Java¿ and JMX Building Manageable Systems

Java is now used with increasing frequency to develop mission-critical applications. Using Java Management Extensions (JMX) is the key to managing those applications. As JMX is increasingly accepted into the fields of embedded systems, enterprise systems, and telephony, it is clear that all Java developers will encounter JMX before long.Javatrade; and JMX: Building Manageable Systems is the definitive guide to JMX, combining an introduction to the technology with extensive coverage that will make this book a favorite reference. Much more than just an explanation of the JMX specifications, this book can drastically reduce a reader's JMX learning curve by explaining how to develop management requirements and apply JMX to them. The book's coverage includes: A management primer for Java programmers and architects A historical perspective on the evolution of JMX and its relation to other management standards, including SNMP, CIM/WBEM, TMN, and CMIP Development of JMX Manageable Resources with Standard and Dynamic MBeans Development with Model MBeans as customizable generic instrumentation using both the JMX APIs and XML files MBeanServer, including the MBean registry and object naming scheme, the generic MBean interface, and the query mechanism JMX Monitors and Notifications MBeanServer Services including the timer, relationship, and dynamic loading, along with custom services for XML services, HTTP adapters, RMI connectors, and security exposures and permissions JMX best practices, including deployment patterns, instrumentation patterns, federation patterns, and best practices JMX integration into J2EE and the JSR077 management models in J2EE 1.4 Using JMX to manage Web services from the perspective of service providers, registry providers, and users Written with an unparalleled degree of in-the-trenches familiarity and full of practical examples and working sample code, Javatrade; and JMX is a must-have introduction, technological guide, and reference for Java architects and developers. 0672324083B12052002

Heather Kreger was the original JMX evangelist at IBM. A founding member of the JMX expert group, she personally contributed ModelMBeans to the JMX specification and is currently applying management to Web services technologies.

Ward Harold is the lead architect for Tivoli's implementation of JMX, TMX4J. He is a member of the current JMX expert group.

Leigh Williamson led the design and implementation of the WebSphere Version 5 new administrative architecture.

Introduction Welcome! You have just opened your key to the secret art of management. This book is your comprehensive guide to the development of manageable application software using the Java Management Extensions (JMX). Now that Java has made the leap from cool to critical, every developer who has deployed a mission-critical application knows it is not enough just to write great code; to be truly useful, critical applications must be manageable as well. With the publishing of the JMX specification and the availability of multiple JMX implementations, Java programmers have a standard mechanism with which to instrument and manage their software products. This book will provide you with the information necessary to leverage JMX to create a new generation of better-instrumented, more manageable, and therefore more reliable mission-critical Java applications. At the moment the two biggest growth areas for Java are enterprise and embedded systems. Tens of thousands of IT developers are now or soon will be using J2EE technologies to create mission-critical business systems. The major J2EE vendors, including IBM WebSphere and BEA WebLogic application servers, are using JMX to provide their own management, as well as to enable yours. The J2EE 1.4 standard is being extended to include management interfaces using JMX as defined by JSR (Java Specification Request) 77. At the other end of the spectrum, thousands more developers will be using Java to create embedded applications, from set-top boxes to remote pumping-station monitors. It is essential that these applications, which run unattended on "invisible computers" for the most part, be as self-monitoring and self-managing as possible. JMX provides a substrate upon which to construct such self-monitoring/managing applications, and a copy of this book will substantially reduce your JMX learning curve. JMX is also being accepted by the telephony industry as a management infrastructure for Java for the Advanced Intelligent Network (JAIN). As these specifications for the use of Java in telephony service environments emerge, whole new industries will need to become familiar with JMX. The probability that you will encounter JMX in one form or another, as part of your own designs or as the instrumentation mechanism for components of your infrastructure, is very high. This book will give you the foundation and technical details you need to make effective use of JMX wherever you find it. Although it is well known that JMX is continuing to evolve, its basic architecture and interfaces will remain consistent. There is more to using JMX than understanding the architecture and interfaces; you also need to understand how it connects to management systems, the role it plays in the management industry, appropriate use of the technology, and management design patterns. In short, you need to understand how to create a manageable system. This book has been written in a comprehensive manner by experts in that space. It also will give you an in-depth understanding of the application of JMX in hot technologies: J2EE and Web services. You will find this book to be useful long after new versions of JMX become available because the concepts introduced here are classic applications of management concepts and technologies to the Java family. This book will do more than help you write MBeans; it will help guide you build manageable systems. This Book''s Intended Audience Our primary goal in writing this book is to explain Java-based management, manageability (i.e., enabling resources to be managed), and JMX in detail, and to make it easy to understand. Architects and developers involved in the design and implementation of mission-critical Java applications are the primary audience for this book. They understand that their biggest challenges come well after the first successful installation of a new piece of software, when their client''s business becomes critically dependent on that software. Then it is essential that administrators be able to monitor and manage the application day and night to keep the business in business. Until recently, each Java-based product had to develop its own ad hoc management solution. That changed with publication of the Java Management Extensions Instrumentation and Agent Specification, v1.0. This book has been written especially for Java developers who find themselves in a situation where they must enable their application to be managed by an "outside" management system. Other Java developers and architects who will find this book useful include Those who are going to help create a new administrative or management system for their Java application Those who need to integrate their application into an existing JMX-based administrative or management system Those who want to develop some management functions to interact with an application that supports JMX Curious folks who just like to know what all the Java acronyms stand for This book assumes that you do not have a background in systems or applications management and provides a comprehensive overview of the history of the management industry and the forces that combined to make JMX the ubiquitous management technology for Java resources across the Java community. Java resources deployed in the micro, standard, and enterprise editions of the JDK can all use JMX. The authors have extensive firsthand experience with JMX from nearly every angle. Heather Kreger was an original member of the JMX Expert Group and personally contributed the specification, reference implementation (RI), and Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) for model MBeans. She is now involved in Web services and applying management to this emerging space. Ward Harold is a member of the current JMX Expert Group (JSR 160), the lead architect for Tivoli''s implementation of JMX and TMX4J, as well as Tivoli''s Web Component Manager product, which uses JMX to manage resources. Leigh Williamson was a member of JSR 77 ("J2EE Management") and the architect for WebSphere''s JMX support and JSR 77 support. This book represents our experience with JMX from all these projects: We bring you a unique insider perspective on the intent, implementation, application, and even pitfalls of JMX. All of this JMX experience is in the context of our extensive experience in all aspects of management systems and middleware. This book will be valuable for developers of applications that should be managed, developers of middleware, and developers of management systems. We hope that you will find it useful not only as an introduction to JMX, but also as a frequent desktop reference as you connect your application to an existing management system or start to develop your own management application. What You Need to Know before Reading This Book This book assumes that you are familiar with developing applications using Java. We do not assume that you have experience with management systems. As such, the first chapter introduces management concepts, disciplines, and architectures. If you are familiar with management systems, then you may skip this chapter and start with Chapter 2 (Introduction to JMX). Chapter 10(J2EE and JMX) explains JSR 77 ("J2EE Management") in depth, as well as how it relates to JMX. This chapter assumes that you have a high-level understanding of the components of the J2EE specification and its realization in J2EE application servers. Chapter 11(Web Services and JMX) explains how JMX can be used to develop manageable Web service applications. It will be helpful to have a general understanding of what a Web service is, and familiarity with common Web service architectures. What You Will Learn from Reading This Book This book will provide you with the necessary information, insight, and examples for using JMX to build manageable