Applied Sciences
| Open Access | Architecting Sustainable Enterprise Java Platforms: Modularity, Dependency Governance, Runtime Optimization, and CI/CD Evolution in Large-Scale Systems
Dr. Lucas M. Reinhardt , Department of Computer Science, Rheinwald University, GermanyAbstract
The Java ecosystem has undergone profound structural, architectural, and operational transformations over the last decade, driven by the introduction of the Java Platform Module System (JPMS), rapid long-term support (LTS) release cycles, increasing dependency complexity, and the need for highly reliable continuous integration and delivery pipelines in enterprise environments. Large-scale Java systems, particularly those rooted in legacy architectures, face compounded challenges when attempting to modernize while preserving operational stability. These challenges span multiple layers, including runtime performance optimization, garbage collection tuning, dependency and transitive risk management, modularization of monolithic codebases, and the orchestration of CI/CD pipelines across heterogeneous Java versions. This research presents an integrated, theory-driven analysis of enterprise Java evolution, synthesizing empirical findings and practitioner-oriented insights from established literature. By grounding the discussion strictly in existing scholarly and industrial references, the article develops a holistic framework that explains how modularity adoption, garbage collection optimization, dependency governance, and Jenkins-based CI/CD pipelines interact within non-containerized and mixed-version enterprise environments. The study emphasizes descriptive and interpretive analysis rather than experimental quantification, offering deep theoretical elaboration on why certain modernization strategies succeed or fail in practice. Key findings indicate that successful enterprise Java modernization depends less on isolated technical upgrades and more on systemic alignment between language features, module boundaries, dependency policies, runtime observability, and delivery automation. The article concludes by outlining strategic implications for software architects, DevOps engineers, and organizational decision-makers seeking to sustain Java-based platforms in an era of continuous change.
Keywords
Enterprise Java, Java Modularity, JPMS, CI/CD Pipelines
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Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Lucas M. Reinhardt
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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