J2se - 6 Update 14

Update 14 was essentially a "feature backport" release. By including G1 and compressed pointers, Sun gave developers a preview of the performance gains coming in Java 7 while maintaining the stable environment of Java 6.

: The -XX:+UseCompressedOops option was introduced to improve the performance of 64-bit JREs on heaps smaller than 32GB. It allows 64-bit JVMs to use 32-bit references, reducing memory footprint and improving cache efficiency. J2Se 6 Update 14

: Support was added for Windows Server 2008 SP2 and Windows Vista SP2 . Update 14 was essentially a "feature backport" release

: The update included enhancements to the parallel compacting collector to increase overall application throughput. Stability and Platform Support It allows 64-bit JVMs to use 32-bit references,

: The release addressed over 350 bugs , making it a critical stability update for enterprise environments.

This update featured , which integrated several optimizations originally slated for later versions like Java 7.

: This feature, which helps identify installed software on a system for support purposes, was extended to the Windows platform (having already been available on Solaris and Linux). Why It Mattered