System and method for reducing memory leaks in virtual machine programs
US7340493B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 2, 2003 |
| Grant date | Mar 4, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 14, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/45516
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method is provided for reducing memory leaks in virtual machine programs, such as those encountered in programs running in the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) environment. A compiler, such as a Java Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler, is used to identify the last use of an variable and, subsequent to the program statement where the last use occurs, insert a nullification statement. The nullification statement nullifies the variable so that it no longer references an object stored in a garbage collected heap. Variables in a program are identified in the activation records of the program. The nullification statement, when executed, severs the link between the program and the objects stored in the garbage-collected heap so that the program is no longer seen as a “root” for the object, often enabling the garbage collector to reclaim memory occupied by the object sooner.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.