Memory Leak Inspector for Java Garbage Collection Files
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tools for detecting memory leaks in Java-based systems are limited in effectiveness, requiring system restarts and significant manual analysis, which can lead to loss of production time and resource overhead, especially in 24/7 applications where even minor leaks can cause Out Of Memory Errors (OOMEs).
Innovation Solution
A memory leak inspector tool that periodically copies and analyzes garbage collection files without restarting the system, using a backup agent to preserve data and generate human-readable reports, identifying responsible objects and classes without manual intervention or additional hardware, thus preventing system crashes and maintaining performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional memory leak detection tools are used, then memory leak detection capability is provided, but system restart is required and production time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously copying garbage collection files before memory leaks cause system crashes. The backup agent creates periodic copies of GC files, preserving memory state information at various time points, enabling post-crash analysis without requiring system restarts during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses copying by creating duplicate copies of garbage collection files through the backup agent. These copies are stored in a backup location and can be analyzed independently of the running system, allowing memory leak investigation without interrupting production operations or requiring system restarts.
2Reliability
If conventional memory leak detection tools are used, then memory leak detection is provided, but significant manual analysis is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the memory leak inspector tool automatically analyzes the copied GC files and generates human-readable reports. The tool compares memory states across different time points, automatically identifies memory leaks, and presents findings in an interpretable format, reducing the need for manual analysis while maintaining detection reliability.
3Measurement precision
If system restart is performed for memory leak detection, then detection accuracy is improved, but resource overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of restarting the system to obtain memory state information, the invention copies GC files that already contain the required memory state data. This approach maintains detection accuracy by preserving complete memory state information while avoiding the resource overhead associated with system restarts, VM reinitialization, and service interruption.
4Productivity
If garbage collection files are continuously monitored, then memory leak detection is continuous, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the monitoring task by creating discrete, time-point copies of GC files through periodic backup operations. Each copy represents a specific moment in time and can be independently analyzed. This segmentation approach enables continuous monitoring capability while managing data complexity through structured, time-based organization of backup files.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup agent acts as an intermediary between the running system and the analysis tool. It automatically handles the copying of GC files to a backup location, managing the data flow and storage complexity. The memory leak inspector then analyzes these pre-copied files without needing to directly interact with the running system's memory state, simplifying the overall data management architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided to inspect memory leaks and copy garbage collection files. In one embodiment, an original garbage collection file is selected from a plurality of garbage collection files at a file system. The original garbage collection file is periodically copied into a duplicate garbage collection file. The duplicate garbage collection file serves as a backup file to the original garbage collection file.