delay before Java applets or application starts

[Rene Grothmann]

Since recently, I am experiencing a 10 seconds delay before Java
applications start, or Java applets are loaded. Once started, the
programs run without problems. The problem is new, and only a month
ago, programs started immediately. Has anybody any idea what could
cause this, and how it can be avoided?

After some experiments, I found out that the delay happens only at
applets or applications packaged into larger jar archives. During the
delay there is no disk activity.

I am using the latest Java 1.6. Update 14 on a Windows XP machine.

Rene Grothmann

 

[Roedy Green]

Since recently, I am experiencing a 10 seconds delay before Java
applications start, or Java applets are loaded. Once started, the
programs run without problems. The problem is new, and only a month
ago, programs started immediately. Has anybody any idea what could
cause this, and how it can be avoided?

The Java run time gets loaded once. Thereafter only your app which is
tiny in comparison needs get loaded.

I think it was in Java 6 Sun invented a rapid start mechanism to
preload Java. Vista also invented its own similar scheme. You don't
want to use both. There is a switch in the Java control panel to
select. Sounds like neither is functioning.

For me, Applets now start within a second.
--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
http://mindprod.com

"The industrial civilisation is based on the consumption of energy resources that are inherently limited in quantity, and that are about to become scarce. When they do, competition for what remains will trigger dramatic economic and geopolitical events; in the end, it may be impossible for even a single nation to sustain industrialism as we have know it in the twentieth century."
~ Richard Heinberg, The Party’s Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies

 

[Qu0ll]

The Java run time gets loaded once. Thereafter only your app which is
tiny in comparison needs get loaded.

I think it was in Java 6 Sun invented a rapid start mechanism to
preload Java. Vista also invented its own similar scheme. You don't
want to use both. There is a switch in the Java control panel to
select. Sounds like neither is functioning.

For me, Applets now start within a second.

The Quick Starter doesn't function under Vista as Sun decided that the JVM
started quickly enough without it. I disagree.

--
And loving it,

-Qu0ll (Rare, not extinct)
_________________________________________________
(e-mail address removed)
[Replace the "SixFour" with numbers to email me]

 

[Lew]

I think it was in Java 6 Sun invented a rapid start mechanism to
preload Java. Vista also invented its own similar scheme. You don't
want to use both. There is a switch in the Java control panel to
select. Sounds like neither is functioning.

Strictly speaking, Vista doesn't preload programs, nor did the feature begin
with Vista but with earlier versions of Windows. What Windows does is store
certain load-map information in a file to help load programs faster. I don't
know if the Java mechanism is similar, but I think it's different.

 

[Rene Grothmann]

Thanks, Roedy. I don't know what you mean with "The Java run time gets
loaded once". It gets loaded for each application start, and once per
browser start, if needed.

However, I am sure that the delay has nothing to do with the loading
mechanism. Otherwise, there would be disk activity. Moreover, I had a
faster application start with Java 1.6 just a few weeks ago. So
actually I have no idea, what is happening. Java is the only program
which is sort of meditating after having been loaded. So I do not
believe in a computer problem, like a virus. I already deinstalled and
reinstalled Java, just to make sure. Since I am the only person with
such a behavior, I believe in some incompatibility with another
software or driver.

 

[Rene Grothmann]

I now installed Java 1.5 Update 10, and indeed the application is
starting fast again. I will open another thread asking for differences.

 

[Roedy Green]

The Quick Starter doesn't function under Vista as Sun decided that the JVM
started quickly enough without it. I disagree.

What do you disagree with? My understanding matches yours.
--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
http://mindprod.com

"The industrial civilisation is based on the consumption of energy resources that are inherently limited in quantity, and that are about to become scarce. When they do, competition for what remains will trigger dramatic economic and geopolitical events; in the end, it may be impossible for even a single nation to sustain industrialism as we have know it in the twentieth century."
~ Richard Heinberg, The Party’s Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies

 

[Roedy Green]

Thanks, Roedy. I don't know what you mean with "The Java run time gets
loaded once". It gets loaded for each application start, and once per
browser start, if needed.

When you use a browser to host your Applets, the JVM is started once,
when you run your first Applet. All Applets run in the same JVM. They
even share the same Thread. You must be careful in your Applet not to
hog the CPU, otherwise you will throttle other Applets. This loading
strategy is why the first Applet takes longer to start. In contrast,
when you run applications, each get their own logically distinct JVM,
but they share DLLs (in Windows).
--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
http://mindprod.com

"The industrial civilisation is based on the consumption of energy resources that are inherently limited in quantity, and that are about to become scarce. When they do, competition for what remains will trigger dramatic economic and geopolitical events; in the end, it may be impossible for even a single nation to sustain industrialism as we have know it in the twentieth century."
~ Richard Heinberg, The Party’s Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies

 

[Qu0ll]

What do you disagree with? My understanding matches yours.

I disagree that the JVM starts quickly enough without Quick Starter. I use
a number of machines and Java on Vista seems to start the slowest even
though it's on the most high-end hardware.

--
And loving it,

-Qu0ll (Rare, not extinct)
_________________________________________________
(e-mail address removed)
[Replace the "SixFour" with numbers to email me]

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

What do you disagree with?

SUN's decision obviously.

Arne

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

Strictly speaking, Vista doesn't preload programs,

It does.

nor did the feature
begin with Vista but with earlier versions of Windows.

SuperFetch was new in Vista-

What Windows
does is store certain load-map information in a file to help load
programs faster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista_I/O_technologies#SuperFetch
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/superfetch.aspx

Arne

 

[Lew]

It does.
...
SuperFetch was new in Vista-


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista_I/O_technologies#SuperFetch
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/superfetch.aspx

Thank you for this excellent information.