Scribd
Upload
45 views2 pages

In Depth GC in Java

The document provides an in-depth overview of Java Garbage Collection (GC), detailing the JVM memory structure, including the Young and Old generations, and Metaspace. It explains the GC lifecycle phases of Mark, Sweep, and Compact, as well as the concept of object aging and promotion. The document emphasizes the importance of optimizing promotion due to its expense.

Uploaded by

splusmm24
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
45 views2 pages

In Depth GC in Java

The document provides an in-depth overview of Java Garbage Collection (GC), detailing the JVM memory structure, including the Young and Old generations, and Metaspace. It explains the GC lifecycle phases of Mark, Sweep, and Compact, as well as the concept of object aging and promotion. The document emphasizes the importance of optimizing promotion due to its expense.

Uploaded by

splusmm24
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

In depth Garbage collection in Java

- by utk

Let’s dive deep into Java Garbage Collection (GC) — how it actually works inside the JVM,
the different algorithms, tuning options, memory leaks, and how to profile it.

🔥 IN-DEPTH GUIDE TO GARBAGE COLLECTION IN JAVA

🔹 1. JVM Memory Structure Recap


The heap is managed by the garbage collector and is divided into:

➤ Young Generation (Nursery)

• Eden Space – where new objects are allocated.


• Survivor Spaces – S0 and S1, alternate during collection.
• Most objects die young → collected quickly and often.

➤ Old Generation (Tenured)

• Long-lived objects moved from Young Gen after surviving several GCs.

➤ Metaspace (Java 8+)

• Stores class metadata, no longer part of heap.


🔹 2. GC Lifecycle Phases (Mark-Sweep-Compact Model)

Step 1: Mark

• Traverses object graph from GC roots (like static references, stack variables) to
mark all reachable objects.

Step 2: Sweep

• Unmarked objects (i.e. unreachable) are considered garbage and their memory is
reclaimed.

Step 3: Compact

• Moves surviving objects together to eliminate fragmentation.


• Reduces allocation time for future objects.

🔹 3. Object Aging and Promotion


Objects "age" with each GC they survive in the Young Gen. Once they pass a threshold
(e.g., 15 GC cycles), they’re promoted to Old Gen.

text
CopyEdit
Eden → Survivor 0 → Survivor 1 → ... → Tenured

Promotion is expensive, so it's optimized carefully.

You might also like