US Patent 8001341 Managing dynamically allocated memory in a computer system

Managing dynamically allocated memory in a computer system in which garbage collection process is scheduled separately from data processing comprises initiating a system program and providing system memory for use by the system program, the system program being arranged to provide a processing environment, initiating an application program within the processing environment for performing one or more units of processing, allocating a portion of the memory for use by the application program for performing the processing, providing a first unit of processing to the application program, determining the proportion of the provided system memory in use on completion of processing of the first unit; and if the proportion exceeds a predetermined threshold, providing a memory recovery instruction to the system program to identify elements in the system memory occupied by objects or data inaccessible to the application program and to free the elements of the provided system memory.