Optimize the JVM Docker image size of your Spring Boot applications

Have you ever thought that the JVM Docker images of your Spring Boot applications are too fat?

Java 9 came up with a new important concept: the modularization of the JDK.

One of the main motivations here is to provide modular JVM, which can run on devices with a lot less available memory.

The use of Jdeps and Jlink, 2 tools have are shipped with the JDK, allows us to create custom minimal Java runtime environments with only the necessary modules required by your application.

Depending on the application, this can cut out massive parts of the runtime, reducing the overall Docker image size.

This can be particularly helpful when working with the Spring Boot fat jars.

I created a simple, Book Catalog application to see Jlink in action.

For more documentation:

• Understanding Java Modules
• Jdeps, the Java class dependency analyzer
• Jlink, to assemble and optimize a set of modules and their dependencies into a custom runtime image

What is your experience with Jlink and, more generally, with Java modularization?

#Java #Modularization #Jlink #Docker