Distributed Java Virtual Machine

Because Java has a built-in support for multi-threading and thread-synchronisation, parallel Java applications that are traditionally executed on a single Java Virtual Machine (JVM) can be constructed easily. Because of the emergence of cluster computing that are a cost-effective substitute for multi-core computers, there have been different approaches for developing a distributed runtime environment to run Java application in parallel. In this thesis we added a distributed runtime system to an open-source JVM called Jikes Research Virtual Machine to provide a true parallel execution environment for multi-threaded Java applications within a cluster of workstations. To achieve transparency, we implemented a virtual global object space to hide the underlying distribution from the programmer and the application. Supplementarily, we added mechanisms for accessing objects in this global memory space, thread synchronization, distributed classloading, distributed scheduling and finally for I/O redirection and evaluated the overhead of these mechanisms with several microbenchmarks. The result is a prototype of a distributed Java Virtual Machine running as part of the JikesRVM which offers a wide scope for extensions. By embedding the virtual object heap into the JVM and making the JVM aware of the cluster, the distributed runtime system benefits from the abundant runtime information of the JVM which gives the opportunity for further optimizations.