GC performance and Class Loading/Unloading

We have EP 6.0, SP11 on Solaris with JDK 1.4.8_02. We are running Web Dynpro version of MSS/ESS and Adobe Document Services. This is a Java stack only Web AS.

We are experiencing very uneven performance on the Portal. Usually, when the Portal grinds to a halt, the server log shows GC entries or Class unloading entries for the entire time the Portal stops working.

I am thinking about setting the GC parameters to the same size to try and eliminate sudden GC interruptions. Also, what parameter can I set to allow as many classes to be loaded at startup and stay in memory for as long as possible?

Thanks,

Rob Bartlett