Garbage collection (GC) is the core mechanism of Java's automatic memory management, used to identify and free objects that are no longer in use to avoid memory leaks. 1. Garbage objects refer to objects that are no longer referenced by any root object; 2. The basic process of GC includes marking surviving objects and recycling unlabeled objects; 3. Common garbage collectors include Serial GC, Parallel Scavenge, CMS, G1, ZGC/Shenandoah, which are suitable for different scenarios; 4. Methods to optimize GC performance include reasonably setting the heap size, selecting appropriate algorithms, monitoring logs, avoiding memory leaks, and reducing temporary object generation. By understanding the GC mechanism, code efficiency and system tuning capabilities can be improved.
Java's Garbage Collection (GC) mechanism is the core part of Java's automatic memory management. Its main function is to automatically identify and free up memory space occupied by objects that are no longer in use, thereby avoiding the problems caused by memory leakage and manual memory management.

What is a garbage object?
In Java, an object is called a "garbage object" if it is no longer referenced by any "root object" (such as local variables, static class attributes, etc. in the thread stack). GC scans these objects regularly and recycles the memory they occupy.

To give a simple example: when you create an object Person p = new Person();
and then execute p = null;
, if no other reference points to this Person
instance, it becomes a garbage object, waiting for GC to recycle.
The basic process of Java garbage collection
Java garbage collection usually includes two basic steps:

- Mark : GC scans all reachable objects and marks them as "survival".
- Sweep or Compact : Unmarked objects are treated as garbage and their occupied memory will be recycled. Some GC algorithms also organize surviving objects to reduce memory fragmentation.
The specific implementation methods of different garbage collectors vary slightly. For example, some will collect in generations (such as Serial and Parallel Scavenge), while others will collect in full heap (such as G1).
What are the common garbage collectors in Java?
Currently common garbage collectors include the following types, which are suitable for different usage scenarios:
- Serial GC : Single-threaded recycler, suitable for small memory and single-core CPU scenarios.
- Parallel Scavenge : a multi-threaded recycler that focuses on throughput and is suitable for background computing services.
- CMS (Concurrent Mark Sweep) : Low latency is preferred, suitable for response time-sensitive applications, but it is prone to memory fragmentation.
- G1 (Garbage First) : takes into account both throughput and latency, suitable for large piles of memory, a modern mainstream choice.
- ZGC/Shenandoah : A new generation of GC with ultra-low latency suitable for high concurrency systems that require millisecond pauses.
You can use the JVM startup parameters to specify which garbage collector to use, for example -XX: UseG1GC
is to enable G1.
How to optimize Java garbage collection performance?
Optimizing GC performance can start from the following aspects:
- Reasonably set the heap size : set
-Xms
and-Xmx
according to the application load to avoid frequent Full GC. - Choose the right GC algorithm : Choose a low-latency or high-throughput recycler based on the type of service.
- Monitor GC logs : Use
-Xlog:gc*
or third-party tools such as VisualVM, JConsole, Prometheus Grafana to observe GC behavior. - Avoid memory leaks : Check for unnecessary long-lifetime objects holding large amounts of memory.
- Reduce temporary object generation : Try to multiplex objects to reduce the frequency of Minor GC.
If you find that applications often have a long-term Full GC, or the elderly have grown too fast, you may need to adjust the heap configuration or troubleshoot memory problems in the code.
Basically that's it. Understanding the Java garbage collection mechanism will not only help you write more efficient code, but also be more confident when tuning the system.
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