A Real-Time Garbage Collector for a Real-Time Java Virtual Machine
TS-2901

One of the most important features of Java Real-Time System 2.0, to be released in 2007, is the inclusion of a real-time garbage collector (RTGC). This presentation introduces this RTGC and demonstrates its advantages.

The presentation first gives a brief overview of the Real-Time Specification for Java (or RTSJ), covering the three different types of threads (java/lang/Threads, RealtimeThreads, and NoHeapRealtimeThreads) that can coexist in an application and the three types of memory (heap, scoped, and immortal) that can be used.

The session then describes how the RTGC fits in the above model and discusses some of its characteristics:

• Fully concurrent operation (no stop-the-world phases)
• Latencies in the hundreds-of-microseconds range
• Robustness in terms of shielding critical threads from the rest
• Autotuning to enhance ease of use (only a couple of parameters to set)

The session covers the Java Management Extensions (JMX) technology-based observability features for RTGC that are being worked on, as well as an API to dynamically and programmatically change RTGC's behavior.

It also describes the process of migrating a Java technology application onto Java Real-Time System 2.0 and how the RTGC can be tuned to enable the designated real-time threads to achieve extremely low latencies, illustrating this with a concrete example.

Finally, it also includes specific early customer experiences with development and deployment of real-time Java technology applications using Java Real-Time System 2.0, to highlight the strengths and advantages of Java Real-Time System 2.0.

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