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what are the benefits of using Shenandoah or ZGC for garbage collection


Shenandoah and ZGC are two advanced garbage collectors designed to provide low-latency and efficient garbage collection for Java applications. Here are some key benefits of using these collectors:

Shenandoah GC:

1. Low Pause Times: Shenandoah GC is designed to minimize pause times by performing most garbage collection work concurrently with the application. This ensures that the application remains responsive and performs well even under heavy memory usage[1][3].

2. Concurrent Compaction: Shenandoah GC performs concurrent compaction, which means that it compacts the heap while the application is running. This reduces the need for full garbage collection pauses and ensures that the heap remains compact and efficient[1][3].

3. Independent of Heap Size: Shenandoah GC's pause times are independent of the heap size. This means that it can handle large heaps without significant pauses, making it suitable for applications that require large memory allocations[1][3].

4. High Throughput: Shenandoah GC is designed to provide high throughput by minimizing the time spent on garbage collection. This ensures that the application can continue to run efficiently even under heavy memory usage[1][3].

ZGC:

1. Low Latency: ZGC is designed to provide extremely low latency by minimizing the time spent on garbage collection. It achieves this by performing most garbage collection work concurrently with the application and by using a single-generation, region-based approach[2].

2. NUMA-Aware: ZGC is designed to be NUMA-aware, which means it can efficiently handle large heaps and multiple CPU cores. This ensures that the garbage collector can take advantage of the available hardware resources[2].

3. High Throughput: ZGC is designed to provide high throughput by minimizing the time spent on garbage collection. This ensures that the application can continue to run efficiently even under heavy memory usage[2].

4. Experimental Feature: ZGC is an experimental feature that requires specific command-line options to enable. It is suitable for applications that require very short pause times and can handle large memory allocations[2].

In summary, both Shenandoah and ZGC are designed to provide low-latency and efficient garbage collection for Java applications. They are suitable for applications that require high throughput and can handle large memory allocations.

Citations:
[1] https://clojure-goes-fast.com/blog/shenandoah-in-production/
[2] https://developers.redhat.com/articles/2021/11/02/how-choose-best-java-garbage-collector
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/feedthebeast/comments/r24zg4/upgrade_your_java_to_one_that_has_the_shenandoah/
[4] https://stackoverflow.com/questions/64252590/how-does-clr-gc-compare-to-latest-zgc-and-shenandoah-gc-on-jvm
[5] https://www.uber.com/blog/jvm-tuning-garbage-collection/