Oracle releases ML-optimized GraalVM for JDK 24

Oracle has released GraalVM for JDK 24, an alternative Java Development Kit tuned to just-released JDK 24 that uses ML (machine learning)-based profile inference to boost peak performance by about 7.9% on average on microservices benchmarks, the company said.

GraalVM for JDK 24 was released on March 18. GraalVM for JDK 24 can be downloaded from graalvm.org.

With this latest update, a new generation of ML-enabled inference, called GraalNN, is being introduced. GraalNN provides context-sensitive static profiling with neural networks. Oracle said it has seen a roughly 7.9% peak performance improvement on average on a wide range of microservices benchmarks including Micronaut, Spring, and Quarkus. Native Image in Oracle GraalVM has used a pre-trained ML model to predict execution probabilities of control flow graph branches, enabling powerful optimizations and better peak performance of native images, according to Oracle. GraalVM compiles a Java application to a native binary, which starts up 100x faster, provides peak performance with no warmup, and uses less memory and CPU than an application running on a Java Virtual Machine (JVM), the company said.

Also in this release is the introduction of SkipFlow, an extension of points-to-flow analysis that tracks primitive values and evaluates branching conditions during the run of the analysis. SkipFlow enables production of smaller binaries without increasing the build time. Image builds tend to be slightly faster with SkipFlow enabled because of fewer methods to compile and analyze, Oracle said.

GraalVM for JDK 24 also takes a first step toward Java agent support at runtime. Until now, agents have been supported by Native Image but with constraints, such as the agent having to run and transform all classes at build time. Oracle has continued work to optimize more vector API operations on GraalVM, with more operations now efficiently compiled to SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) code, where supported by the target hardware.

Other improvements in GraalVM for JDK 24 include:

Experimental support for jcmd on Linux and macOS. jcmd is used to send diagnostic command requests that are useful for controlling Java Flight Recordings, troubleshooting, and diagnosing applications.

Additional security features in Native Image including support for dependency trees.

The 'customTargetConstructorClass' field has been removed from serialization JSON metadata. All possible constructors now are registered by default when registering a type for serialization.

Support has been added for Java module system-based service loading.