GC.RegisterForFullGCNotification(Int32, Int32) Method

Definition

Specifies that a garbage collection notification should be raised when conditions favor full garbage collection and when the collection has been completed.

public:
 static void RegisterForFullGCNotification(int maxGenerationThreshold, int largeObjectHeapThreshold);
public static void RegisterForFullGCNotification (int maxGenerationThreshold, int largeObjectHeapThreshold);
[System.Security.SecurityCritical]
public static void RegisterForFullGCNotification (int maxGenerationThreshold, int largeObjectHeapThreshold);
static member RegisterForFullGCNotification : int * int -> unit
[<System.Security.SecurityCritical>]
static member RegisterForFullGCNotification : int * int -> unit
Public Shared Sub RegisterForFullGCNotification (maxGenerationThreshold As Integer, largeObjectHeapThreshold As Integer)

Parameters

maxGenerationThreshold
Int32

A number between 1 and 99 that specifies when the notification should be raised based on the objects allocated in generation 2.

largeObjectHeapThreshold
Int32

A number between 1 and 99 that specifies when the notification should be raised based on objects allocated in the large object heap.

Attributes

Exceptions

maxGenerationThreshold or largeObjectHeapThreshold is not between 1 and 99.

This member is not available when concurrent garbage collection is enabled. See the <gcConcurrent> runtime setting for information about how to disable concurrent garbage collection.

Examples

The following example shows how to register a garbage collection notification and start a thread to monitor the status of the garbage collection notification. This code example is part of a larger example provided for Garbage Collection Notifications topic.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections::Generic;
using namespace System::Threading;

namespace GCNotify
{
    ref class Program
    {
    private:
        // Variable for continual checking in the
        // While loop in the WaitForFullGCProc method.
        static bool checkForNotify = false;

        // Variable for suspending work
        // (such servicing allocated server requests)
        // after a notification is received and then
        // resuming allocation after inducing a garbage collection.
        static bool bAllocate = false;

        // Variable for ending the example.
        static bool finalExit = false;

        // Collection for objects that
        // simulate the server request workload.
        static List<array<Byte>^>^ load = gcnew List<array<Byte>^>();


    public:
        static void Main()
        {
            try
            {
                // Register for a notification.
                GC::RegisterForFullGCNotification(10, 10);
                Console::WriteLine("Registered for GC notification.");

                checkForNotify = true;
                bAllocate = true;

                // Start a thread using WaitForFullGCProc.
                Thread^ thWaitForFullGC = gcnew Thread(gcnew ThreadStart(&WaitForFullGCProc));
                thWaitForFullGC->Start();

                // While the thread is checking for notifications in
                // WaitForFullGCProc, create objects to simulate a server workload.
                try
                {
                    int lastCollCount = 0;
                    int newCollCount = 0;


                    while (true)
                    {
                        if (bAllocate)
                        {
                            load->Add(gcnew array<Byte>(1000));
                            newCollCount = GC::CollectionCount(2);
                            if (newCollCount != lastCollCount)
                            {
                                // Show collection count when it increases:
                                Console::WriteLine("Gen 2 collection count: {0}", GC::CollectionCount(2).ToString());
                                lastCollCount = newCollCount;
                            }

                            // For ending the example (arbitrary).
                            if (newCollCount == 500)
                            {
                                finalExit = true;
                                checkForNotify = false;
                                break;
                            }
                        }
                    }

                }
                catch (OutOfMemoryException^)
                {
                    Console::WriteLine("Out of memory.");
                }


                finalExit = true;
                checkForNotify = false;
                GC::CancelFullGCNotification();

            }
            catch (InvalidOperationException^ invalidOp)
            {

                Console::WriteLine("GC Notifications are not supported while concurrent GC is enabled.\n"
                    + invalidOp->Message);
            }
        }

    public:
        static void OnFullGCApproachNotify()
        {
            Console::WriteLine("Redirecting requests.");

            // Method that tells the request queuing
            // server to not direct requests to this server.
            RedirectRequests();

            // Method that provides time to
            // finish processing pending requests.
            FinishExistingRequests();

            // This is a good time to induce a GC collection
            // because the runtime will induce a full GC soon.
            // To be very careful, you can check precede with a
            // check of the GC.GCCollectionCount to make sure
            // a full GC did not already occur since last notified.
            GC::Collect();
            Console::WriteLine("Induced a collection.");

        }


    public:
        static void OnFullGCCompleteEndNotify()
        {
            // Method that informs the request queuing server
            // that this server is ready to accept requests again.
            AcceptRequests();
            Console::WriteLine("Accepting requests again.");
        }

    public:
        static void WaitForFullGCProc()
        {
            while (true)
            {
                // CheckForNotify is set to true and false in Main.
                while (checkForNotify)
                {
                    // Check for a notification of an approaching collection.
                    GCNotificationStatus s = GC::WaitForFullGCApproach();
                    if (s == GCNotificationStatus::Succeeded)
                    {
                        Console::WriteLine("GC Notifiction raised.");
                        OnFullGCApproachNotify();
                    }
                    else if (s == GCNotificationStatus::Canceled)
                    {
                        Console::WriteLine("GC Notification cancelled.");
                        break;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        // This can occur if a timeout period
                        // is specified for WaitForFullGCApproach(Timeout)
                        // or WaitForFullGCComplete(Timeout)
                        // and the time out period has elapsed.
                        Console::WriteLine("GC Notification not applicable.");
                        break;
                    }

                    // Check for a notification of a completed collection.
                    s = GC::WaitForFullGCComplete();
                    if (s == GCNotificationStatus::Succeeded)
                    {
                        Console::WriteLine("GC Notification raised.");
                        OnFullGCCompleteEndNotify();
                    }
                    else if (s == GCNotificationStatus::Canceled)
                    {
                        Console::WriteLine("GC Notification cancelled.");
                        break;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        // Could be a time out.
                        Console::WriteLine("GC Notification not applicable.");
                        break;
                    }
                }


                Thread::Sleep(500);
                // FinalExit is set to true right before
                // the main thread cancelled notification.
                if (finalExit)
                {
                    break;
                }
            }
        }

    private:
        static void RedirectRequests()
        {
            // Code that sends requests
            // to other servers.

            // Suspend work.
            bAllocate = false;

        }

        static void FinishExistingRequests()
        {
            // Code that waits a period of time
            // for pending requests to finish.

            // Clear the simulated workload.
            load->Clear();

        }

        static void AcceptRequests()
        {
            // Code that resumes processing
            // requests on this server.

            // Resume work.
            bAllocate = true;
        }
    };
}

int main()
{
    GCNotify::Program::Main();
}
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Threading;

namespace GCNotify
{
    class Program
    {
        // Variable for continual checking in the
        // While loop in the WaitForFullGCProc method.
        static bool checkForNotify = false;

        // Variable for suspending work
        // (such servicing allocated server requests)
        // after a notification is received and then
        // resuming allocation after inducing a garbage collection.
        static bool bAllocate = false;

        // Variable for ending the example.
        static bool finalExit = false;

        // Collection for objects that
        // simulate the server request workload.
        static List<byte[]> load = new List<byte[]>();

        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                // Register for a notification.
                GC.RegisterForFullGCNotification(10, 10);
                Console.WriteLine("Registered for GC notification.");

                checkForNotify = true;
                bAllocate = true;

                // Start a thread using WaitForFullGCProc.
                Thread thWaitForFullGC = new Thread(new ThreadStart(WaitForFullGCProc));
                thWaitForFullGC.Start();

                // While the thread is checking for notifications in
                // WaitForFullGCProc, create objects to simulate a server workload.
                try
                {

                    int lastCollCount = 0;
                    int newCollCount = 0;

                    while (true)
                    {
                        if (bAllocate)
                        {
                            load.Add(new byte[1000]);
                            newCollCount = GC.CollectionCount(2);
                            if (newCollCount != lastCollCount)
                            {
                                // Show collection count when it increases:
                                Console.WriteLine("Gen 2 collection count: {0}", GC.CollectionCount(2).ToString());
                                lastCollCount = newCollCount;
                            }

                            // For ending the example (arbitrary).
                            if (newCollCount == 500)
                            {
                                finalExit = true;
                                checkForNotify = false;
                                break;
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
                catch (OutOfMemoryException)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Out of memory.");
                }

                finalExit = true;
                checkForNotify = false;
                GC.CancelFullGCNotification();
            }
            catch (InvalidOperationException invalidOp)
            {

                Console.WriteLine("GC Notifications are not supported while concurrent GC is enabled.\n"
                    + invalidOp.Message);
            }
        }

        public static void OnFullGCApproachNotify()
        {

            Console.WriteLine("Redirecting requests.");

            // Method that tells the request queuing
            // server to not direct requests to this server.
            RedirectRequests();

            // Method that provides time to
            // finish processing pending requests.
            FinishExistingRequests();

            // This is a good time to induce a GC collection
            // because the runtime will induce a full GC soon.
            // To be very careful, you can check precede with a
            // check of the GC.GCCollectionCount to make sure
            // a full GC did not already occur since last notified.
            GC.Collect();
            Console.WriteLine("Induced a collection.");
        }

        public static void OnFullGCCompleteEndNotify()
        {
            // Method that informs the request queuing server
            // that this server is ready to accept requests again.
            AcceptRequests();
            Console.WriteLine("Accepting requests again.");
        }

        public static void WaitForFullGCProc()
        {
            while (true)
            {
                // CheckForNotify is set to true and false in Main.
                while (checkForNotify)
                {
                    // Check for a notification of an approaching collection.
                    GCNotificationStatus s = GC.WaitForFullGCApproach();
                    if (s == GCNotificationStatus.Succeeded)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine("GC Notification raised.");
                        OnFullGCApproachNotify();
                    }
                    else if (s == GCNotificationStatus.Canceled)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine("GC Notification cancelled.");
                        break;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        // This can occur if a timeout period
                        // is specified for WaitForFullGCApproach(Timeout)
                        // or WaitForFullGCComplete(Timeout)
                        // and the time out period has elapsed.
                        Console.WriteLine("GC Notification not applicable.");
                        break;
                    }

                    // Check for a notification of a completed collection.
                    GCNotificationStatus status = GC.WaitForFullGCComplete();
                    if (status == GCNotificationStatus.Succeeded)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine("GC Notification raised.");
                        OnFullGCCompleteEndNotify();
                    }
                    else if (status == GCNotificationStatus.Canceled)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine("GC Notification cancelled.");
                        break;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        // Could be a time out.
                        Console.WriteLine("GC Notification not applicable.");
                        break;
                    }
                }

                Thread.Sleep(500);
                // FinalExit is set to true right before
                // the main thread cancelled notification.
                if (finalExit)
                {
                    break;
                }
            }
        }

        private static void RedirectRequests()
        {
            // Code that sends requests
            // to other servers.

            // Suspend work.
            bAllocate = false;
        }

        private static void FinishExistingRequests()
        {
            // Code that waits a period of time
            // for pending requests to finish.

            // Clear the simulated workload.
            load.Clear();
        }

        private static void AcceptRequests()
        {
            // Code that resumes processing
            // requests on this server.

            // Resume work.
            bAllocate = true;
        }
    }
}
open System
open System.Threading

// Variable for continual checking in the
// While loop in the WaitForFullGCProc method.
let mutable checkForNotify = false

// Variable for suspending work
// (such servicing allocated server requests)
// after a notification is received and then
// resuming allocation after inducing a garbage collection.
let mutable bAllocate = false

// Variable for ending the example.
let mutable finalExit = false

// Collection for objects that simulate the server request workload.
let load = ResizeArray<byte []>()


let redirectRequests () =
    // Code that sends requests
    // to other servers.

    // Suspend work.
    bAllocate <- false

let finishExistingRequests () =
    // Code that waits a period of time
    // for pending requests to finish.

    // Clear the simulated workload.
    load.Clear()

let acceptRequests () =
    // Code that resumes processing
    // requests on this server.

    // Resume work.
    bAllocate <- true

let onFullGCApproachNotify () =
    printfn "Redirecting requests."

    // Method that tells the request queuing
    // server to not direct requests to this server.
    redirectRequests ()

    // Method that provides time to
    // finish processing pending requests.
    finishExistingRequests ()

    // This is a good time to induce a GC collection
    // because the runtime will induce a full GC soon.
    // To be very careful, you can check precede with a
    // check of the GC.GCCollectionCount to make sure
    // a full GC did not already occur since last notified.
    GC.Collect()
    printfn "Induced a collection."


let onFullGCCompleteEndNotify () =
    // Method that informs the request queuing server
    // that this server is ready to accept requests again.
    acceptRequests ()
    printfn "Accepting requests again."

let waitForFullGCProc () =
    let mutable broken = false

    while not broken do
        let mutable broken = false
        // CheckForNotify is set to true and false in Main.
        while checkForNotify && not broken do
            // Check for a notification of an approaching collection.
            match GC.WaitForFullGCApproach() with
            | GCNotificationStatus.Succeeded ->
                printfn "GC Notification raised."
                onFullGCApproachNotify ()
                // Check for a notification of a completed collection.
                match GC.WaitForFullGCComplete() with
                | GCNotificationStatus.Succeeded ->
                    printfn "GC Notification raised."
                    onFullGCCompleteEndNotify ()
                | GCNotificationStatus.Canceled ->
                    printfn "GC Notification cancelled."
                    broken <- true
                | _ ->
                    // Could be a time out.
                    printfn "GC Notification not applicable."
                    broken <- true
            | GCNotificationStatus.Canceled ->
                printfn "GC Notification cancelled."
                broken <- true
            | _ ->
                // This can occur if a timeout period
                // is specified for WaitForFullGCApproach(Timeout)
                // or WaitForFullGCComplete(Timeout)
                // and the time out period has elapsed.
                printfn "GC Notification not applicable."
                broken <- true

        Thread.Sleep 500
        // FinalExit is set to true right before
        // the main thread cancelled notification.
        if finalExit then broken <- true



try
    // Register for a notification.
    GC.RegisterForFullGCNotification(10, 10)
    printfn "Registered for GC notification."

    checkForNotify <- true
    bAllocate <- true

    // Start a thread using WaitForFullGCProc.
    let thWaitForFullGC = Thread(ThreadStart waitForFullGCProc)
    thWaitForFullGC.Start()

    // While the thread is checking for notifications in
    // WaitForFullGCProc, create objects to simulate a server workload.
    try
        let mutable lastCollCount = 0
        let mutable newCollCount = 0

        let mutable broken = false

        while not broken do
            if bAllocate then
                load.Add(Array.zeroCreate<byte> 1000)
                newCollCount <- GC.CollectionCount 2

                if newCollCount <> lastCollCount then
                    // Show collection count when it increases:
                    printfn $"Gen 2 collection count: {GC.CollectionCount(2)}"
                    lastCollCount <- newCollCount
                // For ending the example (arbitrary).
                if newCollCount = 500 then
                    finalExit <- true
                    checkForNotify <- false
                    broken <- true
    with :? OutOfMemoryException -> printfn "Out of memory."

    finalExit <- true
    checkForNotify <- false
    GC.CancelFullGCNotification()
with :? InvalidOperationException as invalidOp ->
    printfn $"GC Notifications are not supported while concurrent GC is enabled.\n{invalidOp.Message}"
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Threading

Class Program
    ' Variables for continual checking in the
    ' While loop in the WaitForFullGcProc method.
    Private Shared checkForNotify As Boolean = False

    ' Variable for suspending work 
    ' (such as servicing allocated server requests)
    ' after a notification is received and then 
    ' resuming allocation after inducing a garbage collection.
    Private Shared bAllocate As Boolean = False

    ' Variable for ending the example.
    Private Shared finalExit As Boolean = False

    ' Collection for objects that  
    ' simulate the server request workload.
    Private Shared load As New List(Of Byte())


    Public Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)
        Try
            ' Register for a notification. 
            GC.RegisterForFullGCNotification(10, 10)
            Console.WriteLine("Registered for GC notification.")

            bAllocate = True
            checkForNotify = True

            ' Start a thread using WaitForFullGCProc.
            Dim thWaitForFullGC As Thread = _
                New Thread(New ThreadStart(AddressOf WaitForFullGCProc))
            thWaitForFullGC.Start()

            ' While the thread is checking for notifications in
            ' WaitForFullGCProc, create objects to simulate a server workload.
            Try
                Dim lastCollCount As Integer = 0
                Dim newCollCount As Integer = 0
                
                
                While (True)
                    If bAllocate = True Then

                        load.Add(New Byte(1000) {})
                        newCollCount = GC.CollectionCount(2)
                        If (newCollCount <> lastCollCount) Then
                            ' Show collection count when it increases:
                            Console.WriteLine("Gen 2 collection count: {0}", _
                                              GC.CollectionCount(2).ToString)
                            lastCollCount = newCollCount
                        End If

                        ' For ending the example (arbitrary).
                        If newCollCount = 500 Then
                            finalExit = True
                            checkForNotify = False
                            bAllocate = False
                            Exit While
                        End If

                    End If
                End While
                
            Catch outofMem As OutOfMemoryException
                Console.WriteLine("Out of memory.")
            End Try

            finalExit = True
            checkForNotify = False
            GC.CancelFullGCNotification()

        Catch invalidOp As InvalidOperationException
            Console.WriteLine("GC Notifications are not supported while concurrent GC is enabled." _
                              & vbLf & invalidOp.Message)
        End Try
    End Sub

    Public Shared Sub OnFullGCApproachNotify()
        Console.WriteLine("Redirecting requests.")

        ' Method that tells the request queuing  
        ' server to not direct requests to this server. 
        RedirectRequests()

        ' Method that provides time to 
        ' finish processing pending requests. 
        FinishExistingRequests()

        ' This is a good time to induce a GC collection
        ' because the runtime will induce a ful GC soon.
        ' To be very careful, you can check precede with a
        ' check of the GC.GCCollectionCount to make sure
        ' a full GC did not already occur since last notified.
        GC.Collect()
        Console.WriteLine("Induced a collection.")
    End Sub

    Public Shared Sub OnFullGCCompleteEndNotify()
        ' Method that informs the request queuing server
        ' that this server is ready to accept requests again.
        AcceptRequests()
        Console.WriteLine("Accepting requests again.")
    End Sub

    Public Shared Sub WaitForFullGCProc()

        While True
            ' CheckForNotify is set to true and false in Main.

            While checkForNotify
                ' Check for a notification of an approaching collection.
                Dim s As GCNotificationStatus = GC.WaitForFullGCApproach
                If (s = GCNotificationStatus.Succeeded) Then
                    Console.WriteLine("GC Notification raised.")
                    OnFullGCApproachNotify()
                ElseIf (s = GCNotificationStatus.Canceled) Then
                    Console.WriteLine("GC Notification cancelled.")
                    Exit While
                Else
                    ' This can occur if a timeout period
                    ' is specified for WaitForFullGCApproach(Timeout) 
                    ' or WaitForFullGCComplete(Timeout)  
                    ' and the time out period has elapsed. 
                    Console.WriteLine("GC Notification not applicable.")
                    Exit While
                End If

                ' Check for a notification of a completed collection.
                s = GC.WaitForFullGCComplete
                If (s = GCNotificationStatus.Succeeded) Then
                    Console.WriteLine("GC Notifiction raised.")
                    OnFullGCCompleteEndNotify()
                ElseIf (s = GCNotificationStatus.Canceled) Then
                    Console.WriteLine("GC Notification cancelled.")
                    Exit While
                Else
                    ' Could be a time out.
                    Console.WriteLine("GC Notification not applicable.")
                    Exit While
                End If

            End While
            Thread.Sleep(500)
            ' FinalExit is set to true right before  
            ' the main thread cancelled notification.
            If finalExit Then
                Exit While
            End If

        End While
    End Sub

    Private Shared Sub RedirectRequests()
        ' Code that sends requests
        ' to other servers.

        ' Suspend work.
        bAllocate = False
    End Sub

    Private Shared Sub FinishExistingRequests()
        ' Code that waits a period of time
        ' for pending requests to finish.

        ' Clear the simulated workload.
        load.Clear()

    End Sub

    Private Shared Sub AcceptRequests()
        ' Code that resumes processing
        ' requests on this server.

        ' Resume work.
        bAllocate = True
    End Sub
End Class

Remarks

For each generation, the garbage collector sets a threshold for allocations into that generation. When the size of allocations exceeds this threshold, a garbage collection is triggered on that generation. For example, if generation 2's threshold is 20MB (which means that 20MB survives generation 1 collections and is promoted into generation 2), and more than 20MB has survived generation 1 and is prompted into generation 2, the next garbage collection will be attempted as a generation 2 collection. Similarly, if the large object heap's (LOH's) threshold is 20MB and your app has allocated more than 20MB of large objects, the next garbage collection will also be attempted as a generation 2 collection (since the LOH is only collected in gen2 garbage collections).

The maxGenerationThreshold and largeObjectHeapThreshold thresholds control how much in advance you are notified before a full garbage collection occurs. The greater the threshold, the more allocations that can occur between notification and the next full garbage collection.

If you have situations in which a full garbage collection by the common language runtime would adversely affect your application's performance, you can ask to be notified when the runtime is about to do a full garbage collection and circumvent that collection by inducing a collection yourself (using the Collect method) when conditions are still favorable. In addition to changing the garbage collection schedule yourself, full GC notification is useful in following the scenarios:

  • You monitor for the approach of a full garbage collection and, when you are notified that one is approaching, you reduce live data size (for example, by releasing some cache entries). As a result, when the garbage collection occurs, it is able to reclaim more memory.

  • You monitor for the completion of a full garbage collection so that you can collect some statistics. For example, you might want to measure the size of the heap at GC completion so that you know the size of live data. (After a full GC, the heap is at its smallest size.)

For more information about what represents a full garbage collection, see Garbage Collection Notifications.

When you register for a garbage collection notification, you can be notified when a full garbage collection is approaching and when it is completed. This pattern resembles how the operating system monitors for low memory notifications.

Use the following guidelines for specifying the maxGenerationThreshold and largeObjectHeapThreshold parameters:

  • The larger the threshold value, the more allocations will occur between the notification and the full garbage collection.

    A larger threshold value provides more opportunities for the runtime to check for an approaching collection. This increases the likelihood that you will be notified. However, you should not set the threshold too high because that results in a more allocations before the runtime induces the next collection.

    When you induce a collection yourself upon notification using a high threshold value, fewer objects are reclaimed than would be reclaimed by the runtime's next collection.

  • The smaller the threshold value, the fewer the allocations between notification and the full garbage collection.

Applies to

See also