Java runtime scalability player Azul Systems has announced the emphatically named ReadyNow! (don't forget the exclamation mark) to address the "warm-up" problem said to be "prevalent" in many Java applications.
Part of Azul's Zing runtime for Java version 5.9, this software aims to ensure peak application performance without long "warm-up" periods. So think about this being used in financial market apps that require peak system performance at critical moments.
The Java "warm-up" problem refers to an aspect of the behavior of a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) where a Java application is launched and the JVM sets about compiling the Java application into a form that can be run on a computer or server. Also, as the application continues to run, the JVM will recompile important parts of the application code to improve performance.
Azul says that problems exist here, as often times a Java application has not yet been compiled optimally when peak performance is actually required. While some apps (again, especially in financial deployments) run execution of "warm-up" test data that attempts to mimic real conditions, these workarounds carry potential operational risks.
With ReadyNow!, traders, market makers, and risk analysts can feel confident that their Java-based systems, and their software, are "warmed up" when they are needed most, without suffering from unexpected stalling and without assuming operational risk.
"The 'warm-up' problem for Java applications has been a very real issue that has long-plagued the financial sector and other markets requiring consistent, real-time performance from their systems," said Scott Sellers, Azul Systems president and CEO. "ReadyNow! is included free-of-charge with a Zing product subscription."