Understanding the WebLogic Diagnostic Framework

Introduction and Roadmap

This section describes the contents and organization of this guide and the audiences to which it is addressed—Understanding the WebLogic Diagnostic Framework.

What Is the WebLogic Diagnostic Framework?

The WebLogic Diagnostic Framework (WLDF) is a monitoring and diagnostic framework that defines and implements a set of services that run within the WebLogic Server® process and participate in the standard server life cycle. Using WLDF, you can create, collect, analyze, archive, and access diagnostic data generated by a running server and the applications deployed within its containers. This data provides insight into the run-time performance of servers and applications and enables you to isolate and diagnose faults when they occur.

WLDF includes several components for collecting and analyzing data, including the following:

Server Image Capture—creates a diagnostic snapshot from the server that can be used for post-failure analysis
Archiver—captures and persists all data events, log records, and metrics from server instances and applications
Instrumentation—adds code to WebLogic servers and the applications running on them to execute diagnostic actions at specified locations in the code
Harvester—captures metrics from run-time MBeans, including Weblogic Server MBeans and custom MBeans
Watch and Notification—provides the means for monitoring server and application states and sending notifications based on criteria set in the watches
Logging services—manages logs for monitoring server, subsystem, and application events. The BEA WebLogic Server® logging services are documented separately from the rest of the WebLogic Diagnostic Framework. See Configuring Log Files and Filtering Log Messages.

WLDF provides a set of standardized application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable dynamic access and control of diagnostic data, as well as improved monitoring that provides visibility into the server. ISVs can use these APIs to develop custom monitoring and diagnostic tools for integration with WLDF.

WLDF is a new feature in WebLogic 9.0. In previous releases of WebLogic Server, access to diagnostic data by monitoring agents—which were developed by customers or third-party tools vendors—was limited to JMX attributes, and changes to monitoring agents required server shut down and restart. However, WLDF enables dynamic access to server data through standard interfaces, and the volume of data accessed at any given time can be modified without shutting down and restarting the server.

Document Scope and Audience

This document provides an overview and describes the architecture of the WebLogic Diagnostic Framework (WLDF).

WLDF provides features for monitoring and diagnosing problems in running WebLogic server instances and clusters and in applications deployed to them. Therefore, the information in this document is directed both to system administrators and to application developers. It also contains information for third-party tools developers who want to build tools to support and extend WLDF.

It is assumed that readers are familiar with Web technologies and the operating system and platform where BEA WebLogic Server® is installed.

Guide to This Document

This document is organized as follows:

This chapter, "Introduction and Roadmap," introduces the organization of this guide and the audiences to which this guide is addressed.
Overview of the WLDF Architecture, describes the WLDF architecture and the functions of and interactions between the components.

Introduction and Roadmap

What Is the WebLogic Diagnostic Framework?

Document Scope and Audience

Guide to This Document

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