GraalVM is a new Java Development Kit developed by Oracle that promises improved performance when running Java programs. In this paper we compare the performance of both the community edition and the enterprise edition of GraalVM to OpenJDK and OracleJDK, using both Java 8 and Java 11. We use the DaCapo benchmark suite to test these JDKs. The results are analysed using statistically rigorous methodology. We find that the performance of the different JDKs vary significantly depending on the benchmark, making it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions.In the end we can see that GraalVM Enterprise Edition using Java 8 will outperform the other JDKs tested in the majority of cases.

Testing, when done correctly, is an important part of software development sinceit is a measure of the quality of a software in question. Most of the highly ratedsoftware projects therefore have test suites implemented that include unit tests,integration tests, and other types of tests. However, a challenge regarding the testsuite is that it needs to run each time new code changes are proposed. From thedeveloper’s perspective, it might not always be necessary to run the whole testsuite for small code changes. Previous studies have tried to tackle this probleme.g., by only running a subset of the test suite. This research investigates runningthe whole test suite of Java projects faster, by testing the Java Development Kits(JDKs) GraalVM Enterprise Edition (EE) and Community Edition (CE) againstOracle JDK and OpenJDK for Java 8 and 11. The research used the test suiteexecution time as a metric to compare the JDKs. Another metric that wasconsidered was the test suites number of test cases, used to try and find a breakingpoint for when GraalVM becomes beneficial. The tests were performed on twotest machines, where the first used 20 out of 48 tested projects and the secondused 11 out of 43 projects tested. When looking at the average of five runs,GraalVM EE 11 performed best in 11 out of 18 projects on the first test machine,compared to its closest competitor, and in 7 out of 11 projects on the second testmachine both for JDK 8 and 11. However GraalVM EE 8 did not give anybenefits to the first test machine compared to its competitors, which might indicatethat the hardware plays a vital role in the performance of GraalVM EE 8. Numberof test cases could not be used to determine a breaking point for when GraalVM isbeneficial, but it was observed that GraalVM did not show any benefits forprojects with an execution time of fewer than 39 seconds. It is observed thatGraalVM CE, does not perform well as compared to the other JDKs, and in allcases, its performance is not countable due to less non-satisfied and inefficientbehavior.

The widespread adoption of containerization for application deployment emphasizes the need for improved performance and efficiency, particularly in Java Virtual Machine (JVM)-based applications. Traditional JVMs often struggle with resource efficiency and long startup times, leading to increased operational costs and a larger environmental footprint. This is especially significant in microservices architectures where resource optimization is crucial for sustainability and cost-effectiveness. This thesis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of GraalVM’s Ahead-of-Time (AOT)compilation and native image support in enhancing the performance of JVM-based applications within a microservices architecture. The focus is reducing startup times, improving resource utilization, and overall operational efficiency at Ericsson, contributing to a greener economy. The research involved migrating a JVM-based program to run on GraalVM. Systematic performance tests measured key metrics such as startup time, memory usage, and performance. Semi-structured interviews with industry professionals were also utilized to gather qualitative insights into the migration challenges and benefits. The results indicated that native images significantly reduced startup times and memory usage compared to standard JVMs. Profile Guided Optimization (PGO)massively increased performance but at the cost of compilation time, memory usage, and build size. Interviews revealed that developers are cautiously optimistic about the benefits of AOT compilation with GraalVM but also revealed major concerns about complexity and compatibility. GraalVM’s AOT benefits make it a viable option for both microservice and serverless architectures. However, the decision to adopt GraalVM requires careful consideration of the trade-offs. These include larger build sizes, longer compilation times, and the need for specialized knowledge to maintain stability. Future work should focus on case studies in real-world environments to further validate and explore the benefits and drawbacks of AOT compilation..

Software engineering architectures, such as microservices and serverless, have been increasingly adopted for their ability to address architectural challenges through a modular approach. This modularity involves isolating components and assigning them specific responsibilities independently of other components. Java, a computationally robust language, is frequently utilized in microservice architectures; however, the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) is often criticized for its slow and unpredictable startup times in these environments. This study investigates the startup time, response time, and CPU load of Java services compiled with either the JVM or GraalVM. A microservice system comprising three testable Java services was developed and monitored to identify any differences in the aforementioned metrics. The results indicate that GraalVM outperforms the JVM in terms of startup time. However, the impact of GraalVM on response time is not statistically significant enough to reject the null hypothesis. Additionally, GraalVM demonstrates lower CPU usage during cold starts. From an environmental perspective it is important to note that the shortened start time potentially comes at the cost of an increased development time depending on the complexity of the system and the seniority of the developer. / <p>Det finns övrigt digitalt material (t.ex. film-, bild- eller ljudfiler) eller modeller/artefakter tillhörande examensarbetet som ska skickas till arkivet.</p><p>There are other digital material (eg film, image or audio files) or models/artifacts that belongs to the thesis and need to be archived.</p>