Runtime Briefing — Java 20 Release
Java 20 (JDK 20) became generally available on 21 March 2023 with preview updates to virtual threads, structured concurrency, and foreign memory APIs, requiring JVM platform testing before adoption.
Executive briefing: Oracle and the OpenJDK community published JDK 20 on , continuing the rapid release cadence with incremental language and runtime enhancements.
Key JEPs
- JEP 436 (Virtual Threads). Updates to Project Loom’s virtual threads preview reduce the overhead of concurrent services.
- JEP 437 (Structured Concurrency). Second incubator delivers a structured approach to managing multiple tasks, affecting reactive frameworks.
- JEP 434 (Foreign Function & Memory API). The third preview advances native interoperability, impacting JNI replacements.
Adoption plan
- Benchmark JVM workloads under JDK 20 to evaluate the impact of virtual threads and foreign-memory APIs on latency-sensitive services.
- Coordinate with framework vendors (Spring, Quarkus, Micronaut) to confirm compatibility and identify required feature flags.
- Update container base images, buildpacks, and CI agents before enabling JDK 20 for developer previews or performance labs.