Vert.x is a reactive application framework for the JVM that is resource efficient, concurrent, asynchronous, flexible, simple, and has a mature ecosystem. It was created in 2011 by VMWare and is now maintained by the Eclipse Foundation. Vert.x uses event-driven architecture with non-blocking code and message passing between single-threaded verticle units to provide high performance and scalability.

1. Vert.x
Reactive applications on the JVM

2. Vert.x
• Created by VMWare
• Currently maintained by the Eclipse Foundation.
• 10 years old. Created in 2011
History

3. Features
• Resource e
ffi
cient
• Concurrent and asynchronous
• Flexible
• Simple
• Mature Ecosystem

4. Hello from Vert.x
import io.vertx.core.AbstractVerticle;
public class Server extends AbstractVerticle {
public void start() {
vertx.createHttpServer().requestHandler(req -> {
req.response()
.putHeader("content-type", "text/plain")
.end("Hello from Vert.x!");
}).listen(8080);
}
}

5. Core Concepts
• Verticle
• Vert.x instances
• Event Bus
JVMJVMJVM JVM
JAR/ Vertx Instance
Verticle 1 Verticle 2
Verticle 3

6. Programming Model
• Event loop Based (Similar to Node.js)
• Event Handlers
•

7. Programming Model
• Small set of threads per vertx
instance
• Verticles are executed using the
same thread
• Message passing communication
using the event bus.
•

8. Vert.x Core
• TCP/SSL, UDP Client and Servers
• HTTP/HTTPS Client and Servers
• Web sockets
• Distributed Event bus access
• DNS
• File System
• Logging
• Etc

9. Verticle
• Execution unit of vertx
• Single threaded - less scope for race condition
• Verticles communicate by message passing
• Actor model
• Should not block the event loop

10. Event Bus
• Allows verticles to talk to each other.
• Works cross language.
• Works across the cluster.
• Supports Point to point, Request/Response or PubSub model.
• Pass strings, bu
ff
ers, primitive types or JSON

11. Benchmarks
Framework Package
size (MB)
Startup
time (ms)
GET (over 5 min) POST (over 10 min)
total failed mean (ms) throughput
(req/s)
total failed mean (ms) throughput
(req/s)
Spring
Boot /
Tomcat
14 6905 200000 0 274 685 200000 0 232 814
Spring
Boot / Jetty
13 6905 180000 196 300 590 200000 0 229 817
Spring
Boot /
Undertow
14 6905 82926 12 702 277 200000 0 226 824
vertx 5.1 200 200000 0 258 739 200000 0 210 891

12. Benchmarks
•

13. References
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vert.x
• O
ffi
cial Docs: https://vertx.io/
• Source Code: https://github.com/eclipse-vertx/vert.x
• Collection of vertx resources: https://github.com/vert-x3/vertx-awesome