Upgrade Brings GraalVM Native Image Startup and Memory Consumption Benefits to MicroProfile Developers
Oracle has released Helidon 2.0, an upgrade to its Java libraries designed to simplify microservices development. The upgrade brings GraalVM Native Image startup and memory consumption benefits to MicroProfile developers. This release was announced on June 24 and features enhancements aimed at improving the efficiency and capabilities of microservices applications.
Helidon 2.0 consists of two primary components: Helidon SE and Helidon MP. Helidon SE offers a set of reactive, non-blocking libraries for functional programming, while Helidon MP provides a declarative programming approach that implements the Eclipse MicroProfile APIs. These components are designed to cater to different programming styles, giving developers flexibility in building microservices.
One of the key upgrades in Helidon 2.0 is the inclusion of GraalVM Native Image support for Helidon MP, which was already available in Helidon SE. This support enables significant improvements in startup time and memory consumption, making microservices more efficient. Additionally, Helidon 2.0 introduces an early-access version of a command-line tool that aids in project initialization, dependency management, and application building using various packaging profiles, including JAR, native image, and jlink image.
Helidon is designed for both new microservices development and the extension of existing applications. It provides a comprehensive set of libraries and a reactive web server built on the Netty network application framework core. Essential features such as health checks, metrics, tracing, and fault tolerance are included, ensuring robust microservices architecture.
New production-ready capabilities in Helidon 2.0 include the easy generation of jlink custom runtime images, which support CDS archives to enhance startup performance, and Jakarta WebSocket support. For Helidon MP, the upgrade adds MicroProfile Reactive Streams Operators and MicroProfile Reactive Streams Messaging, which facilitate reactive programming and messaging capabilities.
Support for Java 11 is another notable feature in Helidon 2.0, ensuring compatibility with the latest Java developments. Early-access capabilities in this release include a new reactive framework in Helidon SE, featuring Reactive Streams and Reactive Messaging. The DB Client for Helidon SE offers a reactive, non-blocking database client compatible with existing blocking JDBC drivers and supports the MongoDB reactive driver. Additionally, Helidon SE introduces a reactive WebClient for non-blocking HTTP access to external services.
Overall, Helidon 2.0 represents a significant step forward in simplifying and enhancing microservices development in the Java ecosystem, providing developers with powerful tools and capabilities to build efficient, scalable, and robust applications