Ahead Of Time and Native in Spring Boot 3.0 by Stéphane Nicoll & Brian Clozel

Explore the benefits of Ahead of Time (AOT) compilation in Spring Boot 3.0, including native image compilation, improved runtime performance, and seamless integration with existing build workflows.

Key takeaways
  • Ahead of Time (AOT) compilation in Spring Boot 3.0 allows for native image compilation with minimal runtime footprint.
  • The AOT phase generates metadata about an application’s configuration, beans, and dependencies.
  • The metadata is used to optimize the native image compilation process and improve runtime performance.
  • Spring Boot 3.0 provides a plugin for generating AOT metadata and native images.
  • The metadata is stored in a separate file and can be used to generate a native image for a Spring Boot application.
  • The native image can be executed independently of the JVM, reducing startup time and memory requirements.
  • The AOT compilation process is integrated with the Gradle build process, allowing for easy integration with existing build workflows.
  • The native image can be debugged using the Debugging API, which provides detailed information about the execution of the application.
  • The AOT compilation process is also integrated with the Spring Boot DevTools, allowing for easier debugging and testing of the native image.
  • The native image can be executed on a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.
  • The AOT compilation process is highly configurable, allowing developers to customize the compilation process to suit their specific needs.
  • The native image can be used in a variety of scenarios, including IoT devices, embedded systems, and cloud native applications.
  • The AOT compilation process is designed to work seamlessly with the Spring Boot framework, allowing developers to leverage the benefits of AOT compilation without having to modify their code.
  • The AOT compilation process is highly scalable, allowing it to be used with large and complex Spring Boot applications.