Bounded-pause time garbage collection system and method including write

Abstract

A partially relocated object identifier store including 'copy from' identifier and 'copy to' identifier storage accessible to write barrier logic allows the write barrier logic to maintain consistency between FromSpace and ToSpace instances of a partially relocated memory object without software trap handler overhead. Optional 'How far' indication storage facilitates differentiation by the write barrier logic between a copied portion and an uncopied portion of the partially relocated memory object. An optional 'mode' indication facilitates differentiation by the write barrier logic between a copy phase and a pointer update phase of relocation by the garbage collector implementation. In some embodiments, pointer update and copying phases may overlap. 'Copy to' identifier storage facilitates broadcast of a store-oriented memory access to the FromSpace instance to both FromSpace and ToSpace instances. Similarly, during pointer update, 'Copy to' and 'Copy From' identifier storage facilitate broadcast of a store-oriented memory access to either the FromSpace instance or the ToSpace instance to both FromSpace and ToSpace instances.