A High Performance Java Middleware with a Real Application

Previous experiments with high-performance Java were initially disappointing. After several years of optimization, this paper investigates the current suitability of such object-oriented middleware for High-Performance and Grid programming. Using a middleware offering high level abstractions (ProActive), we have replaced the standard Java RMI layer with the optimized Ibis RMI interface. Ibis is a grid programming environment featuring efficient communications. Using a 3D electromagnetic application (an object-oriented time domain finite volume solver for 3D Maxwell equations) we have first conducted benchmarks on single clusters, including comparisons with the same application in Fortran MPI. Finally, Grid experiments have been conducted simultaneously on up to 5 different clusters. Overall, the paper reports extremely promising results. For instance, a speed up of 12 on 16 machines (vs. 13.8 for Fortran), a speedup of 100 on 150 machines on a Grid.