Providing distributed array containers for programming objects

A method, implemented at a computer system that includes one or more processors, for using object serialization to communicate references to shim objects, the method comprising:

• instantiating shim objects on one or more ranks of a distributed software application, the shim objects being configured to store a registration object in a distributed object cache for each rank, the registration object including a unique identifier for a distributed array object and a reference to a local portion of the distributed array, the shim objects being instantiated in response to receiving an indication that a distributed function has been invoked on a master process of the distributed software application;
• serializing the shim objects for communication of the stored references from a master rank of the distributed application to one or more worker ranks of the distributed application;
• upon serializing the shim objects, communicating the shim object's stored references from the distributed object cache for that rank to the one or more worker ranks of the distributed application;
• determining that a distributed array destructor has been invoked on the master process;
• and
• removing the shim objects from the distributed object cache on each process of the distributed application, such that references to the underlying distributed array object are removed, and memory previously allocated to the unique identifier is recoverable.

A computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computer system to cause the computer system to use object serialization to communicate references to shim objects, the computer-executable instructions including instructions that are executable to cause the computer system to perform at least the following:

• instantiate shim objects on one or more ranks of a distributed software application, the shim objects being configured to store a registration object in a distributed object cache for each rank, the registration object including a unique identifier for a distributed array object and a reference to a local portion of the distributed array, the shim objects being instantiated in response to receiving an indication that a distributed function has been invoked on a master process of the distributed software application;
• serialize the shim objects for communication of the stored references from a master rank of the distributed application to one or more worker ranks of the distributed application;
• upon serializing the shim objects, communicate the shim object's stored references from the distributed object cache for that rank to the one or more worker ranks of the distributed application;
• determine that a distributed array destructor has been invoked on the master process;
• and
• remove the shim objects from the distributed object cache on each process of the distributed application, such that references to the underlying distributed array object are removed, and memory previously allocated to the unique identifier is recoverable.