GraalVM - A Better Mouse Trap?

Software development requires using the right tools to most efficiently accomplish your projects. These days that rarely will be done using a pure Java solution. It may require Javascript, Python, R, Scala, etc. While this is possible using the standard JVM and other runtimes, what if there was a single VM that could be used for the entire solution? What if I told you that single VM could actually outperform native runtime environments while supporting a polyglot development scenario? Sound too good to be true? Let me introduce you to GraalVM.

In order to stay relevant and remain the leading platform in enterprise development, Java has evolved since first introduced in 1991. The use of Java applets, JSP and taglibs are falling to the wayside to make way for more modern and efficient client-side technologies. This doesn't spell the end of Java, but the continued evolution and advancement. GraalVM is a universal virtual machine that allows Java to run side-by-side with modern languages that are better suited to today's development environment for UI purposes.

Key Features of GraalVM:

• Seamless integration (no additional overhead) with other language runtimes.

• Reduced memory footprint using ahead-of-time compilation. This leads to improved performance for existing Java implementations as well as new polyglot applications.

• Extensible framework to implement other language support.

There has been a lot written about GraalVm, but many Java developers and others new to development are not aware of its existence. GraalVM is ideal for microservices development due to its low memory footprint and fast startup. Check out this great article and example of using GraalVM on Openshift, Red Hat's Enterprise Kubernetes container-based PaaS.

GraalVM IS a better VM not only Java development, but for any language or combination of languages. It will help secure Java's lead as the most widely used enterprise development environment today and for years to come.