JVM Performance Engineering

Peek Under the Hood of the Complex but Fascinating Java Virtual Machine

Dive into the intricacies of JVM performance with JVM Performance Engineering, the essential guide for seasoned Java developers eager to demystify the JVM. Focusing on the OpenJDK HotSpot VM, this book provides insights into cutting-edge Java performance techniques and trends.

Distinguished Java Champion Monica Beckwith blends theoretical insights and practical tools–encompassing case studies, applications, use-case diagrams, and process flow charts–to demonstrate diagnostic techniques, performance methodologies, and optimizations.

This manual is a portal to excelling in Java performance engineering, offering Java developers, system architects, and software engineers the tools to foster career advancement and success with Java applications.

• Examine the evolving Java type system, from lambda expressions to the advent of records and sealed classes, and explore how Project Valhalla aims to further optimize performance
• Leverage the Unified JVM Logging Interface for enhanced diagnostics, monitoring, and performance testing, featuring the novel asynchronous logging mechanism
• Grasp the intricate relationship between JVM and hardware, mastering end-to-end Java performance optimization techniques
• Gain deep insights into JVM’s garbage collection and memory management, examining the pivotal Garbage First and Z GCs–and how they are shaping the Java performance landscape
• Explore efficient deployment strategies and techniques to accelerate JVM readiness, leveraging class data sharing, ahead-of-time compilation, and innovations like GraalVM and upcoming Project Leyden
• Embark on an exploration of the synergy between the JVM and exotic hardware like GPUs and FPGAs and revel in the potential of Project Panama and TornadoVM in high-computational scenarios such as machine learning and data analytics
• Look ahead to the future of Java concurrency with Virtual Threads, and investigate runtime optimizations of string handling and concurrency, propelling Java forward

Table of Contents

1 The Performance Evolution of Java: The Language and the Virtual Machine

2 Performance Implications of Java’s Type System Evolution

3 From Monolithic to Modular Java: A Retrospective and Ongoing Evolution

4 The Unified Java Virtual Machine Logging Interface

5 End-to-End Java Performance Optimization: Engineering Techniques and Micro-benchmarking with JMH

6 Advanced Memory Management and Garbage Collection in OpenJDK

7 Runtime Performance Optimizations: A Focus on Strings, Locks, and Beyond

8 Accelerating Time to Steady State with OpenJDK HotSpot VM

9 Harnessing Exotic Hardware: The Future of JVM Performance Engineering

About the Author

Monica Beckwith (Austin, TX Area) is a Java Champion and JavaOne Rock Star who has made significant performance contributions to the Java HotSpot VM. Prior to joining Microsoft as Senior Performance Engineer, she served as JVM Performance Architect at Arm, and led Oracle’s Garbage First Garbage Collector performance team. She is co-author of Java Performance Companion.