Is the JVM Holding You Back in the Cloud? The Native Image Solution

Exploring How Quarkus and GraalVM Deliver Lightning-Fast Java for Modern Architectures

Application execution speed and efficiency are critical in software development. Traditional Java applications, running on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), have been a foundation of enterprise software for many years, offering a reliable and adaptable platform. However, in modern cloud environments, the JVM's characteristics can create trade-offs, particularly regarding startup time and resource use. While the JVM is strong in platform independence and has a mature ecosystem, other ways to execute code are becoming more important for deployments where performance and resources are limited.

One key point about the JVM is that it can start up slower than applications compiled to native code. This is mainly because of how the JVM starts. When starting, the JVM loads and sets up classes, uses Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation to make bytecode run well on the hardware, and runs initial setup code. This dynamic process, while enabling features like loading classes at runtime and optimizing performance, adds time when the application first runs. In cloud setups, where applications often need to scale quickly and respond instantly to demand, these startup delays can cause problems, leading to slower responses. Also, JVM-based applications can use more memory than native executables. The JVM itself uses memory, and Java's dynamic nature can increase memory use, especially in complex applications. In places with limited resources, or when running many microservices, this higher memory use can mean higher infrastructure costs and less efficiency.

It's important to remember the JVM's strengths. Its ability to "write once, run anywhere" has been key to Java's wide use. The JVM's mature and large ecosystem, with many libraries, tools for monitoring and fixing problems, and a large number of experienced developers, is also a major benefit. For many standard enterprise applications, the JVM offers good performance, stability, and many features. However, as applications move to cloud-native, microservices, and serverless models, the need for better efficiency and faster startup times has driven changes in how Java code is run, aiming to reduce some of the JVM's limitations in these specific situations.

Quarkus directly tackles these cloud-native performance issues by using native image compilation via GraalVM. Native Image compilation is a different method, turning a Java application into a standalone program, removing the need for a JVM when running. This is done using Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, where the application's code, its dependencies, and a small runtime are analyzed and compiled into machine code during the build process. The resulting native image is a complete executable, containing only the necessary code and runtime parts to run the application. This greatly reduces the application's size and gets rid of the JVM's startup and runtime overhead. Because of this, native images made with GraalVM and Quarkus perform very well. Startup times are much faster, often starting in milliseconds, 3x faster than JVM startups, which is great for serverless functions and quickly scaling microservices. Memory use is also much lower, using a fraction of the resources required by the JVM, leading to better use of resources and potentially lower cloud costs. In some cases where the CPU is the main factor, native images can also run code faster by removing the overhead of JIT compilation and reaching top speed immediately, without needing time to warm up.

Business Value and Benefits

The performance improvements from native image compilation directly lead to real business advantages in several important areas. Lower cloud infrastructure costs are a major benefit. Smaller memory use and faster startup times mean more applications can be packed onto cloud infrastructure and resources are used more efficiently. For serverless functions, where costs are often based on how long they run and how much memory they use, native images can save a lot of money by reducing startup time and resource usage (Serverless Architecture Blog). Better user experience is another key benefit. Faster startup times mean less delay and quicker responses for users, especially in interactive applications and APIs. This faster response improves user satisfaction and can make a business stand out. Also, native images help increase business speed and ability to scale. The very fast startup times allow applications to quickly adjust to changing demand. This flexibility is important in dynamic cloud environments and for applications with changing traffic, ensuring good performance and resource use at all times. For businesses using microservices, native images offer a way to create and deploy very efficient and responsive microservices, speeding up development and making systems more reliable.

In conclusion, while the JVM is still a strong and useful platform for many Java applications, native image compilation is a major step forward in Java code execution, especially for cloud-native needs. Quarkus, by using GraalVM Native Image, allows developers to build highly optimized Java applications with very fast startup times and lower resource use, addressing important performance issues in modern application designs.

Further Reading:

• JVM Performance vs. Native Image Benchmarks:

  • Benchmarking Web Services using GraalVM Native Image: Inner Product - Detailed comparison of startup time, memory use, and response times for web services using JVM vs. Native Image.

  • Revisiting Scala Native performance: VirtusLab - Performance comparison of Scala Native, GraalVM Native Image, and JVM, including how stable they are and how fast they run.

• GraalVM Native Image and Business Value:

  • Benefits and Usecase of GraalVM in Springboot: NashTech Blogs - Explores the advantages of GraalVM Native Image for Spring Boot applications, including faster startup, smaller memory footprint, and ability to use multiple languages, and looks at use cases in microservices and serverless setups.

  • GraalVM Native Image, Spring and Containerisation: Oracle Help Center - Practical guide showing how to put Spring Boot applications in containers with GraalVM Native Image and highlighting benefits like lower resource needs and faster startup.

  • Java Can Be Serverless Too: Using GraalVM for Fast Cold Starts: Benevity Blog - Describes using GraalVM Native Images to improve cold start times for Java serverless functions on AWS Lambda, showing significant performance gains and cost savings.

• Cloud-Native Java Performance Optimization:

  • Optimize Java applications for Cloud Run: Google Cloud Documentation - Offers practical advice for making Java applications run better in cloud environments, including JVM settings, making container images smaller, and reducing startup time.

  • Optimizing Runtime Performance for Cloud Native Java Apps: Azul Systems - Webinar discussing how to improve runtime performance for cloud-native Java applications, focusing on new ways to use JIT compilation and cloud flexibility.

• Serverless Java and Native Images:

  • Serverless Functions with GraalVM on AWS Lambda: Serverless Architecture Blog - Explores using GraalVM Native Images to decrease startup times and memory use of Java applications on AWS Lambda, which is very important for serverless functions.

• Java Startup Time Optimization Techniques:

  • Strategies to Reduce the Startup Time and Memory Footprint of Your Java App by Up to 60%: Medium - Discusses different methods to reduce Java application startup time and memory footprint, including GraalVM Native Image, Class Data Sharing, and AOT compilation.

  • Your Java Applications Are Struggling with Slow Startup Times and High Memory Footprints: Inteca - Explains how Quarkus and GraalVM Native Image solve the problems of slow startup times and high memory usage in Java applications, making them suitable for cloud and container environments.

Ready to experience the streamlined world of Quarkus? Getting started is easy! First, install the Quarkus Command Line Interface (CLI). Then, generate your first Quarkus application and dive into development mode to experience live coding. Explore the Quarkus "Get Started" guide for detailed instructions and to discover developer-friendly tooling.