Java: JSON Web Tokens (JWT)

Stateless authentication reduces JVM Heap memory usage by eliminating the need to store session data on the server.

In traditional stateful authentication, servers store session information (like JSESSIONID cookies) in the JVM Heap, which can become a bottleneck as the number of users grows. This can lead to heap exhaustion and performance issues. Stateless JWTs solve this by encoding session data in the token itself, removing the need for server-side storage. When a user logs in, the server issues a JWT, which the client sends with each request. The server verifies the token's signature without storing user state, significantly reducing heap usage. For instance, an e-commerce site with thousands of users can handle more concurrent sessions without increasing memory demands.