Patent ID: 6247027
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for performing garbage collection in a system that supports space and time dimensional execution of a computer program, the system including a system heap containing objects, the method comprising:executing program instructions with a head thread;speculatively executing program instructions in advance of the head thread with a speculative thread,creating space-time dimensioned versions of the objects from the system heap that are modified by the speculative thread, the space-time dimensioned versions being created in a speculative heap that is separate from the system heap;keeping a record of objects for which space-time dimensioned versions have been created during updates to value fields and during updates to pointer fields by the speculative thread; andusing the record during a garbage collection operation to identify live objects, the garbage collection operation moving the live objects from the speculative heap to the system heap.