HotSpot Server Compiler: Experiences and Lessons

Chris Vick, Sun


Runtime compilation has long been thought to be solely the domain
of super fast template based compilers.  In implementing the HotSpot
Server Compiler, we chose to disregard much of the common wisdom
of runtime compilation in order to explore what a full optimizing
compiler could achieve in a runtime system.  In doing so, we discovered
that there were many myths in the common wisdom about runtime
compilation.  We also discovered that embedding an optimizing
compiler in a runtime system can be very effective, and also
very challenging.  This presentation is a summary of some of
the lessons that we learned, and some of the approaches that
we took to the challenges that we encountered.