JDK-6200079 : Apply -XX:+DisableExplicitGC to new JVM versions by default
  • Type: Enhancement
  • Component: hotspot
  • Sub-Component: gc
  • Affected Version: 5.0
  • Priority: P3
  • Status: Closed
  • Resolution: Not an Issue
  • OS: solaris_9
  • CPU: x86
  • Submitted: 2004-11-24
  • Updated: 2010-04-02
  • Resolved: 2004-11-24
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5.0Resolved
Description
It is legal Java practice to initiate a Full GC by calling System.gc(). In old days when memory was limited and heap sizes of Java apps were rather small this was common practice which did not cause harm because full GC runs only took a short time to execute.
With ever larger Java server applications with many threads and heap sizes in the GB range such calls can easily bring a JVM to a virtual halt. Frequently System.gc() calls are introduced by third party libraries or products and the application developers are not aware of them. In these cases, the problem can cause serious performance degradation and project desperation.
The problem can be easily fixed by the -XX:+DisableExplicitGC JVM switch. As most developers don't know this, it would be very useful to apply this switch by default. On the other hand, this should cause no problems to applications which have been making use of System.gc() calls so far. Strictly speaking these calls serve no obvious purpose.
Comments
EVALUATION Many problems for Java software projects would never appear. The platform would be more robust. ###@###.### 2004-11-24 18:14:55 GMT This seems like a really bad idea. We should educate people not to call System.gc(), not break any programs that are currently using it in the few situations where it is necessary. E.g., src/share/classes/java/nio/Bits.java. People who have third-party libraries that call System.gc() too much should lean on their vendors to fix their libraries. This would also break a large amount of our test code, which seems to call System.gc() for its own reasons. ###@###.### 2004-11-24 19:40:38 GMT
24-11-2004
WORK AROUND Apply the switch -XX:+DisableExplicitGC to the JVM (most customers ignore the problem and the solution, however) ###@###.### 2004-11-24 18:14:55 GMT
24-11-2004
SUGGESTED FIX Apply the switch -XX:+DisableExplicitGC by default. Offer an additional switch -XX:+EnableExplicitGC for the suspected rare cases where this might make sense. ###@###.### 2004-11-24 18:14:55 GMT
24-11-2004