Every modern GC algorithm used in JVM starts its job with finding out all objects that are still alive. This concept is best explained using the following picture representing your JVM’s memory layout:

First, GC defines some specific objects as Garbage Collection Roots. Examples of such GC roots are:

• Local variable and input parameters of the currently executing methods
• Active threads
• Static field of the loaded classes
• JNI references

Next, GC traverses the whole object graph in your memory, starting from those Garbage Collection Roots and following references from the roots to other objects, e.g. instance fields. Every object the GC visits is marked as alive.

Live objects are represented as blue on the picture above. When the marking phase finishes, every live object is marked. All other objects (grey data structures on the picture above) are thus unreachable from the GC roots, implying that your application cannot use the unreachable objects anymore. Such objects are considered garbage and GC should get rid of them in the following phases.

There are important aspects to note about the marking phase:

• The application threads need to be stopped for the marking to happen as you cannot really traverse the graph if it keeps changing under your feet all the time. Such a situation when the application threads are temporarily stopped so that the JVM can indulge in housekeeping activities is called a safe point resulting in a Stop The World pause. Safe points can be triggered for different reasons but garbage collection is by far the most common reason for a safe point to be introduced.
• The duration of this pause depends neither on the total number of objects in heap nor on the size of the heap but on the number of alive objects. So increasing the size of the heap does not directly affect the duration of the marking phase.

When the mark phase is completed, the GC can proceed to the next step and start removing the unreachable objects.