What moves from runtime into the build?

Goal & mental model verified

Native images compile under a closed-world assumption. Spring AOT analyzes application assembly ahead of runtime and generates supporting assets. Dynamic bean-graph changes and reflection/resource access can require different handling.

Worked example · design exercise synthesis

A rarely invoked quote utility may benefit from reduced startup overhead. A long-running service may favor JVM JIT behavior; measure both against the actual deployment workload.

Engineering decision synthesis

Evaluate native deployment when startup and footprint constrain the product. Accept build complexity and compatibility work only when the measured operational benefit matters.

Pitfall & diagnosis synthesis

A successful JVM run does not prove native compatibility. Runtime configuration that changes which beans exist can conflict with build-time assembly assumptions.

Improve & validate synthesis

Test the native artifact itself, including serialization, resources and integrations. Compare cold start, steady-state throughput, memory and build time under equivalent conditions.