Explanation of the Thread-Local Handshakes

java multithreading java-threads java-10

After researching JEP: 312 Thread-Local-Handshakes and reading the excellent comments to this question, here is a quick summary.

It is a performance enhancement which cannot be used directly by developers:
A handshake mechanism is proposed as an optimisation of the Hotspot safepoints mechanism.
The former allows threads in a safepoint to continue executing immediately after performing a regulatory operation (the handshake callback).
The latter forces all threads to block on a safepoint in order for critical operations to take place (such as YoungGen GC or the STW parts of a Full GC). The threads are released only after the critical operation has completed its execution.
This JEP is not related to thread termination APIs such as Thread.destroy(). Since this subject has been raised, I'll add a few articles on thread termination in the references below.

OP Commentators:

References:

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