Shared Java Libraries

[Kerry Baer]

I am running Tomcat 6. Several applications run on this server. Currently each application has it's own pool of libraries (JAR) contained in it's lib directory.

I am investigating the performance enhancements provided by moving all of the JARs into the shared Tomcat lib directory.

What performance gains do you get when you use shared libraries across projects?

What are the issues you come across with this approach?

Does it come down to preference?

Please chime in with your opinions and supporting facts. Thank you!