Split Heap Garbage Collection

摘要

A method and an apparatus to scan a stack for references to a heap used in executing a code via the heap are described. The heap may be allocated with fixed and varied sized slots. Each varied sized slot may be referenced by at most one fixed sized slot. Which slots are live may be identified based on the references in the stack. A fixed slot can be live if referenced by the stack. A fixed or varied slot referenced by a live slot can also be live. Varied sized slots referenced by the stack may be identified as pinned. The heap may be de-fragmented to reclaim fixed sized slots which are not live without moving live fixed sized slots and to reclaim varied sized slots which are neither live nor pinned by moving live varied slots.