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Distributed garbage collection using reference counting

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PARLE Parallel Architectures and Languages Europe (PARLE 1987)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 259))

Abstract

We describe here an elegant algorithm for the real-time garbage collection of distributed memory. This algorithm makes use of reference counting and is simpler than distributed mark-scan algorithms. It is also truly real-time unlike distributed mark-scan algorithms. It requires no synchronisation between messages and only sends a message between nodes when a reference is deleted. It is also relatively space efficient using at most five bits per reference.

Research partially funded by ESPRIT project 415: Parallel Architectures and Languages for AIP — A VLSI Directed Approach.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GEC Research Ltd Hirst Research Centre, East Lane, HA9 7PP, Wembley, Middlesex

    DI Bevan

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  1. DI Bevan
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Editor information

J. W. de Bakker A. J. Nijman P. C. Treleaven

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© 1987 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Bevan, D. (1987). Distributed garbage collection using reference counting. In: de Bakker, J.W., Nijman, A.J., Treleaven, P.C. (eds) PARLE Parallel Architectures and Languages Europe. PARLE 1987. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 259. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-17945-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-17945-3_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-17945-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-47181-3

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