Patent · US Expired

Low-contention grey object sets for concurrent, marking garbage collection

US6925637B2 · kind B2 · utility

30Cited by
31References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 16, 2001
Grant dateAug 2, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 25, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99956
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system of carrying out garbage collection in a computer system. Specifically, the method and system utilize low contention grey object sets for concurrent marking garbage collection. A garbage collector traces memory objects and identifies memory objects according to a three-color abstraction, identifying a memory object with a certain color if that memory object itself has been encountered by the garbage collector, but some of the objects to which the memory object refers have not yet been encountered. A packet manager organizes memory objects identified with the certain color into packets, provides services to obtain empty or partially full packets, and obtain full or partially full packets, and verifies whether a packet of the certain color is being accessed by one of the threads of the garbage collector.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.