Azul Systems Announces General Availability of Release 16.07 of Zing Runtime for Java

New major release delivers improved application performance and scalability for Java workloads plus enhanced support for Intel’s latest server processors

Key features of Zing 16.07

  • Improves Java application performance up to 3X through support of new transactional memory features in latest-generation Intel Xeon E5 2600 (“Broadwell”) processors
  • Optimizations to improve performance and scalability of Apache Cassandra, Datastax Enterprise, and Apache Spark
  • New Zing pricing options for startups and early-stage companies with revenues under $25 million
  • Free Zing evaluation and immediate downloads from the Azul website

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--()--Azul Systems (Azul), the award-winning leader in Java runtime solutions, today announced the immediate general availability of release 16.07 of the company’s Zing runtime for Java. Zing is a drop-in replacement for legacy Java Virtual Machines (JVMs) and is ideal for businesses looking to improve the performance and consistency of their Java applications, drive new revenue, and deliver the best possible customer experience.

Java remains the most popular programming language across the enterprise, as reported by a variety of sources including the TIOBE Index. In order to run, all Java applications require a software layer that sits between the operating system and the application itself called the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Oracle’s HotSpot is the JVM that is mostly widely deployed across the enterprise, and other enterprise software vendors such as Azul, IBM and Red Hat also provide JVMs. Since all of these JVMs conform to the same Java platform standards (called Java SE), any Java application can use any JVM, and as a result enterprises choose the best JVM to meet their specific application and IT requirements.

Despite Java’s prevalence and popularity, Java applications in production can suffer from a variety of problems including performance, scalability, runtime inconsistency, and inefficient use of server CPU and memory resources. Azul’s Zing eliminates JVM-specific issues like runtime stalls associated with garbage collection and various other revenue-robbing performance artifacts that are difficult to identify and resolve. Zing’s consistent performance and scalability, even under unpredictable load, allows Java developers and DevOps personnel to focus on developing innovative new features and capabilities in their applications and eliminates an entire class of engineering work associated with tuning and optimizing the JVM.

Key features and benefits of the new Zing release 16.07 include the following:

New Zing Feature   Business Benefit
Support for Intel’s Transactional Synchronization Extensions (TSX) found in Intel’s “Broadwell” Xeon servers   Handle more transactions, more data, and more customers in the same data center footprint with no change to the Java application; improve developer productivity by reducing need to optimize Java code; take full advantage of latest-generation Xeon servers
8-10% improved performance for Apache Cassandra, Datastax Enterprise, and Apache Spark deployments   Lower cost to troubleshoot and repair Cassandra NoSQL database problems caused by the Java runtime; lower operating and IT costs; improved Cassandra database resiliency (fewer node failures)
75% reduction in compiler pauses during application warm-up when using Zing’s ReadyNow! technology   Faster time to fully optimized performance after application restart; simplifies deployment practices of “warming up” the application
General performance improvements - 5% average improvement across a wide range of applications compared to earlier releases of Zing   Less developer time required to tune applications to reach a certain performance target; more time available to innovate and add features valuable to the business; better application resiliency under load improves overall customer experience
New, simplified pricing plans targeting startups and companies with annual revenues under $25 million per year   Helps fast-growth companies embrace enterprise-grade Java technology, enabling them to stay focused on the features their customers require without struggling with Java configuration and tuning challenges
Free evaluation and immediate downloads from the Azul website   Evaluate the unique features of Zing now, free of charge, in your environment, running your Java applications
 

“The Java runtime (JVM) is essential technology for enterprises ranging from early-stage startups to the Global 1000,” said John Abbott, Distinguished Analyst at 451 Research. “Azul’s latest Zing release adds uniquely compelling new performance and functionality for business-critical Java workloads.”

“With Zing 16.07 we are delivering a Java runtime that allows our customers to drive more revenue by delivering a better user experience and improved performance and scalability,” said Scott Sellers, Azul Systems president and CEO. “Zing’s support for TSX features in Intel’s latest Broadwell-based Xeon processors is a performance game-changer for Java developers writing multi-threaded code, and allows applications to scale to unprecedented levels. We’re especially excited to announce our free Zing evaluation program, allowing users to download Zing now free of charge, and try its unique features and capabilities in their environment with their applications.”

Pricing and Availability

Zing 16.07 is available immediately from the Azul website and the Amazon Web Services Marketplace. The single license annual subscription price for Zing is $3500 USD per server, with significantly lower prices for higher volumes and longer-term subscriptions. Special pricing is available for startups and companies with $25 million or less in annual revenue, and for ISVs and manufacturers looking to embed or integrate Zing with their products.

For additional information about the Zing runtime for Java visit www.azul.com/zing. Free Zing trial downloads are available from http://info.azul.com/Zing-Trial.html. Users of Amazon Web Services can find Zing AMIs in the AWS Marketplace.

Note for editors: Background information on hardware transactional memory and its impact on application performance and scalability is available from Intel and Azul.

Video by Azul Systems CTO Gil Tene (Gil is also available for questions or briefings) https://www.infoq.com/presentations/hardware-transactional-memory

Selected materials from Intel Corporation:

TSX Instruction set overview: https://software.intel.com/en-us/node/524022

Performance white paper: http://pcl.intel-research.net/publications/SC13-TSX.pdf

Intel software blog post (introductory): https://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2012/02/07/transactional-synchronization-in-haswell

About Azul Systems

@azulsystems

Azul Systems, the industry's only company exclusively focused on Java and the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), builds fully supported, certified standards-compliant Java runtime solutions that bring the power of Java to the enterprise, the embedded community and the IoT. Zing is a JVM designed for enterprise Java applications and workloads that require any combination of low latency, high transaction rates, large working memory, and/or consistent response times. Zulu is Azul's certified, freely available open source build of OpenJDK. Cost-effective Zulu Enterprise subscriptions extend OpenJDK support to Java-based businesses who prefer open source solutions. Zulu Embedded is Azul's 100% open source build of OpenJDK for Intel, ARM, and PowerPC -based designs that require custom configurations and long support life cycles. For additional information, visit www.azul.com.

Azul Systems, the Azul Systems logo, Zulu, Zing and ReadyNow! are registered trademarks. Java and OpenJDK are trademarks of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliated companies in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Contacts

Azul Systems
Liz Erk, 781-279-0370
liz@azul.com

Release Summary

Azul announces GA for 16.07 of Zing Runtime for Java, improves Java application performance up to 3X

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Contacts

Azul Systems
Liz Erk, 781-279-0370
liz@azul.com