SPEC releases free SPECjvm2008 benchmark

WARRENTON, Va., May 07, 2008 - The Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. (SPEC) has released SPECjvm2008, a new Java virtual machine benchmark with multithreaded workloads that represent a broad range of application areas. SPECjvm2008 is available for free downloading on the SPEC website: www.spec.org/jvm2008/.

The new benchmark, which replaces SPECjvm98, enables performance comparisons for systems running the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). �Metrics are influenced by the performance of the just-in-time (JIT) compiler, memory management, and other aspects of the system, including the processor, cache and memory bus.

New evaluation tools in SPECjvm2008 include a plug-in analysis framework that gathers information on factors such as heap usage during testing, and a reporter that displays a summary graph of all test runs.

SPECjvm2008 allows testing under both base and peak rules. Base testing simulates environments in which users do not tune systems for increased performance. Peak results show how tuning can be used to drive maximum Java throughput. Anyone submitting a peak result for publication on the SPEC web site must also submit a base result.

SPEC members participating in the development of SPECjvm2008 include AMD, BEA, HP, IBM, Intel and Sun.

Addressing issues and needs

"SPECjvm2008 addresses critical performance issues facing today�s Java server and client environments,"says Stefan Sarne, release manager for the new benchmark. "It reflects an interest in both client and server workloads, the move to a multicore environment, and a major increase in workload complexity and memory usage compared to SPECjvm98."

SPEC expects that the free software will be valuable to four key groups within the IT community:

IT managers looking to improve JVM performance for specific applications.
Researchers who investigate new algorithms for garbage collection or code generation.
Engineers who create and enhance JVM products and conduct performance testing.
Marketers who want to call attention to JVM performance of new products.

About SPEC

SPEC is a non-profit organization that establishes, maintains and endorses standardized benchmarks to evaluate performance for the newest generation of computing systems. Its membership comprises more than 80 leading computer hardware and software vendors, educational institutions, research organizations, and government agencies worldwide. For more information, visit www.spec.org or contact the SPEC office by phone: 540-349-7878, fax: 540-349-5992, or email: info@spec.org.

Media contact:

Bob Cramblitt
Cramblitt &Company
919-481-4599; info@cramco.com

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Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation

SPEC releases free SPECjvm2008 benchmark