Question

I have configured java to dump garbage collection information into the logs (verbose GC). I am unsure of what the garbage collection entries in the logs mean. A sample of these entries are posted below. I’ve searched around on Google and have not found solid explanations.

I have some reasonable guesses, but I’m looking for answers which provide strict definitions of what the numbers in the entries mean, backed up by credible sources. An automatic +1 to all answers which cite sun documentation. My questions are:

1. What does PSYoungGen refer to? I assume it has something to do with the previous (younger?) generation, but what exactly?
2. What is the difference between the second triplet of numbers and the first?
3. Why is a name(PSYoungGen) specified for the first triplet of numbers but not the second?
4. What does each number (memory size) in the triplet mean. For example in 109884K->14201K(139904K), is the memory before GC 109884k and then it is reduced to 14201K. How is the third number relevant? Why would we require a second set of numbers?

8109.128: [GC [PSYoungGen: 109884K->14201K(139904K)]
691015K->595332K(1119040K), 0.0454530
secs]

8112.111: [GC [PSYoungGen: 126649K->15528K(142336K)]
707780K->605892K(1121472K), 0.0934560
secs]

8112.802: [GC [PSYoungGen: 130344K->3732K(118592K)]
720708K->607895K(1097728K), 0.0682690
secs]

Answer 1

Most of it is explained in the GC Tuning Guide (which you would do well to read anyway).

The command line option -verbose:gc causes information about the heap and garbage collection to be printed at each collection. For example, here is output from a large server application:

[GC 325407K->83000K(776768K), 0.2300771 secs]
[GC 325816K->83372K(776768K), 0.2454258 secs]
[Full GC 267628K->83769K(776768K), 1.8479984 secs]

Here we see two minor collections followed by one major collection. The numbers before and after the arrow (e.g., 325407K->83000K from the first line) indicate the combined size of live objects before and after garbage collection, respectively. After minor collections the size includes some objects that are garbage (no longer alive) but that cannot be reclaimed. These objects are either contained in the tenured generation, or referenced from the tenured or permanent generations.

The next number in parentheses (e.g., (776768K) again from the first line) is the committed size of the heap: the amount of space usable for java objects without requesting more memory from the operating system. Note that this number does not include one of the survivor spaces, since only one can be used at any given time, and also does not include the permanent generation, which holds metadata used by the virtual machine.

The last item on the line (e.g., 0.2300771 secs) indicates the time taken to perform the collection; in this case approximately a quarter of a second.

The format for the major collection in the third line is similar.

The format of the output produced by -verbose:gc is subject to change in future releases.

I’m not certain why there’s a PSYoungGen in yours; did you change the garbage collector?