What is object allocation and TLABs in Java?

Object allocation in Java refers to the process of creating and allocating memory for new objects. When you create an object using the `new` keyword, Java allocates memory for that object on the heap. The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) manages this memory dynamically, ensuring that memory is allocated and deallocated efficiently during the execution of an application.

Thread Local Allocation Buffers (TLABs) are a performance optimization in the Java memory management system. A TLAB is a fixed-size portion of the heap allocated to a thread for storing newly created objects. Each thread has its own TLAB, which helps reduce contention among threads when allocating memory. By having dedicated memory, threads can allocate objects quickly without having to synchronize with other threads, thereby improving overall performance.

For example, when an object is created in a program, the JVM checks if the current thread has a TLAB available. If it does, the object is allocated there, leading to faster memory allocation. When the TLAB fills up, the JVM will request more memory from the heap for that thread.