Optimizing Cloud Native Java • Ben Evans & Holly Cummins • GOTO 2025

This interview was recorded for the GOTO Book Club. #GOTOcon #GOTObookclub http://gotopia.tech/bookclub Read the full transcription of the interview here: https://gotopia.tech/episodes/363 Ben Evans - Senior Principal Software Engineer at Red Hat & Co-Author of "Optimizing Cloud Native Java" and many more Books Holly Cummins - Senior Principal Software Engineer on the Red Hat Quarkus Team @Holly_Cummins RESOURCES Ben https://mastodon.social/@kittylyst https://github.com/kittylyst https://twitter.com/kittylyst https://www.linkedin.com/in/kittylyst https://www.kittylyst.com Holly https://hollycummins.com https://hollycummins.com/type/blog https://bsky.app/profile/hollycummins.com https://hachyderm.io/@holly_cummins https://twitter.com/holly_cummins https://github.com/holly-cummins https://linkedin.com/in/holly-k-cummins Links https://youtu.be/dU_WHead0oY https://youtu.be/sk1NPkAzYSM https://youtu.be/RlCpgSoOX6I https://youtu.be/PeMvksAZbdw https://youtu.be/wgJWs14YcEs https://youtu.be/EFXxXFHpS0M https://youtu.be/VMpTU15rIZY https://youtu.be/miUbs3mqPJE https://youtu.be/fDGWWpHlzvw https://youtu.be/jC1icupHlMs https://youtu.be/YAXGU2J7XjM https://youtu.be/5mudzKW0tFI https://youtu.be/1PJM8p-RMsY https://youtu.be/8fi7uSYlOdc https://youtu.be/M7eXxRLsrFw https://youtu.be/fbI3qveS_Is https://youtu.be/1QeLcJN0QLc https://youtu.be/MLksirK9nnE DESCRIPTION Holly Cummins talks with Ben Evans about his latest book "Optimizing Cloud Native Java", which updates his previous work "Optimizing Java" to reflect the realities of cloud native environments. Ben explains that performance engineering is not just technical but also psychological, emphasizing the importance of user expectations and defining clear performance goals. They discuss how modern Java performance must account for cloud native architectures, with applications running across distributed microservices and containerized, single-core environments. The book focuses on the importance of measuring relevant data, warns against relying on misleading micro-benchmarks, and highlights how system-level benchmarks offer a clearer picture. Ben also delves into the JVM's hidden complexities, such as changes in Java 17 and the impact of virtual threads. Practical, real-world examples in the book, like the "fighting animals" microservices application, help developers learn how to optimize Java performance in real network environments. Finally, Ben touches on the future of Java concurrency, with virtual threads and structured concurrency offering new ways to handle performance challenges in cloud native systems. TIMECODES 00:00 Intro 07:40 Who's "Optimizing Cloud Native Java" for? 09:29 Performance tuning: Art & science 21:43 Java performance 32:21 Concurrency in modern Java 39:10 Outro RECOMMENDED BOOKS Ben Evans & Jim Gough • Optimizing Cloud Native Java • https://amzn.to/41nivD9 Ben Evans, Jason Clark & David Flanagan • Java in a Nutshell • https://amzn.to/43FDoMA Ben Evans, Martijn Verburg & Jason Clark • The Well-Grounded Java Developer • https://amzn.to/41JMG7N Ben Evans, Jim Gough & Chris Newland • Optimizing Java • https://amzn.to/4bNOfGh Ben Evans & Martijn Verburg • The Well-Grounded Java Developer • https://amzn.to/4hs9MWk Goetz, Peierls, Bloch, Bowbeer, Holmes & Lea • Java Concurrency in Practice • https://amzn.to/4215zo6 Venkat Subramaniam • Cruising Along with Java • https://amzn.to/4dFuBwU Monica Beckwith • JVM Performance Engineering • https://amzn.to/3BkRoiO https://twitter.com/GOTOcon https://www.linkedin.com/company/goto- https://www.instagram.com/goto_con https://www.facebook.com/GOTOConferences #PerformanceEngineering #JVM #JVMPerformanceEngineering #Observability #HardwareInnovation #Java #JavaProgramming #JavaPerformance #JavaConcurrency #Concurrency #CloudNative #CloudNativeJava #GraalVM #Quarkus #SoftwareEngineering #Programming #BenEvans #Kittylyst #HollyCummins #BookClub CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUS Join this channel to get early access to videos & other perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/join Looking for a unique learning experience? Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket at https://gotopia.tech Sign up for updates and specials at https://gotopia.tech/newsletter SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL - new videos posted almost daily. https://www.youtube.com/user/GotoConferences/?sub_confirmation=1