How Netflix Increased Application Performance with Spring Boot 3 and Java 17

Netflix is renowned for its dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction. In pursuit of these goals, the company embarked on a journey to upgrade its applications to Spring Boot 3. This move aimed to establish a fresh baseline for future inventions, decrease complexity, reduce tech debt, reduce application start time, increase developer productivity, save money, and leverage a supported version of the framework with vulnerability patching. The early results of this endeavor are impressive, with a 15 percent voluntary adoption rate, significant cost savings, and streamlined operations. 

Here are six key takeaways from Netflix Senior Software Engineer Asi Bross’s talk sharing details of this initiative at SpringOne 2023.

Starting early is critical

Netflix’s journey to Spring Boot 3 began in June 2022 and continues today, reflecting the importance of starting early to address the challenges associated with such a significant upgrade. The proactive approach allowed Netflix to plan meticulously and ensure a smooth transition.  

Make it an organizational priority

Netflix deemed upgrading to Spring Boot 3 and Java 17 a top priority and expanded the effort to include the entire platform engineering team of five to work on the project.

Automate tools to minimize user intervention

Automation plays a pivotal role in Netflix’s success. By automating as much of the upgrade process as possible, the company has reduced the need for manual intervention, resulting in quicker adoption and reduced risk. 

Serving a diverse application landscape 

Netflix’s portfolio consisted of 3,000 applications and 1,500 libraries. Despite this complexity, the company successfully upgraded to Spring Boot 3, underscoring the adaptability and scalability of the Spring Framework.

Realizing significant cost savings 

Netflix reports that it has already seen cost savings amounting to hundreds of thousands—possibly millions—of dollars thanks to the reduction in batch job boot-up times, according to Bross. This demonstrates the practical value of Spring Boot 3 in optimizing resource utilization.

Improve security with vulnerability patching

By upgrading to Spring Boot 3, Netflix is strengthening its ability to support and patch vulnerabilities promptly. This enhances security and aligns with best practices in software maintenance. 

How Spring Solutions can help 

Netflix’s journey to Spring Boot 3 showcases the benefits of upgrading. The Spring Boot upgrade process can be time-consuming and requires dedicated resources. VMware offers several resources and services to support organizations considering making the transition.  

Spring Consulting  

Spring Consulting offers comprehensive consulting services with Spring experts to help expedite and streamline the upgrade process. Their expertise can help organizations unlock the full potential of their Spring applications. 

VMware Tanzu Spring Runtime support

Tanzu Spring Runtime support provides commercial support for Spring Boot 3.x and the entire stack, including critical components such as Apache Tomcat, distribution of OpenJDK, VMware TC Server, and Spring open source software libraries. This helps customers retain a stable solution throughout the upgrade process. 

Spring Academy  

For organizations preferring a DIY approach, Spring Academy offers a free guide to upgrading from Spring Boot 2.x to 3.x. Additionally, we provide on-demand access to training resources curated by Spring experts, turning your team into Spring superstars.

Unlocking the future with Spring Boot 3 

Netflix’s success with Spring Boot 3 hints at a promising future for organizations looking to enhance their application performance and reduce costs. Key features of Spring Boot 3, including virtual threads, developer container support, native compilations with GraalVM, and support for Jakarta EE 11, open new possibilities for innovation and efficiency.

Watch the SpringOne Netflix session with Asi Bross at VMware Explore:

And check out these additional resources: 

Preparing for Spring Boot 3.0 

Harnessing the Power Spring Framework 6 and Spring Boot 3 

Mind the Gap: Jumping from Spring Boot 2.x to 3.x 

About the Author

Michelle is a global product line marketing engineer for all things Spring. An accidental technologist who started with selling caller ID, she has worked in and around marketing and sales for a few decades launching new products, working with B2C, B2D, and B2B. Her first line of code was a few years back and she has been working with developers ever since. Michelle lives in the Pittsburgh region with her husband and two children. She loves to cook, entertain, lodge, travel, and binge-watch really bad TV. If you make her laugh, she will be your number one fan.

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