Use administrative programs (JMX)

This topic describes how to use Java APIs to administer WebSphere Application Server and to manage the applications.

We can administer WAS and the applications through tools that come with the product or through programming with the Java APIs.

The wsadmin scripting tool, the administrative console, and the administrative command-line tools come with the product. These administrative tools provide most of the functions that we need to manage the product and the applications that run in WAS. We can use the command-line tools from automation scripts to control the servers. Scripts that are written for the wsadmin scripting tool offer a wide range of possible custom solutions that we can develop quickly.

Investigate these tools with the Java APIs to determine the best ways to administer WAS and the applications. For information on the Java APIs, view the APIs documentation.

• No action required for WAS JMX APIs: Each JVM in WAS includes an embedded implementation of JMX. In Application Server, Version 5, the JVMs contain an implementation of the JMX 1.0 specification. In Application Server, Version 6.0 and later, the JVMs contain an implementation of the JMX 1.2 specification. The JMX 1.0 implementation used in Version 5 is the TMX4J package that IBM Tivoli products supply. The JMX 1.2 specification used in Version 6.0 and later is the open source mx4j package. The JMX implementation change across the releases does not affect the behavior of the JMX MBeans in the Application Server. No Application Server administrative APIs are altered due to the change from the JMX V1.0 specification to the JMX V1.2 specification.

• Action might be required for custom MBeans: The JMX V1.2 specification is compatible with the earlier JMX V1.0 specification. However, we might need to migrate custom MBeans that are supplied by products other than the Application Server from Version 5 to Version 6.0 and later. The primary concern for these custom MBeans is related to the values used in key properties of the JMX ObjectName class for the MBean. The open source mx4j implementation more stringently enforces property validation according to the JMX 1.2 specification. Test the custom MBeans that you deployed in Version 5 in Version 6.0 and later, to ensure compatibility. Full details of the JMX V1.2 specification changes from the JMX V1.0 specification are available in the JMX 1.2 specification.

WAS supports access to the administrative functions through a set of Java classes and methods. We can write a Java program that performs any of the administrative features of the WAS administrative tools. We can also extend the basic WAS administrative system to include our own managed resources.

We can prepare, install, uninstall, edit, and update applications through programming. Preparing an application for installation involves collecting various types of WAS-specific binding information to resolve references defined in the application deployment descriptors. This information can also be modified after installation by editing a deployed application. Updating consists of adding, removing or replacing a single file or a single module in an installed application, or supplying a partial application that manipulates an arbitrary set of files and modules in the deployed application. Updating the entire application uninstalls the old application and installs the new one. Uninstalling an application removes it entirely from the WAS configuration.

Perform any or all of the following tasks to manage WAS and the Java EE applications through programming.

• Create a JMX remote client program using the JMX remote API (JSR 160)..

  This topic describes how to develop a JMX remote program that uses the JMX remote API (JSR 160) to access the WAS administrative system.

• Create a custom Java administrative client program using the Java administrative APIs.
  

  This topic describes how to develop a Java program that uses the WAS administrative APIs to access the administrative system of WAS.

• Extend the WAS administrative system with custom MBeans.
  

  This topic describes how to extend the WAS administration system by supplying and registering new JMX MBeans in one of the Application Server processes. In this case, we can use the administrative classes and methods to add newly managed objects to the administrative system.

• Deploy and manage a custom Java administrative client program for use with multiple JEE application servers.
  

  This topic describes how to connect to a Java EE server, and how to manage multiple vendor servers.

Results

Depending on which tasks you complete, we have created our own administrative program, extended the WAS administrative console, connected and managed vendor servers, or managed the applications through programming.

Subtopics

• JMX for WebSphere Application Server
  
• Create a custom Java administrative client program using WAS administrative Java APIs
  
• Create a JMX client program using the JMX Remote API
  
• Extending the WAS administrative system with custom MBeans
  
• Administrative programs for multiple JEE application servers
  
• Deploy and managing a custom Java administrative client program with multiple JEE application servers
  
• JMX V1.0 to JMX V1.2 migration
  
• JMX interoperability
  
• Managed object metadata
  

Related concepts

Additional APIs