Configure JMX inputs for the Splunk Add-on for Tomcat

The Splunk Add-on for Tomcat relies on the Splunk Add-on for JMX to collect performance metrics for local or remote Tomcat servers using MBean attributes. The Splunk Add-on for Tomcat provides a jmx_templates.conf file that the Splunk Add-on for JMX can invoke.

If you do not want to collect performance metrics for the Tomcat server and only want to collect local logs or thread information for Tomcat threads, you do not need to perform this configuration. This configuration is necessary if you want to use your Tomcat data with Splunk IT Service Intelligence.

To collect MBean attributes from a Tomcat server, Java Runtime 1.7 or later must be installed on the same machine as the Splunk Add-on for Tomcat. You also need to enable JMX remote on the Tomcat server. See Tomcat documentation.

1. Install the Splunk Add-on for JMX on the Splunk Enterprise instance responsible for JMX data collection, usually a heavy forwarder. This add-on can collect JMX metrics locally or remotely.

2. Go to Splunk Web and access the configuration pages for the Splunk Add-on for JMX, either by clicking Splunk Add-on for JMX in the left nav, or going to Apps > Manage Apps, then clicking Launch app in the row for Splunk Add-on for JMX.

3. Click Add Server to add a new JMX server.

4. Enter a Name and an optional JVM Description for your Tomcat server.

5. For Connection Type, select one of the following from the dropdown menu:

Connection type	Local or remote	Special instructions
Use URL directly	The Tomcat server can be local (installed on the same server as the Splunk Add-on for JMX) or remote.	Use the hostname rather than the IP address in the URL. For example: service:jmx:rmi:///jndi/rmi://tomcat.linux.demo:8888/jmxrmi
rmi	The Tomcat server can be local (installed on the same server as the Splunk Add-on for JMX) or remote.	If you select this option, set the Stub Source to jndi. Use the hostname rather than the IP address. Example Host: tomcat.linux.demo; Example Port: 8888.
Customized script	The Tomcat server must be installed on the same server as the Splunk Add-on for JMX.	None.
Process id	The Tomcat server must be installed on the same server as the Splunk Add-on for JMX.	None
Process file	The Tomcat server must be installed on the same server as the Splunk Add-on for JMX.	None

6. Click Create.

7. Navigate to the task configurations by clicking Configurations > Tasks.

8. Click Add Task to create a new JMX task.

9. Enter a Name and optional Description for your task, then select the server that you just configured in the Servers tab.

10. On the Templates tab, select one or more of the predefined templates for Tomcat to collect the data that you want.

11. On the Settings tab, set the Source Type to tomcat:jmx.

12. Click Create to enable your JMX input.

13. Validate that data is coming in by searching for:

sourcetype=tomcat:jmx

For more information about configuring JMX inputs, refer to Configure the inputs for the Splunk Add-on for JMX in the Splunk Add-on for Java Management Extensions manual.