BEA Systems has released JRockit 7.0 for Intel hardware, described
by one company official as the "world's fastest" Java Virtual
Machine.
Version 7.0 focuses on manageability, performance, and support for
Intel's 32 and 64-bit architectures, although the 64-bit JVM is not
yet available, Bob Griswold, vice-president and general manager of
the Java run-time products group at BEA, said.
"We've been working with Intel closely for the past year on
optimising this JVM for the Intel architecture so what you'll see
with JRockit 7.0 is the world's fastest JVM on the Intel
architecture. It's actually the world's fastest JVM on any
architecture, period," Griswold said.
The company will release benchmarks on the new version, which
Griswold said is twice as fast as the current release of JRockit,
Version 3.1.5.
JRockit 7.0 will be available free of charge, but the company hopes
to use it to boost sales of its WebLogic Server application server
platform, although the JVM will function with other application
servers as well, Griswold said.
"JRockit is optimised and tuned with WebLogic in mind, but you can
run any Java application on it," he said.
Version 7.0 features a new management console that provides details
of what is going on inside the server and the hardware itself. With
details such as memory usage "it actually goes all the way down to
the metal," Griswold said.
The initial product will support Intel 32-bit processors but BEA
will release 64-bit versions when Red Hat and Microsoft ship 64-bit
operating systems for Intel, Griswold said.
A technology preview of JRockit for Red Hat Advanced Server with
64-bit functionality is anticipated in a couple of months. General
releases of 64-bit JRockit implementations are expected in early
2003.
BEA acquired the JRockit technology when it purchased Appeal
Virtual Machines, a Swedish-based company, in February.