Troubleshooting
This page covers common issues and their solutions.
Class Inconsistency and Class Version Check
If you create Fory without setting CompatibleMode to org.apache.fory.config.CompatibleMode.COMPATIBLE, and you get a strange serialization error, it may be caused by class inconsistency between the serialization peer and deserialization peer.
In such cases, you can invoke ForyBuilder#withClassVersionCheck to create Fory to validate it. If deserialization throws org.apache.fory.exception.ClassNotCompatibleException, it shows classes are inconsistent, and you should create Fory with ForyBuilder#withCompatibleMode(CompatibleMode.COMPATIBLE).
// Enable class version check to diagnose issues
Fory fory = Fory.builder()
.withLanguage(Language.JAVA)
.withClassVersionCheck(true)
.build();
// If ClassNotCompatibleException is thrown, use compatible mode
Fory fory = Fory.builder()
.withLanguage(Language.JAVA)
.withCompatibleMode(CompatibleMode.COMPATIBLE)
.build();
Note: CompatibleMode.COMPATIBLE has more performance and space cost. Do not set it by default if your classes are always consistent between serialization and deserialization.
Using Wrong API for Deserialization
Make sure you use the matching API pairs:
| Serialization API | Deserialization API |
|---|---|
Fory#serialize | Fory#deserialize |
Fory#serializeJavaObject | Fory#deserializeJavaObject |
Fory#serializeJavaObjectAndClass | Fory#deserializeJavaObjectAndClass |
Wrong usage examples:
// ❌ Wrong: serialize with serialize, deserialize with deserializeJavaObject
byte[] bytes = fory.serialize(object);
Object result = fory.deserializeJavaObject(bytes, MyClass.class); // Wrong!
// ❌ Wrong: serialize with serializeJavaObject, deserialize with deserialize
byte[] bytes = fory.serializeJavaObject(object);
Object result = fory.deserialize(bytes); // Wrong!
Correct usage:
// ✅ Correct: matching API pairs
byte[] bytes = fory.serialize(object);
Object result = fory.deserialize(bytes);
byte[] bytes = fory.serializeJavaObject(object);
MyClass result = fory.deserializeJavaObject(bytes, MyClass.class);
byte[] bytes = fory.serializeJavaObjectAndClass(object);
Object result = fory.deserializeJavaObjectAndClass(bytes);
Deserialize POJO into Another Type
If you want to serialize one POJO and deserialize it into a different POJO type, you must use CompatibleMode.COMPATIBLE:
public class DeserializeIntoType {
static class Struct1 {
int f1;
String f2;
public Struct1(int f1, String f2) {
this.f1 = f1;
this.f2 = f2;
}
}
static class Struct2 {
int f1;
String f2;
double f3;
}
static ThreadSafeFory fory = Fory.builder()
.withCompatibleMode(CompatibleMode.COMPATIBLE).buildThreadSafeFory();
public static void main(String[] args) {
Struct1 struct1 = new Struct1(10, "abc");
byte[] data = fory.serializeJavaObject(struct1);
Struct2 struct2 = (Struct2) fory.deserializeJavaObject(data, Struct2.class);
}
}
Common Error Messages
"Class not registered"
Cause: Class registration is required but the class wasn't registered.
Solution: Register the class before serialization:
fory.register(MyClass.class);
// or with explicit ID
fory.register(MyClass.class, 100);
"ClassNotCompatibleException"
Cause: Class schema differs between serialization and deserialization.
Solution: Use compatible mode:
Fory fory = Fory.builder()
.withCompatibleMode(CompatibleMode.COMPATIBLE)
.build();
"Max depth exceeded"
Cause: Object graph is too deep, possibly indicating a circular reference attack.
Solution: Increase max depth if legitimate, or check for malicious data:
Fory fory = Fory.builder()
.withMaxDepth(100) // Increase from default 50
.build();
"Serializer not found"
Cause: No serializer registered for the type.
Solution: Register a custom serializer:
fory.registerSerializer(MyClass.class, new MyClassSerializer(fory));
Performance Issues
Slow Initial Serialization
Cause: JIT compilation happening on first serialization.
Solution: Enable async compilation:
Fory fory = Fory.builder()
.withAsyncCompilation(true)
.build();
High Memory Usage
Cause: Large object graphs or reference tracking overhead.
Solutions:
- Disable reference tracking if not needed:
.withRefTracking(false) - Use custom memory allocator for pooling
- Consider row format for large datasets
Large Serialized Size
Cause: Metadata overhead or uncompressed data.
Solutions:
- Enable compression:
.withIntCompressed(true),.withLongCompressed(true) - Use compatible mode only when needed
- Register classes to avoid class name serialization
Debugging Tips
- Enable class version check to diagnose schema issues
- Check API pairing - ensure serialize/deserialize APIs match
- Verify registration order - must be consistent across peers
- Enable logging to see internal operations:
LoggerFactory.setLogLevel(LogLevel.DEBUG_LEVEL);
Related Topics
- Configuration Options - All ForyBuilder options
- Schema Evolution - Compatible mode details
- Type Registration - Registration best practices
- Migration Guide - Upgrading Fory versions