:+CMSPermGenSweepingEnabled

ref to http://malcolmmallia.com/malcblog/?p=60