RFR: 8373794: Move nmethod header from CodeCache

[Andrew Haley]

On Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:34:46 GMT, Mikhail Ablakatov <mablakatov at openjdk.org> wrote:

> nmethod objects in the CodeCache have the following layout:
> 
> 
> | CodeBlob header | NMethod header | Constants | MainCode | StubCode | Data/oops |
> 
> 
> Although mutable and immutable metadata have already been moved out of the code cache by JDK-8343789 and JDK-8331087 respectively, the embedded `nmethod` header fields still occupy ~160 B (with the `CodeBlob` header adding another 64 B). In JDK25 the total header footprint is 224 B. This space is reserved inside executable memory, which decreases overall executable code density.
> 
> This patch relocates the `nmethod` header to a C-heap-allocated structure and keeps only 8-byte pointer to that header in the CodeCache. The resulting layout is:
> 
> 
> | CodeBlob header | Ptr to NMethodHeader | Constants | MainCode | StubCode | Data/oops |
> 
> 
> This change reduces the size of the CodeCache-resident header from 224 B to 72 B (64 B `CodeBlob` header + 8 B pointer), achieving roughly a **3x reduction** in header footprint.
> 
> This change follows the direction established by JDK-7072317, JDK-8331087 and JDK-8343789.
> 
> ## Testing
> 
> The patch has passed `tier1-3` and `hotspot_all` tests on AArch64 and x86_64.

src/hotspot/share/code/nmethod.cpp line 1233:

> 1231:   _hdr->_has_flushed_dependencies   = 0;
> 1232:   _hdr->_is_unlinked                = 0;
> 1233:   _hdr->_load_reported              = 0; // jvmti state

Again, give `NMethodHeader` its own copy and initialize logic.

src/hotspot/share/code/nmethod.cpp line 1460:

> 1458:   _hdr->_unwind_handler_offset        = nm._hdr->_unwind_handler_offset;
> 1459:   _hdr->_num_stack_arg_slots          = nm._hdr->_num_stack_arg_slots;
> 1460:   _hdr->_oops_size                    = nm._hdr->_oops_size;

This stuff belongs in class `NMethodHeader`

-------------

PR Review Comment: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/28866#discussion_r2731301721
PR Review Comment: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/28866#discussion_r2731303752