What is ZGC in Java?

ZGC, or Z Garbage Collector, is a low-latency garbage collector introduced in Java to manage memory in a more efficient way. It is designed to handle very large heaps (up to several terabytes) with minimal pause times, making it suitable for applications with stringent latency requirements. ZGC achieves this by employing techniques such as concurrent marking, load barriers, and region-based memory management which allow it to perform garbage collection without significant interruptions to the application, thus providing smoother application behavior.

One of the significant features of ZGC is its ability to perform garbage collection concurrently with the application threads, meaning that the application remains responsive even during cleaning of memory. This is particularly useful for large applications where the latency of traditional garbage collectors could be detrimental to performance.