Paul Krill
Editor at Large

Oracle adds GraalVM to Java subscription

news
Feb 3, 20212 mins

High-performance multi-language runtime will be bundled with Java SE at no extra cost.

Abstract Java code
Credit: Monsitj / Getty Images

Oracle is now bundling the GraalVM Enterprise multi-language runtime with its Java SE subscription at no additional cost, with the intent of improving performance and memory efficiency for Java deployments.

The bundling went into effect on February 3. GraalVM is positioned for high performance, accelerating the execution of applications written in Java and other JVM languages while also providing runtimes for languages including JavaScript and Python.

Normally, users would pay $18 per processor per month to use GraalVM Enterprise.  GraalVM Enterprise currently supports Java 8 and Java 11, which are long-term support releases of the platform. Oracle plans to support more current Java releases with GraalVM Enterprise. Specifically, GraalVM Enterprise provides:

  • A high-performance JiT compiler that can plug into the HotSpot virtual machine to provide more optimizations for Java code.
  • An ahead-of-time (AOT) native image compiler. Native image offers faster execution and lower compute requirements and is intended to reduce costs for infrastructure and cloud deployments. AOT puts Java performance on par with C and Go applications, making Java more suitable for microservices.
  • Multi-language support for the JVM.

Oracle’s Java SE subscription provides licensing and support for use on desktops, on servers, and in the cloud. The subscription also features updates for performance, security, and stability as well as enterprise management and deployment capabilities. Information on accessing Oracle’s Java SE subscriptions can be found at oracle.com.

The GraalVM project has been intended to produce a better compiler for Java. GraalVM 21, with experimental Java support on the Truffle language implementation framework, was introduced on January 19.

Paul Krill

Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld. Paul has been covering computer technology as a news and feature reporter for more than 35 years, including 30 years at InfoWorld. He has specialized in coverage of software development tools and technologies since the 1990s, and he continues to lead InfoWorld’s news coverage of software development platforms including Java and .NET and programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Go. Long trusted as a reporter who prioritizes accuracy, integrity, and the best interests of readers, Paul is sought out by technology companies and industry organizations who want to reach InfoWorld’s audience of software developers and other information technology professionals. Paul has won a “Best Technology News Coverage” award from IDG.

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