A distributed parallel processing database that processes data in a Java environment allocates memory both on a Java heap and off a Java heap. The distributed parallel processing database includes multiple servers. Each server executes a Java virtual machine (JVM) in which data allocated to the server is processed. When a JVM of a server starts, the JVM can specify an off-heap memory size, based on a JVM start parameter. The server can designate memory of the specified size that is off JVM memory heap as off-heap memory. The off-heap memory is different from heap memory in the Java environment, and is managed by a garbage collector that is outside of the Java environment. The server can process data designated as off-heap memory eligible in the off-heap memory. The off-heap memory can improve database operations that create a large number of similar-sized objects in memory by reducing Java memory management overhead.