Heap Handle Reduction via Pointer Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of heap handles in memory-constrained devices, such as those running Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME), incurs additional costs and inefficiencies due to the need for managing linked lists, increased memory usage, and suboptimal garbage collection performance, as compilers unaware of garbage collection semantics cannot efficiently handle these structures.
Innovation Solution
A system that analyzes a program's intermediate representation to identify and replace heap handles with ordinary pointers where safe, reducing the number of heap handles by converting them when they are not needed, thereby optimizing garbage collection operations and memory usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heap handles are used to manage pointers to heap objects, then garbage collection can accurately track and manage memory, but memory usage increases and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heap handle structure from the pointer representation, separating the handle management overhead from the actual pointer data. By using a compact handle index instead of full heap handle structures, the patent removes unnecessary memory consumption while preserving garbage collection tracking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different representation qualities to different contexts: full heap handles are used where needed for garbage collection tracking, while compact pointer representations are used where full handle functionality is not required. This local differentiation optimizes memory usage while maintaining reliability where necessary.
2Reliability
If heap handles are used to manage pointers to heap objects, then garbage collection can accurately track and manage memory, but management complexity and code overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex heap handle management logic from the normal pointer usage path. By separating handle creation, insertion, and removal operations into dedicated compiler mechanisms, the patent reduces the complexity visible in the generated code while maintaining accurate garbage collection tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the compiler automatically manages heap handle lifecycle (creation, insertion to root set, removal) without requiring explicit programmer intervention. This automation reduces management complexity while ensuring garbage collection accuracy.
3Reliability
If heap handles are used in the program, then pointers to heap objects can be tracked, but execution speed decreases due to additional management operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-computing and caching handle indices during compilation. By preparing handle representations in advance and eliminating runtime handle management operations where possible, the patent reduces execution overhead while maintaining memory tracking accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses compact copies of pointer information (handle indices) instead of full heap handle structures in most contexts. These simplified copies provide sufficient information for execution while eliminating the overhead of managing complete handle structures, thus improving execution speed.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that reduces the number of heap handles in a program. First, the system builds an intermediate representation of the program. The system then analyzes the intermediate representation to determine whether executing a function may cause a garbage-collection operation. If so, the system further analyzes the program to determine whether a heap handle in the program is defined and/or used in proximity to a call to the function. Next, the system determines whether the heap handle can be replaced by an ordinary pointer, in order to facilitate subsequently converting the heap handle to an ordinary pointer, if possible. Note that converting a heap handle to an ordinary pointer reduces the space requirements for the program and increases the speed and efficiency of the program and garbage collection operations.