Introduction to Monitoring Tools
There are four monitoring interfaces for Message Queue information:
log files, interactive monitoring commands, the Sun JavaTM Enterprise
System Monitoring Framework (JESMF), and a client API that can obtain metrics. Each has its advantages and disadvantages,
as follows:
-
Log files provide a long-term record of metrics data, but
cannot easily be parsed.
-
Interactive monitoring commands enable you to quickly sample
information tailored to your needs, but do not enable you to look at historical
information or manipulate the data programmatically.
-
The Sun Java Enterprise System Monitoring Framework (JESMF) offers a common, Web-based graphical interface shared with other JES components, but can monitor only a subset of all Sun Java System entities
and operations.
-
The client API lets you extract information,
process it, manipulate the data, present graphs, or send alerts. However,
to use it, you must write a custom application to capture and analyze the
data.
Table 10–1 compares the different
tools.
Table 10–1 Benefits and Limitations
of Metrics Monitoring Tools
Metrics Monitoring Tool
|
Benefits
|
Limitations
|
Log files
|
|
-
Local monitoring only
-
Data format difficult to read; no parsing tools
-
Need to configure broker properties; must shut down and restart
broker to take effect
-
Broker metrics only; no destination or connection service
metrics
-
No flexibility in selection of data
-
Same reporting interval for all metrics data; cannot be changed
on the fly
-
Possible performance penalty if interval set too short
|
Interactive monitoring commands
|
-
Remote monitoring
-
Convenient for spot-checking
-
Data presented in easy-to-read tabular format
-
Easy to select specific data of interest
-
Reporting interval set in command option; can be changed on
the fly
|
-
Difficult to analyze data programmatically
-
No single command gets all data
-
No historical record; difficult to see historical trends
|
JES Monitoring Framework
|
-
Web-based graphical interface
-
Data presented in easy-to-read format
-
Common interface shared with other JES components
-
No performance penalty; pulls data from broker’s existing
data monitoring infrastructure
|
-
Limited subset of data available
-
Data cannot be analyzed programmatically
-
No historical record; difficult to see historical trends
|
Client API
|
|
-
Need to write your own monitoring client
-
Need to configure broker properties; must shut down and restart
broker to take effect
-
Same reporting interval for all metrics data; cannot be changed
on the fly
|
In addition to the differences shown in the table, each tool gathers
a somewhat different subset of the metrics information generated by the broker.
For information on which metrics data is gathered by each monitoring tool,
see Chapter 18, Metrics Reference.