GcLite: An Expert Tool for Analyzing Garbage Collection Behavior

Creating fine tuned and stable systems is very important and requires use of a list of testing tools that analyze various resources (like GC logs, heap dumps, native memory, etc). Due to the nature of those tools, this kind of analysis can only be performed by a small group of expert users that have high technical skills. In this paper we present an approach for expert tool development in the field of performance testing. The result of this approach is the creation of GcLite tool, an expert tool for analyzing garbage collection logs. A case study was carried out in a real industry environment showing the benefits to a number of testing teams. The benefit of the tool is that it allows a wider range of testers to carry out expert analysis.