Java Management Extensions for application management

Modern enterprise systems are composed of both centralized and distributed applications. Many of these applications are business-critical, creating the need for their control and management by existing management systems. A single suite of uniform instrumentation for manageability is needed to make this cost-effective. The Java™ Management Extensions Agent and Instrumentation Specification, v 1.0, describes an isolation layer between an information technology resource and an arbitrary (enterprise-specific) set of management interfaces and systems. It includes a simple, yet sophisticated and extensible management agent that can accommodate communication with private or acquired enterprise management systems. The application programming interface is simple enough that manageability can be achieved in three to five lines of code. Yet, it is flexible enough that complex, distributed applications can be managed, allowing management of Java technologies as well as management through Java technologies. This paper includes an overview of application management issues and technologies. The JMX technology and application program interfaces are discussed in depth using examples pertinent to today's application developer.