Java Management Extensions - JMX

Java Management Extensions is a way to create management interface to Java applications. In brief, adding extra wrapper (MBean) to your application with a name (ObjectName) and register it on management server MBeanServer, so that it can be accessed/managed externally. JMX allows the developers to integrate the application by assigning management attributes/operations.

Instrumentation

To use JMX, we need to instrument the Java classes (or resources). The instrumented objects are called MBeans. MBeans are nothing but POJOs which adhere to JMX specifications.

MBeanServer

MBeanServer is the very core component of the JMX. MBeanServer is the JMX agent which hosts the MBeans on it and make them available for the remote applications. The MBeanServer need not to know how the MBeans are implemented and vice-versa. 

Accessing MBeans

MBeans running on MBeanServer can be accessed using Connectors, typically called as JMX Connectors, using JMX Service URL. The main intention of the connector is to provide an interface to establish communication between JMX agent and the application which is trying to access the MBean. There are various connectors available, but it always recommended use a standard RMIConnector.  

JMX Service URL

The URL is used to connect to MBean agent and locate MBeans to acess. There are two types of URLs depending on how the JMX is implemented on broker.

• Static URL: As the name suggests, Static URL will create constant identity for MBeans irrespective of when and how broker is started, stopped etc. This uses RMI Connector.
• Dynamic URL: Dynamic URL keeps changes for each time when the broker is started/re-started.

URL looks like

service:jmx:rmi://hostname:port/<urlpath>

The explanation goes here

• service:jmx:rmi is constant
• hostname:port is the name and port of the broker host where the MBean agent resides (Ideally, where the application is running)
• urlpath is depends on where Service URL is static or dynamic
• Static URL looks like : /jndi/rmi://hostname[:rmiPort]/jndiname
• Dynamic URL looks like : /stub/serialnumber-with-base64encoded

Static JMX Service URL

Static URL contains the details of the RMI registry like hostname, port number and the connector name 

/jndi/rmi://hostname[:rmiPort]/connectorname 

• hostname[:rmiPort] : RMI host and post number to locale JMX agent. By default, RMI port will be 1099 (if not specified). 
• connectorname specifies the name which needs to be look-up in the RMI registry.

See the post, how to implement JMX MBean using Spring

Dynamic JMX Service URL

The URL consists of the serialized JMX object with Base 64 encoded value. See an example below

/stub/rO0ABdmVyLlJlpIDJyGvQkwAAAARod97VdgAEAeA==

We will see how to create JMX MBeans using dynamic URLs and how to access.

Happy Learning!!!!