Parallel Generational Copying Garbage Collection Schemes for Shared-Memory Multiprocessors

Abstract

In this paper, an improved parallel generational copying real-time garbage collection scheme for shared-memory multiprocessors, which supports load balancing among workers, has been proposed, implemented, and evaluated. The basic idea of improvement is developed from Ali's two papers [2,3]. The scheme proposed here is a form of copying collectors that attempt to eliminate the drawback of frequently copying long-lived (stable) objects. This class of schemes is called generational-based schemes, which is based on concentrating the collection efforts on small areas of memory, so-called young generation. They reduce the need for collecting the remaining large areas of memory, old generation. A modified scheme, without real-time response, has also been implemented and compared to the real-time one. A comparative study has been done for the two schemes with other two parallel non-generational copying garbage collection schemes founded by the author in [1]. According to this comparative study, we proved that the performance of generational schemes is better than the performance of non-generational schemes. Also, the overheads occurred due to real-time response have been calculated.