RE: [Openjmx-users] can't see the jmx forest for the trees

[Bordet, S. <Sim...@co...>]

Hi,

> so let's assume i manage to instrument my code.
>=20
> Now, how do I get to manage it?

Normally you manage your components by means of some JMX adaptor or =
connector, that have been foreseen by the spec, v 1.0, but not yet =
defined.
In OpenJMX we provide a HTTP connector and an RMI connector, both =
supporting SSL, the RMI one also over IIOP.

> None of the JDMK, JBossMX, or OpenJMX have much to say, if anything,
> about the other two projects, so I can't figure out how much=20
> there is overlap.
> Are either of the open source projects trying  to=20
> independently develop the JMX portion,
> or just the JDMK portion? Or something else?

All implement the JMX specification, v 1.0, and offer some more extra =
feature.

> Suppose I have a server of my own devising, and no EJB in sight.
> In particular, i am not using a J2EE container such as jboss.
> I've instrumented my code to be manageable as one of the many=20
> flavors of JMX beans.
>=20
> 1. Suppose i want to be able to manage it over an http=20
> connection, connecting
> to a special thread in my own server that just does deals=20
> with that management
> connection. It would appear that JDMK has something like=20
> that, and it seems
> JBossMX has an HtmlAdapterServer.
> I don't know how many different jars I'd have to find an link in.
> Nor do I know what extra APIs I'd have to call to get that=20
> service thread started.

On client side you need a browser.=20
In OpenJMX just start the HTTPAdaptor as specified in the documentation =
(jar is openjmx-tools.jar).
There is no extra API on server side, you use the JMX API to create and =
instantiate the HTTP adaptor, see here for details =
(http://openjmx.sourceforge.net/docs/ch03.html#d0e327).

> 2. Now suppose that I'd like to write my own management=20
> interface using JSP, talking
> to some api (which one?), to manage my own beans. What jars=20
> would I want for that?

If you want to write JSP interface for a management application, you =
normally rely on the RMI connector to communicate to the JMX agent, =
although it should be possible also with the HTTP adaptor.
OpenJMX's HTTPAdaptor is fully customizable via XSLT, so you can change =
the view as you like.
Again, since adaptors and connectors are not defined by the spec, each =
implementation will provide specific jars. In OpenJMX you need both =
openjmx.jar and openjmx-tools.jar.
The API are uniquely those defined by the RMIConnector class, if you use =
the RMI connector. For the HTTP adaptor, you need to look at the URL =
syntax, refer to the link above for OpenJMX's.

> 3. Now suppose I'd like to manage those instrumented beans using SNMP.
> It appears JDMK does that; I don't know what else does.

Not OpenJMX (yet) nor JBossMX (afaik).

> Right now, I'm caught between the marketing verbiage of Sun, and the=20
> nothing-but-javadoc of the open source projects, and can't=20
> figure out how
> to do those basic and fundamental 3 things.
>=20
> Maybe I'm missing some faq or howto somewhere?

I think you are going faster than what JMX specification expert decided =
to put in the 1.0 version.
You are trying to use MBeans remotely and this is not defined by the =
spec yet, so every implementation provides non-standard tools to do so.

> I'm sorely tempted to just bag the whole thing, and=20
> instrument my code instead
> with some open source java snmp implementation.
> At least then it is well understood and documented territory.

My opinion is don't do so.
JMX is powerful, and allow you to manage your code as well as have a =
standard framework for server-side applications.
It will become even more powerful, as great changes are planned for =
"Tiger" (JDK 1.5), and JSR 160 (http://jcp.org/jsr/detail/160.jsp) is =
right now defining exactly for you are looking for, and it is very =
active (I'm part of the expert group for that JSR).

As a final word, on this list you will find the help needed to start to =
use JMX at its full extent, and solutions to your problems may help =
others and be incorporated as examples in OpenJMX.

Hope helped.

Cheers

Simon