I mapped 66 JVM internal components into an interactive 2D/3D explorer (Open Source)
Reading the Java Virtual Machine Specification (JVMS) or static block diagrams makes it difficult to see how the ClassLoader, Runtime Data Areas, JIT Compiler, and Garbage Collector operate together at runtime.
I built JVM Atlas, an interactive 2D and 3D architecture explorer that maps 66 internal components and traces code execution step-by-step from .java source down to native machine execution.
yakshjethva / jvm-inside-out
JVM
JVM Atlas
Explore the machine behind Java programs.
JVM Atlas is an independent, open-source, interactive atlas of the Java Virtual Machine: its runtime architecture, memory management and execution. Beginners start with one question, "What happens when you run a Java program?", and follow a single line of Java from source code to the processor. Experienced developers open the same machine as a technical plate and a 3D model where every part is a real component they can select, inspect, take apart and watch at work.
One machine. One source of truth. Multiple levels of understanding.
It is a static site. There is no backend, database, account, analytics or paid service, and after the first visit it keeps working offline.
- Primary site: https://jvmatlas.vercel.app (Vercel, deployed by its GitHub integration)
- Mirror: https://yakshjethva.github.io/jvm-inside-out/ (GitHub Pages, deployed from
main)
What is in this release
See docs/LEARNING_EXPERIENCE.md for how the site teaches docs/3D_EXPERIENCE.md for…
Live Interactive Tool: https://jvmatlas.vercel.app
What's inside:
- 66 Mapped Nodes: Full connectivity across ClassLoader subsystems, Heap/Metaspace, PC Registers, C1/C2 JIT compilers, and GC phases.
- 3 Depth Tiers: Switch any node between Simple, Developer, and Deep Dive (HotSpot implementation specifics).
- Execution Walkthroughs: Guided state-by-state flows showing how bytecode verification, interpreter loops, and JIT tiering actually run.