FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.8.0_72"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_72-b15)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.72-b15, mixed mode)


FULL OS VERSION :
4.1.7-15.23.amzn1.x86_64 #1 SMP Mon Sep 14 23:20:33 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

EXTRA RELEVANT SYSTEM CONFIGURATION :
-XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -XX:HeapDumpPath="/home/ec2-user/logs"

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
When -XX:HeapDumpPath is set along with -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError and an OOM error occurs, the heap dump file fails to write with the following type of error

java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
Dumping heap to "/home/ec2-user/logs" ...
Unable to create "/home/ec2-user/logs": No such file or directory

The location does exist and is normally writable by the user running the java application.

If -XX:HeapDumpPath is not set then a dump file is written successfully to the current directory

REGRESSION. Last worked in version 7u76

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Start the java application with -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError and -XX:HeapDumpPath set.

Run an application that will trigger an OOM error.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
Expected Result is that the heap dump file is written to the path specified by -XX:HeapDumpPath

Actual result is that the file is not written.
ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
Dumping heap to "/home/ec2-user/logs" ...
Unable to create "/home/ec2-user/logs": No such file or directory


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
// OOM Generator
new Thread(new Runnable() {

@Override
public void run()
{
int iteratorValue = 20;
System.out.println("\n=================> OOM test started..\n");
for (int outerIterator = 1; outerIterator < 20; outerIterator++) {
System.out.println("Iteration " + outerIterator + " Free Mem: " + Runtime.getRuntime().freeMemory());
int loop1 = 2;
int[] memoryFillIntVar = new int[iteratorValue];
// feel memoryFillIntVar array in loop..
do {
memoryFillIntVar[loop1] = 0;
loop1--;
} while (loop1 > 0);
iteratorValue = iteratorValue * 5;
System.out.println("\nRequired Memory for next loop: " + iteratorValue);
try
{
Thread.sleep(1000);
}
catch (InterruptedException e)
{
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}).start();

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Omit -XX:HeapDumpPath from the java args