Comparative Analysis of AMC and JMS

3 Comparative Analysis of AMC and JMS

While exploring the landscape of Java management solutions, it's essential to recognize that both Advanced Management Console (AMC) and Java Management Service (JMS) are distinct products utilizing unique technologies. This section provides a focused exploration of crucial components, spotlighting their individual implementations and considerations within AMC and JMS.

Table 3-1 Comparative Analysis of AMC and JMS

Components AMC JMS

Components	AMC	JMS
Licensing	AMC is available as part of Java SE Subscription and Java SE Advanced, and requires a commercial license for use in production.	Basic JMS features, which includes the Java discovery and usage tracking capabilities available through Java Usage Tracker and file scanning are available for all Java users. Advanced features are to be enabled only on desktops, servers, or cloud deployments covered by an Oracle Java SE Universal Subscription, a legacy Oracle Java SE Subscription, a legacy Java SE Desktop Subscription, or when running on an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure service that permits access to the underlying operating system.
Prerequisites	AMC is a Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) application, packaged as an Enterprise Archive (EAR) file. To use AMC, the user must maintain WebLogic server and OracleDB or a MySQL database. AMC is deployed in an on-premise environment and requires a WebLogic Domain configured with an Admin Server and Managed Servers or Cluster. See Software Prerequisites and System Requirements for more details.	JMS is a native Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) service that monitors Java deployments on OCI instances and instances running in customer data centers. Hence, you need to setup OCI to start using JMS. See: Setting Up Oracle Cloud Infrastructure for Java Management Service
Distributing and Installing agents	Download platform specific Agent Binaries Installer Configuration: - Extract the binary, update the user details optionally in `AMCUser.properties` file Distribution of Agent Binaries to Agent instances: - Rely on a common mount point, ftp location, and third party operation automation tools like `ansible` for agent installation in every desktop machine Installation: - Native executable is available in `AMCAgent/bin/` location - The `AMCAgent` is registered as native OS Service	OCI workloads: Agent comes pre-installed and users have to enable JMS plug-in. Other workloads: Follow these steps: Download management agent software Distribution of Agent Binaries to Agent instances: - Rely on a common mount point, ftp location, and third party operation automation tools like `ansible` for agent installation in every machine Installing management agent and Deploying JMS plug-ins : Using Installation Script Manual Installation - Native executable is available; however the installation is dependent on JDK 8 - The `mgmt_service` is registered as native OS Service
Configuring agents	Using AMC web user interface, you can configure the agent properties. You can set the agent intervals and the frequency at which agent updates are initiated or retried. This frequency can affect the load on servers and the network. See Agent Settings.	In JMS, you can modify the agent settings for a fleet. Management agents scan their host to determine Java runtime installations and report usage. See Modify Agent Settings.
Grouping instances	AMC enables enterprise administrators to define desktop groups and associate desktops with one or more groups based on desktop properties. Existing desktop groups are available as filters in the Desktops tab. See Desktop Groups.	Java Management Service (JMS) provides you with multiple views of your Java deployments. You can group these deployments into fleets managed by JMS. See Fleet Management.
Viewing reports	Desktops Reports: Generating Reports for Desktops Views for Desktops Filter Criteria for Desktops Export Data Desktop Properties Views for Desktop Groups Java Usage Reports: Generating Reports for Java Usage Views for Java Usage Filter Criteria for Java Usage Information	JMS provides the data in various views, such as Metrics and in Tabular form. Reports are available for all the resources: Fleet Metrics Managed Instance Details Java Runtime Details Application Details Java Server Details Java Library Details Work Request Details Crypto Analysis Reports Migration Analysis Reports Performance Analysis Reports
Exporting reports	Exporting Java Usage Reports You can export the data from the Java usage reports that are generated by AMC to an external file.	Configure Data Export Settings You can export JMS fleet data to a CSV file, which will be uploaded to an object storage location of your choice. This feature facilitates analysis and collaboration with administrators who might not have direct access to OCI or JMS.
Advanced operations	Java Usage Using Java Usage Tracker, AMC provides complete information about the Java applications that are run in their enterprise, the JRE versions that are used to run them, and how many browser-based applets are in use within the enterprise.	Java Usage Using Java Usage Tracker, JMS provides complete information about Java usage in the selected fleet, including Metrics, Installation, and details on the Applications and Managed instances that are running on the Java runtime.
Java Runtime Environment Management You can install, uninstall, and manage Java Runtime from managed desktops.	Java Runtime Lifecycle Management You can perform Lifecycle Management operations such as Install a Java Runtime and Remove a Java Runtime.
Desktop Management AMC provides complete information on Java technology, computers running outdated Java versions, Java runtime versions, and deployment rule sets active in the enterprise. AMC also enables administrators to push deployment rule sets to managed computers.	Fleet Management JMS provides complete information on Java runtimes, applications, managed instances, and Java servers running in a particular fleet.
Java Runtime Scanning Java runtime scanning is used to detect Java runtimes on managed computers. You can include or exclude specific folders from Java runtime scanning and tracking.	File Scanning File scanning is used to detect Java runtimes that aren't captured by Java usage tracker or Attach API. OpenJDK binaries will be detected by JMS through file scanning. You can include or exclude specific file system paths from scanning.
Creation of Deployment Rule Sets AMC enables administrators to create and edit deployment rule sets (DRS).	Creation of Deployment Rule Sets JMS doesn't provide the capability of creating deployment rule sets. These rule sets are XML files contained in a signed JAR file, and they can be created without the need for a specialized tool.
Distribution of Deployment Rule Sets AMC enables administrators to distribute deployment rule sets, which provide control over the browser-based Java applications running on their desktops.	Distribution of Deployment Rule Sets JMS enables administrators to upload DRS file to a fleet. The file is validated before it is uploaded. Once uploaded, it can be distributed to the Managed Instances part of the fleet.

Licensing

AMC is available as part of Java SE Subscription and Java SE Advanced, and requires a commercial license for use in production.

Basic JMS features, which includes the Java discovery and usage tracking capabilities available through Java Usage Tracker and file scanning are available for all Java users.

Advanced features are to be enabled only on desktops, servers, or cloud deployments covered by an Oracle Java SE Universal Subscription, a legacy Oracle Java SE Subscription, a legacy Java SE Desktop Subscription, or when running on an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure service that permits access to the underlying operating system.

Prerequisites

AMC is a Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) application, packaged as an Enterprise Archive (EAR) file. To use AMC, the user must maintain WebLogic server and OracleDB or a MySQL database.

AMC is deployed in an on-premise environment and requires a WebLogic Domain configured with an Admin Server and Managed Servers or Cluster.

See Software Prerequisites and System Requirements for more details.

JMS is a native Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) service that monitors Java deployments on OCI instances and instances running in customer data centers.

Hence, you need to setup OCI to start using JMS. See: Setting Up Oracle Cloud Infrastructure for Java Management Service

Distributing and Installing agents

Download platform specific Agent Binaries
Installer Configuration:
- Extract the binary, update the user details optionally in AMCUser.properties file
Distribution of Agent Binaries to Agent instances:
- Rely on a common mount point, ftp location, and third party operation automation tools like ansible for agent installation in every desktop machine
Installation:
- Native executable is available in AMCAgent/bin/ location

- The AMCAgent is registered as native OS Service

OCI workloads: Agent comes pre-installed and users have to enable JMS plug-in.

Other workloads: Follow these steps:

Download management agent software
Distribution of Agent Binaries to Agent instances:
- Rely on a common mount point, ftp location, and third party operation automation tools like ansible for agent installation in every machine
Installing management agent and Deploying JMS plug-ins :
- Using Installation Script
- Manual Installation
- Native executable is available; however the installation is dependent on JDK 8

- The mgmt_service is registered as native OS Service

Configuring agents

Using AMC web user interface, you can configure the agent properties. You can set the agent intervals and the frequency at which agent updates are initiated or retried. This frequency can affect the load on servers and the network.

See Agent Settings.

In JMS, you can modify the agent settings for a fleet. Management agents scan their host to determine Java runtime installations and report usage.

See Modify Agent Settings.

Grouping instances

AMC enables enterprise administrators to define desktop groups and associate desktops with one or more groups based on desktop properties. Existing desktop groups are available as filters in the Desktops tab.

See Desktop Groups.

Java Management Service (JMS) provides you with multiple views of your Java deployments. You can group these deployments into fleets managed by JMS.

See Fleet Management.

Viewing reports

Desktops Reports:

Java Usage Reports:

JMS provides the data in various views, such as Metrics and in Tabular form. Reports are available for all the resources:

Exporting reports

Exporting Java Usage Reports

You can export the data from the Java usage reports that are generated by AMC to an external file.

Configure Data Export Settings

You can export JMS fleet data to a CSV file, which will be uploaded to an object storage location of your choice. This feature facilitates analysis and collaboration with administrators who might not have direct access to OCI or JMS.

Advanced operations

Java Usage

Using Java Usage Tracker, AMC provides complete information about the Java applications that are run in their enterprise, the JRE versions that are used to run them, and how many browser-based applets are in use within the enterprise.

Java Usage

Using Java Usage Tracker, JMS provides complete information about Java usage in the selected fleet, including Metrics, Installation, and details on the Applications and Managed instances that are running on the Java runtime.

Java Runtime Environment Management

You can install, uninstall, and manage Java Runtime from managed desktops.

Java Runtime Lifecycle Management

You can perform Lifecycle Management operations such as Install a Java Runtime and Remove a Java Runtime.

Desktop Management

AMC provides complete information on Java technology, computers running outdated Java versions, Java runtime versions, and deployment rule sets active in the enterprise. AMC also enables administrators to push deployment rule sets to managed computers.

Fleet Management

JMS provides complete information on Java runtimes, applications, managed instances, and Java servers running in a particular fleet.

Java Runtime Scanning

Java runtime scanning is used to detect Java runtimes on managed computers. You can include or exclude specific folders from Java runtime scanning and tracking.

File Scanning

File scanning is used to detect Java runtimes that aren't captured by Java usage tracker or Attach API. OpenJDK binaries will be detected by JMS through file scanning.

You can include or exclude specific file system paths from scanning.

Creation of Deployment Rule Sets

AMC enables administrators to create and edit deployment rule sets (DRS).

Creation of Deployment Rule Sets

JMS doesn't provide the capability of creating deployment rule sets. These rule sets are XML files contained in a signed JAR file, and they can be created without the need for a specialized tool.

Distribution of Deployment Rule Sets

AMC enables administrators to distribute deployment rule sets, which provide control over the browser-based Java applications running on their desktops.

Distribution of Deployment Rule Sets

JMS enables administrators to upload DRS file to a fleet. The file is validated before it is uploaded. Once uploaded, it can be distributed to the Managed Instances part of the fleet.

In addition, JMS provides advanced features that help you to gain additional insights into Java workloads in the enterprise. See Additional Features in JMS.