Large file ( 256 MB or more) gets replaced by 128 Bytes / Matlab Workspace Memory Overflow or Limit?

Hi, I am running a simulation that takes days. Consequently, I am logging the simulation data in a data structure at every iterations and then to a file. I am observing a peculiar behavior with my simulation /data logging. I observer that the logged mat file gets replaced by 128 Byte file once it crosses 256 MB or so. I am not exactly sure of the size but I have observed the file size to be near 256 or bellow before being replaced by 128 byte file. I am wondering if anyone has similar problem and what is the work around? Is there a Matlab workspace memory limitations of up to 256MB or so? Is there a way to change that limit?

 I am using Matlab 2011b release and I run several instance (up to 12 cores in my server) of my script to Matlab workers using the parallel computing toolbox. They simulations in each workers are independent running on Linux and the observation is across all the workers. Thus I assume its a setting or configuration of the Matlab.

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

There is no limitation near 256 Mb. There is a limitation near 2 Gb, and that limitation can be overcome by saving with the -v7.3 flag.