Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide devices that count for an application thread levels of critical sections of program code, and in response to a program exception in the application thread that is deferrable and a non-zero count of the levels of critical sections, execute a remainder of program code within the critical sections of program code.

Abstract: A computerized operating system begins a garbage-collection operation by collecting a set of “garbage” data objects to be deleted. Certain of these objects are identified, either by an embedded identifier or by an entry in a sensitive-objects data structure, as containing sensitive data. When the garbage collector moves or deletes a sensitive object during the garbage-collection procedure, the collector zeroes out any residual data left at the object's original location in memory or secondary storage. If the collector determines that the object no longer has any connection to other software entities, the collector zeroes out the storage locations of all identified instances of the object. The collector then updates the data structure to indicate the current location of sensitive objects that have been moved or copied, and deletes entries for zeroed out instances of deleted sensitive objects.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide devices that count for an application thread levels of critical sections of program code, and in response to a program exception in the application thread that is deferrable and a non-zero count of the levels of critical sections, execute a remainder of program code within the critical sections of program code.

Abstract: A method of maintaining correctness of pointers from a managed heap to off-heap memory includes storing in a cache a first heap object in a managed heap that holds at least one off-heap pointer pointing to a first off-heap data structure and creating a weak reference node linked to the first heap object such that the first heap object is not kept alive by the weak reference node during garbage collection. Further disclosed are systems for maintaining correctness of pointers from a managed heap to off-heap memory.