Method and apparatus for localizing nodes in a garbage collected carded heap
First Claim
1. A computer controlled method for localizing a first plurality of nodes in a card-marked older generation heap area, each of said first plurality of nodes containing a pointer to an address in a younger generation heap area, said card-marked older generation heap area having an intermixed plurality of nodes of said first plurality of nodes with a second plurality of remaining nodes, wherein said method comprises steps of:
- (a) collecting said first plurality of nodes to a card-marked copied generation; and
(b) collecting said second plurality of remaining nodes to said card-marked copied generation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus, methods, systems and computer program products are disclosed describing processes that optimize generational garbage collection techniques in a card-marked heap. The invention localizes nodes in an older generation that have a pointer to a newer generation. This node localization increases the density of such nodes in the cards marked as having these nodes and thus reduces the number of marked cards that need to be examined for nodes having pointers to the newer generation.
75 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A computer controlled method for localizing a first plurality of nodes in a card-marked older generation heap area, each of said first plurality of nodes containing a pointer to an address in a younger generation heap area, said card-marked older generation heap area having an intermixed plurality of nodes of said first plurality of nodes with a second plurality of remaining nodes, wherein said method comprises steps of:
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(a) collecting said first plurality of nodes to a card-marked copied generation; and (b) collecting said second plurality of remaining nodes to said card-marked copied generation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A computer controlled system having a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory coupled to said CPU, for localizing a first plurality of nodes in a card-marked older generation heap area of said memory, each of said first plurality of nodes containing a pointer to an address in a younger generation heap area of said memory, said card-marked older generation heap area having an intermixed plurality of nodes of said first plurality of nodes with a second plurality of remaining nodes, wherein said system comprises:
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a first collection mechanism configured to collect said first plurality of nodes to a card-marked copied generation in said memory; and a second collection mechanism configured to collect said second plurality of remaining nodes to said card-marked copied generation. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus having a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory coupled to said CPU for localizing a first plurality of nodes in a card-marked older generation heap area of said memory, each of said first plurality of nodes containing a pointer to an address in a younger generation heap area of said memory, said card-marked older generation heap area having an intermixed plurality of nodes of said first plurality of nodes with a second plurality of remaining nodes, wherein said system comprises:
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a first collection mechanism configured to collect said first plurality of nodes to a card-marked copied generation in said memory; and a second collection mechanism configured to collect said second plurality of remaining nodes to said card-marked copied generation. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer program product comprising:
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a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to locate a first plurality of nodes in a card-marked older generation heap area, each of said first plurality of nodes containing a pointer to an address in a younger generation heap area, said card-marked older generation heap area having an intermixed plurality of nodes of said first plurality of nodes with a second plurality of remaining nodes, said computer readable code comprising; computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a first collection mechanism configured to collect said first plurality of nodes to a card-marked copied generation; and computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a second collection mechanism configured to collect said second plurality of remaining nodes to said card-marked copied generation. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification