Version 2.0 of the Akka framework released with significant changes

The Akka project has released version 2.0 of its open source framework for concurrency-focused application development using Java and Scala. Akka builds on lightweight concurrent entities called Actors which process messages using an event-driven loop. This provides a higher level of abstraction for concurrent systems which is easier to test.

Over 700 bugs have been fixed with this update and according to the developers "it’s not just a version bump" – the changes being explained throughout over 300 pages of documentation. New features include significant changes to the way Actors are addressed, with the addition of Supervision to manage dependencies between Actors and Monitoring, also called "Death Watch", which manages the termination of Actors. Actors can now be addressed in groups with ActorSelection and each Actor can be identified with a URI. Other improvements include enhancements to the dispatcher system, a new Fork/Join executor which improves message passing throughput, a new EventBus API and a new API for the ømq transport layer. An overview of the changes is contained in the release notes.

Because many these changes impact client-side code, the developers have provided a migration guide to help users switch from Akka 1.3.x to the new 2.0.x branch. They also point out that no further API changes are planned "for a significant amount of time".

Akka 2.0 is available for download from the project's web site and is licensed under the Apache Licence 2.0. Interested developers can also clone the project's repository from GitHub.

See also:

• Typesafe to integrate Play 2.0 into its Scala stack, a report from The H.
• Scala creator launches Scala company Typesafe, a report from The H.
  

(fab)