# Hidden file size limit in IOSS Exodus reader?
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/hidden-file-size-limit-in-ioss-exodus-reader/17173
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [September 9, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/hidden-file-size-limit-in-ioss-exodus-reader/17173 "2025-09-09T14:32:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@woodscn](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/woodscn)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/hidden-file-size-limit-in-ioss-exodus-reader/17173/1 "2025-09-09T14:32:49Z")
Is there a max file size in the IOSS Exodus reader? I have a large memory node and a large dataset (500B elements). When I load this dataset with multiple processes, or when I load it with a single process with the legacy reader, it reads in the full data. When I load it with the IOSS reader, it only picks up about 150B elements, but it doesn’t error out or fail.
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### Author:  [@spyridon97](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/spyridon97)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2025, 9:37am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/hidden-file-size-limit-in-ioss-exodus-reader/17173/2 "2025-09-10T09:37:45Z")
What type of cells do you have? and also how are you able to create such a big mess? What’s your computer node(S)?
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### Author:  [@woodscn](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/woodscn)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/hidden-file-size-limit-in-ioss-exodus-reader/17173/3 "2025-09-10T18:43:39Z")
These are all hex cells in a multiblock grid. It’s just a very highly resolved sim. I’m not sure what information you’re looking for regarding the nodes, but they have 2TB of memory each.
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### Author:  [@spyridon97](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/spyridon97)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/hidden-file-size-limit-in-ioss-exodus-reader/17173/4 "2025-09-11T14:34:06Z")
Are there blocks missing or do the existing blocks just have less cells? And do all of them have less cells or just some of them?
Given that there is no way for you to give me the dataset due to size. The only way I can think of to figure this out is to have a meeting together and debug it.
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### Author:  [@cory.quammen](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/cory.quammen)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2025, 10:24pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/hidden-file-size-limit-in-ioss-exodus-reader/17173/5 "2025-09-11T22:24:57Z")
> [@woodscn](#):
>
> When I load it with the IOSS reader, it only picks up about 150B elements
I checked with @Gregory_Sjaardema, the main author of IOSS, and there is no inherent limitation in IOSS itself that would lead to this behavior.
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### Author:  [@woodscn](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/woodscn)
#### Post date: [September 18, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/hidden-file-size-limit-in-ioss-exodus-reader/17173/6 "2025-09-18T15:11:06Z")
It does kind of look like it’s missing some blocks. We have a work-around for this right now, but I may come back to it if the problem arises again.