JVM

The JVM source collects metrics from a Java Virtual Machine over JMX. It connects to a JMX/RMI endpoint exposed by the target JVM and gathers the standard jvm target system metrics (heap and non-heap memory, garbage collection, threads, classes, and CPU) using the OpenTelemetry JMX metrics gatherer.

Supported Telemetry Types

Platform	Metrics	Logs	Traces
Linux	✓
macOS	✓
Windows	✓

Prerequisites

The target JVM must have JMX remote enabled and be reachable from the collector host.

• Start the target JVM with the JMX remote agent enabled, for example:

  -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote
  -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.port=9999
  -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.authenticate=false
  -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl=false

  These settings are illustrative. Enable authentication and TLS in production. See the JDK Monitoring and Management Using JMX Technology guide for the full property reference.
• The configured RMI port (default 9999) must be reachable from the collector host over the network.
• The OpenTelemetry JMX metrics gatherer JAR must be present on the collector host at the path set by JMX Metrics Collection Jar Path (default /opt/opentelemetry-java-contrib-jmx-metrics.jar). The collector requires a Java runtime to execute it.

Configuration

Metrics

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
Address	String	No	localhost	IP address or hostname to scrape for JMX metrics.
Port	Integer	No	9999	Port to scrape for JMX metrics.

Advanced

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
JMX Metrics Collection Jar Path	String	No	/opt/opentelemetry-java-contrib-jmx-metrics.jar	Full path to the JMX metrics jar on the collector host.
Collection Interval	Integer	No	60	How often (seconds) to scrape for metrics.

Examples

Scrape a remote JVM over JMX

Collect JVM metrics from a Java application listening for JMX connections on app-host:9999, scraping every 30 seconds.

apiVersion: bindplane.observiq.com/v1
kind: Source
metadata:
  name: jvm
spec:
  type: jvm
  parameters:
    - name: address
      value: app-host
    - name: port
      value: 9999
    - name: collection_interval
      value: 30

Configuration Tips

• Enable JMX authentication (com.sun.management.jmxremote.authenticate=true) and TLS (com.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl=true) on the target JVM in production. The JMX gatherer JAR supports user/password and TLS connections to the endpoint.
• The default 60 second collection interval is a good baseline. Lower it only when you need finer-grained memory or GC visibility, since shorter intervals increase load on both the JVM and the collector.
• Ensure a Java runtime is installed on the collector host and the JMX gatherer JAR exists at the configured path, or no metrics will be produced.

Troubleshooting

No metrics appear

Symptoms: the source is configured but no JVM metrics arrive.

Solutions:

1. Confirm the target JVM was started with -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote and a JMX port, and that Port matches com.sun.management.jmxremote.port.
2. Verify the JMX gatherer JAR exists at JMX Metrics Collection Jar Path and that a Java runtime is installed on the collector host.

Connection refused or timeout

Symptoms: the collector logs connection errors reaching the JMX endpoint.

Solutions:

1. Confirm the Address and Port are reachable from the collector host (firewalls, RMI port binding).
2. Remote JMX can negotiate a second RMI data port. Ensure any intermediate firewall allows the negotiated port, or pin it on the JVM side.

Authentication or TLS errors

Symptoms: the connection is reached but rejected, or a TLS handshake fails.

Solutions:

1. If the JVM requires authentication or TLS, the gatherer connection must present matching credentials and trust the JVM's certificate.
2. For testing only, confirm whether the JVM was started with jmxremote.authenticate=false and jmxremote.ssl=false.

Standalone Source

apiVersion: bindplane.observiq.com/v1
kind: Source
metadata:
  name: jvm
spec:
  type: jvm
  parameters:
    - name: address
      value: localhost
    - name: port
      value: 9999
    - name: jar_path
      value: /opt/opentelemetry-java-contrib-jmx-metrics.jar
    - name: collection_interval
      value: 60

Related Resources

• JDK Monitoring and Management Using JMX Technology
• OpenTelemetry JMX Receiver