摘要 |
Apparatus, methods, systems and computer program products are disclosed describing a data structure and associated processes that optimize garbage collection. The invention sections a card vector associated with a card marked heap into portions. Each portion can be individually write protected. A section vector contains section data structures that are used to control their respective portions. When a write-barrier executes and attempts to mark a card marker in a read-only portion of the card vector, the invention traps the mark operation, sets the portion to read-write, changes the status of the section data structure and completes the mark operation. When a garbage collection phase scans the heap during the garbage collection process, it skips over portions of the card vector associated with sections having a read-only status-thus, improving the garbage collection process.
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