Real-time Java, Part 4: Real-time garbage collection (developerWorks) [LWN.net]

IBM developerWorks continues a series on real-time Java with a look at garbage collection. "RT applications must be able to respond to real-world stimuli within deterministic time intervals. A traditional GC can't meet this requirement because the application must halt for the GC to reclaim any unused memory. The time taken for reclamation is unbounded and subject to fluctuations. Furthermore, the time when the GC will interrupt the application is traditionally unpredictable. The time during which the application is halted is referred to as pause time because application progress is paused for the GC to reclaim free space. Low pause times are a requirement for RT applications because they usually represent the upper timing bound for application responsiveness."

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