GENERATIONAL GARBAGE COLLECTOR WITH PERSISTENT OBJECT CACHE

A virtual machine object memory structure includes a contiguous region of virtual address space in which objects (i.e., temporary objects) are segregated into a new generation space and an old generation space according to the ages of the objects, as well as a permanent object memory (POM) generation space. The POM generation space operates as a persistent object cache that is not subject to conventional garbage collection processes. The lifetime of an object in the POM generation space relates to the frequency at which objects are copied from a persistent object store (e.g., disk storage) and shared object cache, rather than garbage collection processes relating to the new generation space and the old generation space.