Node.js applications can be run with additional parameters to output garbage collection data to a file. This file can then be loaded into the Garbage Collection and Memory Visualizer (GCMV) plugin for Eclipse. GCMV allows you to visualize the garbage collection data and explore metrics like memory usage over time to help debug performance issues.

1. Julie Stalley, Runtime tooling developer
Visualising your garbage
collection for Node.js

2. Run your Node.js application with an extra parameter and send the
output to a file
--trace_gc
Specify additional trace options for more detailed information
--trace_gc_nvp or --trace_gc_verbose
> node --trace_gc --trace_gc_nvp > output.txt
Step 1: Gather the garbage
collection data

3. Install GCMV into your eclipse workbench
- Search for 'GCMV' in the Eclipse Marketplace
Step 2: Get Garbage Collection
and Memory Visualizer

4. File->Load File...output.txt
Step 3: Load the data into GCMV

5. Use the data selector to pick
which items you want to visualize
Step 4: Explore the data