Patent ID: 8001341

Claim:
A method for managing dynamically allocated memory in a computer system, said method comprising: initiating a system program on the computer system and providing system memory for use by said system program, said system program being arranged to provide a processing environment; initiating an application program within said processing environment for performing one or more units of processing; allocating a portion of said system memory for use by said application program for performing said processing; providing a first unit of processing to said application program for processing; determining a proportion of said provided system memory in use on completion of processing of said first unit of processing; and in response to said proportion exceeding a predetermined threshold, providing a memory recovery instruction to said system program arranged to identify elements in said provided system memory that are occupied by objects or data that are inaccessible to said application program and to free said elements of said provided system memory for further use, wherein said computer system comprises a plurality of instances of said system program arranged to process a plurality of units of processing under the coordinating control of a management program, said management program being arranged to provide said units of processing for respective application programs and to schedule respective memory recovery instructions to respective system programs.