[DevoxxFR2013] Regular or Decaffeinated? Java’s Future in the Cloud
Lecturer
Alexis Moussine-Pouchkine, a veteran of Sun Microsystems, currently serves as a Developer Relations lead at Google in Paris, assisting developers in achieving success. With over a decade at Sun and nearly two years at Oracle, he brings extensive experience in Java ecosystems and cloud technologies.
Abstract
Alexis Moussine-Pouchkine’s presentation examines Java’s evolution and its potential trajectory in cloud computing. Reflecting on historical shifts in technology, he critiques current limitations and advocates for advancements like multi-tenancy and resource management to ensure Java’s relevance. Through industry examples and forward-looking analysis, the talk underscores the need for adaptation to maintain Java’s position amid resource rationalization and emerging paradigms.
Java’s Maturation and the Cloud Imperative
Moussine-Pouchkine opens by recounting his transition from Sun Microsystems to Oracle and then Google, highlighting how each company has shaped computing history. At Sun, innovation abounded but market fit was inconsistent; Oracle emphasized acquisitions over novelty, straining community ties; Google prioritizes engineers, fostering rapid development.
He likens Java’s current state to emerging from adolescence, facing challenges in cloud environments where resource optimization is paramount. Drawing from his engineering school days with strict quotas on compilation and connection time, Alexis contrasts this with Java’s initial promise of freedom and flexibility. Early experiences with Linux provided boundless experimentation, mirroring Java’s liberating potential in 1997.
The speaker invokes historical predictions: IBM’s CEO allegedly foresaw a market for only five computers in 1943, possibly prescient regarding cloud providers. Bill Gates’ 640K memory quip and Greg Papadopoulos’ 2003 vision of five to seven massive global computers underscore consolidation trends. Papadopoulos envisioned entities like Google, eBay, Salesforce, Microsoft, Amazon, and a Chinese cloud, a perspective less radical today given web evolution.
Java’s centrality in tomorrow’s cloud is questioned. While present in many offerings, most implementations remain prototypes, circumventing Java’s constraints. The cloud demands shared resources and concentration of expertise, yet Java’s future here is uncertain, risking obsolescence like COBOL.
Challenges and Necessary Evolutions for Java in Multi-Tenant Environments
A core issue is Java’s adaptation to multi-tenancy, where multiple applications share a JVM without interference. Current JVMs lack robust isolation, leading to inefficiencies in cloud settings. Moussine-Pouchkine notes Java’s success in Android and Chrome, where processes are segregated, but enterprise demands shared instances for cost savings.
He critiques the stalled JSR-284 for resource management, essential for quotas and usage-based billing. Without these, Java lags in cloud viability. Examples like Google’s App Engine illustrate Java’s limitations: no threads, file system restrictions, and 30-second request limits, forcing workarounds.
Commercial solutions emerge: Waratek’s hypervisor on HotSpot, IBM’s J9 VM, and SAP’s container enable multi-tenancy. Yet, quotas remain crucial for responsible computing, akin to not overindulging at a buffet to ensure sustainability.
Java 9 priorities include modularity (Jigsaw), potentially aiding resource management. Cloud Foundry’s varying memory allocations by language highlight Java’s inefficiencies. Moussine-Pouchkine urges a “slider” for JVM scaling, from minimal to robust, without API fractures.
The community, pioneers in agile practices, continuous integration, and dependency management, must embrace modularity and quotas. Java 7 introduced dynamic languages; Java 8 tackles multicore with lambdas. Recent Oracle slides affirm multi-tenancy and resource management in Java 9 and beyond.
Implications for Sustainable and Credible Informatics
Moussine-Pouchkine advocates responsible informatics: quotas foster predictability, countering perceptions of IT as imprecise and costly. Developers, like artisans, must steward tools and design thoughtfully. Over-reliance on libraries (90% bloat) signals accumulated technical debt.
Quotas enhance credibility, enabling commitments and superior delivery. Java’s adaptive history positions it well, provided the community envisions it “caffeinated” – vibrant and adult – rather than “decaffeinated” and stagnant.
In essence, Java must address multi-tenancy and resources to thrive in consolidated clouds, avoiding the fate of outdated technologies.