Name: gm110360 Date: 01/06/2004


FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.4.1_02"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.1_02-b06)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.1_02-b06, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

EXTRA RELEVANT SYSTEM CONFIGURATION :
using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Starting up a Java application from a DOS command line takes significantly less time (30%) than when the same application is started as an applet, through a browser. Using FileMon trace, I found that in the case of an applet, the classes for the applet as well as the classes from rt.jar are loaded 512 bytes at a time. While in the case of an application, the disk access is done much more efficiently - the whole class is read in one disk access.

We have a large application here and starting it up as an applet takes in the order of 50 seconds, which is unacceptably slow. During that time, rt.jar is accessed in the order of 60,000 times, reading 512 bytes at a time. However, when starting the application from a DOS command line, rt.jar is accessed about 24,000 times and each access loads the full class.



STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
1. pick any large java program.
2. create a JAR file for it and sign it.
3. embed the applet in a HTML file.
4. specify to use java plugin 1.4.1_02 instead of the browsers JVM by using <OBJECT> tag
5. start up a disk monitoring tool, such as FileMon.
6. using a browser, load the applet - NOTE # disk accesses
7. start the program as an apllication from a DOS command line - NOTE # disk accesses

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Starting the program as an applet should take about the same time as starting it as an application.
ACTUAL -
The applet takes 50 seconds to start, the application takes 30 seconds to start.

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.
(Incident Review ID: 223584)
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