RamaKrishna Manchana, 2018, 6:2 International Journal of Science,

ISSN (Online): 2348-4098 Engineering and Technology

ISSN (Print): 2395-4752
An Open Access Journal

Java Dump Analysis: Techniques and Best Practices

RamaKrishna Manchana
Senior Technology Architect Bangalore, KA, India

Abstract- This paper explores the methods, tools, and best practices involved in Java Virtual Machine (JVM) dump

analysis, specifically focusing on thread, heap, and core dumps. The goal is to provide a comprehensive

understanding of how these dumps can be utilized to diagnose performance issues, memory leaks, and application
failures in Java applications.

Keywords- JVM, Core Dump, Thread Dump, Heap Dump, Java, Memory Analysis, Performance Tuning

I. INTRODUCTION  Present real-world case studies to illustrate the

practical application of dump analysis in solving
critical performance issues.
Java applications are the backbone of numerous
enterprise systems, powering everything from web
servers to large-scale distributed applications. II. LITERATURE REVIEW
However, these systems often face performance
challenges, unexpected crashes, and resource The practice of Java dump analysis, encompassing
management issues that can disrupt operations. thread, heap, and core dumps, is a critical technique
Diagnosing the root causes of such problems can for diagnosing performance issues, memory leaks,
and application failures in Java applications. The
be complex, particularly when dealing with intricate
multi-threaded environments or high-memory literature surrounding JVM dump analysis
usage scenarios. highlights its evolution, key methodologies, tools,
and best practices, emphasizing its role in
JVM dumps—core, thread, and heap—offer critical enhancing the reliability and performance of Java-
insights into the state of a Java application at a based systems.
specific moment, allowing developers to
troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve issues 1. Overview of JVM Dumps
effectively. These dumps capture snapshots of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) dumps—specifically
JVM's internal state, including memory content, core, thread, and heap dumps—serve as essential
thread execution details, and object allocations, diagnostic tools that provide a snapshot of an
providing a wealth of data that can be used to application’s state at a specific moment in time.
pinpoint performance bottlenecks, memory leaks, These dumps capture critical information such as
and other anomalies. memory contents, thread execution details, and
object allocations, which are invaluable for post-
The goals of this paper are to: mortem analysis of performance issues and
 Provide a comprehensive understanding of JVM application crashes.
dumps and their role in application diagnostics.
 Detail the collection procedures, tools, and Core Dumps
analysis techniques for core, thread, and heap Core dumps are low-level memory snapshots
dumps. generated when an application crashes due to
 Explore best practices, common challenges, and severe errors such as segmentation faults or illegal
mitigation strategies in dump analysis. instructions. They capture the entire state of the

© 2018 RamaKrishna Manchana. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly credited.
RamaKrishna Manchana. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology,
2018, 6:2

JVM, including memory, register values, process and object retention. These tools have made it
context, and loaded libraries, offering a detailed easier to identify problematic areas, such as large
view of the application's execution environment at retained heaps, memory leaks, and deadlocked
the time of failure. threads, without requiring extensive manual
intervention.
Thread Dumps
Thread dumps capture the execution state of all 3. Comparative Studies of Dump Types and
threads within the JVM, including stack traces, Analysis Techniques
method calls, and synchronization status. They are Comparative studies in the field have explored the
particularly useful for identifying performance effectiveness of different dump types and analysis
bottlenecks, deadlocks, and issues related to thread techniques, focusing on their applicability in various
management in multi-threaded applications. diagnostic scenarios.

Heap Dumps Core vs. Heap vs. Thread Dumps

Heap dumps provide a comprehensive view of the Each type of dump offers unique insights into the
JVM’s heap memory, detailing the objects JVM’s state, and their use often depends on the
occupying memory, their references, andnature of the issue being diagnosed. Core dumps
interactions. These dumps are critical for are essential for diagnosing application crashes and
diagnosing memory leaks, high memory low-level failures, while heap dumps are invaluable
consumption, and garbage collection inefficiencies.for resolving memory-related issues. Thread dumps,
on the other hand, are the go-to tool for
2. Historical Development and Key addressing performance bottlenecks related to
Advancements thread management.
The use of JVM dumps for diagnostics has evolved
significantly over the years, with advancements in Case Studies in Dump Analysis
both the tools used for dump collection and the Numerous case studies have demonstrated the
analysis techniques employed. Early dump analysis practical application of dump analysis in resolving
relied heavily on manual inspection of raw data, complex performance and stability issues. For
which was both time-consuming and error-prone. example, one study highlighted how heap dump
The introduction of sophisticated tools and analysis using Eclipse MAT helped diagnose a
automated analysis methods has greatly enhanced severe memory leak in a high- transaction financial
the efficiency and accuracy of JVM dump analysis. application, leading to a 40% reduction in memory
consumption through optimized caching strategies.
Early Dump Analysis
In the initial phases of Java development, dump 4. Tools and Utilities for JVM Dump Analysis
analysis was often performed manually using basic Modern dump analysis heavily relies on a range of
tools like jstack for thread dumps and jmap for tools designed to collect, analyze, and interpret
heap dumps. Analysts had to interpret raw stack JVM dumps efficiently. These tools vary in
traces and memory dumps, which required deep functionality, from basic command-line utilities to
expertise in JVM internals and significant time advanced graphical profilers.
investment.
JVisualVM and Java Mission Control (JMC)
Automated Analysis Tools Both tools offer comprehensive monitoring and
The development of tools such as Eclipse Memory diagnostic capabilities, including real-time thread
Analyzer (MAT), JVisualVM, and Java Mission and heap dump analysis. JMC, in particular,
Control (JMC) revolutionized dump analysis by provides low-overhead monitoring and detailed
providing user-friendly interfaces, automated heap event data, making it a preferred choice for in-
analysis, and detailed reports on memory usage depth JVM performance tuning.

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Eclipse Memory Analyzer (MAT) 6. Best Practices and Future Trends

MAT is specifically designed for heap dump Best practices in JVM dump analysis focus on
analysis, excelling in identifying memory leaks, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of data
analyzing object retention, and optimizing memory collection and interpretation, while emerging trends
usage. Its powerful query language and automated point towards the integration of automated analysis
reports provide valuable insights into JVM memory and cloud-native adaptations.
behavior.
Automated Dump Triggers
Third-Party Profilers Configuring JVM flags to automatically capture
Tools like YourKit Profiler, AppDynamics, and New dumps during critical events, such as out- of-
Relic offer advanced JVM monitoring and profiling memory errors or deadlocks, ensures that valuable
features that go beyond the capabilities of standard diagnostic information is captured without
JDK tools, providing integration with broader requiring manual intervention.
system observability and application performance
monitoring frameworks. Enhancing Dump Readability
Collecting dumps in formats compatible with
5. Challenges in JVM Dump Analysis advanced analysis tools, filtering non-critical
Despite the availability of advanced tools, JVM threads, and documenting findings systematically
dump analysis presents several challenges, are key practices that improve the overall
including large data volumes, performance diagnostic process.
overhead, and the complexity of accurately
interpreting dump data. Future Trends
The future of JVM dump analysis is likely to see
Large Data Volumes increased automation, with AI-driven insights and
Heap dumps, in particular, can be extremely large, predictive analytics playing a larger role in
consuming significant disk space and requiring identifying performance issues before they impact
substantial processing power to analyze. Mitigation application stability. Additionally, the adaptation of
strategies include using sampling techniques, dump analysis techniques to cloud-native and
optimizing collection settings, and focusing analysis containerized environments will continue to evolve,
on the most critical data. providing new opportunities for integrating JVM
diagnostics into modern DevOps workflows.
Performance Overhead
The act of collecting dumps, especially heap dumps, III. TYPES OF DUMPS
can introduce performance overhead, slowing down
the application during data capture. To minimize JVM dumps serve as essential diagnostic tools for
this impact, best practices involve scheduling dump investigating the internal state of a Java application.
collection during low-traffic periods or using Each type of dump—core, thread, and heap—
remote agents to offload collection tasks. provides unique insights that help in diagnosing
specific types of issues. Below, we delve into the
Accurate Interpretation of Data concepts, purposes, and applications of these
Misinterpreting dump data can lead to incorrect dumps in greater detail.
conclusions and ineffective troubleshooting. Cross-
referencing dump analysis results with other 1. Core Dump
performance logs, engaging experienced A core dump, also known as a crash dump, is a
developers, and utilizing collaborative tools for memory snapshot of a running process
sharing insights are critical strategies for automatically created by the operating system
overcoming these challenges. when a fatal error or unhandled exception occurs.
Core dumps capture the state of the JVM, including

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its memory, register values, process context, and stack trace, method calls, and synchronization
loaded libraries, making them invaluable for post- status. Thread dumps are particularly useful for
mortem analysis of application crashes. diagnosing performance bottlenecks, deadlocks,
and issues related to thread management.
Key Concepts and Components
 Memory Snapshot: Captures the entire
memory state of the JVM, including stack, heap,
and program counter values at the time of the
crash.
 Crash Diagnostics: Used to diagnose severe
issues such as segmentation faults, illegal
instructions, and other low-level failures.
 Operating System Level: Core dumps are
generated by the OS and may require
conversion to be usable by Java diagnostic
tools.
 When/Why to Use Core Dump Analysis:
 Application Crashes: Core dumps are critical
for understanding why an application crashed,
Key Concepts and Components
especially when it involves low-level system
 Stack Trace: Displays the sequence of method
errors.
calls that are currently being executed by each
 Hung Processes: Useful for diagnosing
thread.
processes that appear to be hung or
 Thread States: Threads can be in various
unresponsive, revealing the underlying cause of
states, such as RUNNABLE, BLOCKED, WAITING,
the hang.
and TIMED_WAITING, each indicating different
 Multi-Threaded Issues: Provides visibility into
performance scenarios.
thread states and memory at the time of the
 Synchronization and Contention: Thread
crash, helping to identify deadlocks or race
dumps show which threads are waiting for
conditions.
locks, highlighting potential contention points
and deadlocks.
Collection Procedures
 When/Why to Use Thread Dump Analysis:
 Linux/Solaris: Use coreadm to manage core
 Performance Issues: Analyze thread dumps
dump settings and manually trigger dumps
when an application runs slower than expected
with commands like .dump /f crash.dmp.
to identify threads consuming excessive CPU or
 Windows: The Dr. Watson utility automatically
waiting for resources.
generates core dumps upon crashes, and
 Deadlock Detection: Detect deadlocks where
manual generation can be done using the
two or more threads are stuck waiting on each
.dump command.
other, preventing any progress.
 Conversion for Analysis: Core dumps must be
 Unresponsive Applications: Troubleshoot
converted to HPROF format using tools like
unresponsive or hanging applications by
jmap (jmap - dump:format=b,file=dump.hprof)
examining what threads are doing and
to be compatible with Java-based analysis
identifying blocking threads.
tools.

Collection Procedures
2. Thread Dump
 Manual Collection: Use jstack to manually
A thread dump is a snapshot of all threads running
collect thread dumps, which can also be done
within the JVM at a given point in time. It provides
using graphical tools like JVisualVM and JMC.
a detailed view of each thread’s state, including its

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 Automated Collection: Configure JVM flags to  Automatic Collection: Configure JVM to

automatically trigger thread dumps when automatically capture heap dumps upon
specific conditions are met, such as high CPU encountering memory-related exceptions.
usage or unhandled exceptions.
 Remote Collection: Utilize service agents like IV. CORE DUMP ANALYSIS
jsadebugd to collect thread dumps from
remote JVM instances. Core dumps are often generated automatically by
the operating system when a fatal error occurs, but
3. Heap Dump they can also be triggered manually. Proper
A heap dump is a snapshot of the JVM’s heap configuration and understanding of the
memory, providing a detailed view of the objects environment are essential to ensure core dumps are
that occupy memory, their references, and their collected when needed.
interactions. Heap dumps are essential for
diagnosing memory-related issues such as leaks, Key Tools and Methods
high memory consumption, and garbage collection  Linux/Solaris: Use the coreadm command to
inefficiencies. configure core dump settings. Core dumps can
be generated manually using commands such
Key Concepts and Components as .dump /f crash.dmp.
 Objects and References: Includes all objects in  Windows: The Dr. Watson utility on older
the heap, their fields, values, and references to Windows versions can automatically generate
other objects. core dumps upon application crashes. Manual
 Garbage Collection Roots: Identifies objects core dumps can be triggered using debugging
that are reachable by the JVM and are tools with the .dump command.
preventing other objects from being garbage  Permissions and Environment Settings:
collected. Ensure that the JVM and operating system have
 Dominator Trees: Show the largest objects in appropriate permissions to write core dumps,
the heap and their relationships, helping to and sufficient disk space is allocated to store
pinpoint memory hogs. them.
 When/Why to Use Heap Dump Analysis:
 Memory Leaks: Diagnose memory leaks by Conversion for Java Analysis
identifying objects that are not being released,  Core dumps must be converted to a format
even when they are no longer needed. that can be analyzed with Java tools. The jmap
 Out-of-Memory Errors: Analyze heap dumps utility is commonly used for this conversion
when out-of- memory errors occur to (jmap - dump:format=b,file=dump.hprof),
understand which objects are consuming the producing a heap dump file that can be further
most memory. analyzed using Java-specific tools.
 Performance Tuning: Monitor and optimize
garbage collection performance and identify V. FATAL ERROR LOGS AND THEIR
memory usage patterns.
ANALYSIS
Collection Procedures
Fatal error logs are automatically generated by the
 Manual Collection: Use jmap with the -dump
JVM when a fatal error, such as a crash or severe
flag to collect heap dumps from running JVM
exception, occurs.
processes.
 Graphical Tools: JVisualVM and Eclipse
These logs contain crucial information that helps in
Memory Analyzer (MAT) offer user-friendly
diagnosing the cause of the error and
interfaces for collecting and analyzing heap
understanding the state of the JVM at the time of
dumps.
the incident.

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1. What are Fatal Error Logs? identifying problematic code paths or resource
A fatal error log is created when a fatal error occurs contentions.
in the JVM, capturing the state of the JVM at the  System and Configuration Insights: Use
exact moment of failure. By default, these logs are system details to check for misconfigurations,
generated in the current working directory, but outdated libraries, or incompatible JVM settings
they can also be directed to other locations using that could have contributed to the crash.
the JVM parameter -
XX:ErrorFile=./hs_err_pid<pid>.log. VI. THREAD DUMP ANALYSIS

Key Components of Fatal Error Logs Thread dumps provide a detailed view of what each
 Header Section: Provides details about the thread in the JVM is doing at a given moment,
error type, such as the signal or exception that making them vital for diagnosing issues related to
triggered the fatal error. thread management, performance bottlenecks, and
 Thread Information Section: Contains application responsiveness.
information about the thread that caused the
error, including the thread’s stack trace. 1. Collection Procedure
 Process Information Section: Includes JVM Thread dumps capture the execution state of all
version, configuration details, command-line JVM threads at a specific moment, providing
arguments, and environment variables. insights into thread behavior and resource usage.
 System Information Section: Describes the They can be collected both manually and
operating system, CPU details, and native automatically, depending on the diagnostic needs.
libraries loaded at the time of the crash.
Key Tools and Methods
2. When/Why to Use Fatal Error Logs?  jstack: A command-line utility included with
Fatal error logs are crucial for diagnosing severe the JDK that captures thread dumps of a
application crashes and unhandled exceptions that running Java process. It is simple to use and
disrupt normal operations. These logs provide provides detailed stack traces for each thread.
insights that are not available through standard  JVisualVM: A graphical monitoring tool that
application logs, making them indispensable for: comes with the JDK, offering real-time thread
 Understanding Low-Level Failures: Analyzing monitoring and the ability to capture thread
the exact conditions that led to JVM dumps with a single click.
termination.  Java Mission Control (JMC): Provides
 Post-Mortem Analysis: Reconstructing the advanced monitoring and diagnostic
sequence of events leading up to the crash to capabilities, allowing the capture of thread
identify the root cause. dumps alongside other JVM metrics for a
 Improving JVM Stability: Using log data to comprehensive view of application
make informed decisions on JVM tuning, error performance.
handling, and crash prevention strategies.
Automated Collection
3. Analysis Techniques for Fatal Error Logs  Thread dumps can be automatically triggered
To analyze fatal error logs effectively, it’s essential using JVM flags such as -
to focus on specific sections that provide the most XX:+PrintConcurrentLocks and -
valuable information: XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError. These
 Error Identification: Start by examining the settings help capture thread dumps when
error code, operating system signal, or specific conditions, like high CPU usage or
exception type mentioned in the header. deadlocks, are detected.
 Thread and Stack Analysis: Review the stack
trace of the thread that caused the error,

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2. Thread States and Their Implications VII. HEAP DUMP ANALYSIS

Understanding thread states is crucial for
interpreting thread dumps and identifying Heap dumps are critical for understanding memory
problematic threads that could be impacting allocation within the JVM and identifying objects
performance. The primary thread states include: that are consuming excessive resources.
 New: The thread is created but has not yet
started execution. Analyzing heap dumps allows developers to detect
 Runnable: The thread is actively executing in memory leaks, optimize garbage collection
the JVM and utilizing CPU resources. However, performance, and fine-tune JVM memory
it may also appear as RUNNABLE if it is waiting management settings.
for system resources like I/O.
 Blocked: The thread is waiting for a monitor 1. Heap Dump Components
lock to enter a synchronized block or method. Heap dumps contain detailed information about
High numbers of blocked threads indicate the memory state of a Java application, including:
contention issues that need addressing.  All Objects: Shows every object in the heap at
 Waiting: The thread is waiting indefinitely for the time of the dump, including class fields,
another thread to perform a particular action, primitive values, and references to other
such as releasing a lock. objects.
 Timed_Waiting: Similar to WAITING, but with a  Garbage Collection Roots: Objects that are
maximum wait time defined by parameters like kept alive by the JVM, such as active threads,
sleep, wait, or join methods. static variables, and objects in use by native
code.
3. Key Concepts in Thread Dump Analysis  Thread Stacks and Local Variables: Includes
 Stack Trace: Each thread’s stack trace shows the call stacks of threads at the moment of the
the method calls in progress and their dump and information about local objects
sequence, providing insights into what the referenced within those stacks.
thread is doing at the time of the dump.
 Thread Contention: Occurs when multiple 2. Key Concepts in Heap Dump Analysis
threads compete for the same resource, leading Shallow vs. Retained Heap
to performance degradation. Analyzing stack  Shallow Heap: The amount of memory
traces helps pinpoint which threads are causing consumed by a single object.
contention and why.  Retained Heap: The total amount of memory
 Deadlocks: A special form of thread contention that would be freed if the object were garbage
where two or more threads are waiting on each collected, including all objects directly or
other to release resources, causing the indirectly referenced by it.
application to hang. Identifying deadlocks  Dominator Trees: A representation of the
involves analyzing circular waits between largest objects in the heap and their reference
threads. chains, helping to pinpoint major memory
consumers.
 Leak Suspects: Identified objects or sets of
objects that are unusually large and may
indicate a memory leak.
 Object Query Language (OQL): A query
language similar to SQL, used to query heap
dumps to find specific objects or memory
patterns.

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4. Common Heap Dump Analysis Techniques

 Identifying Memory Leaks: Focus on objects
with large retained heaps and paths to GC
roots that prevent garbage collection.
 Analyzing Garbage Collection Performance:
Review the distribution of objects across
different generations and assess whether
garbage collection is effectively cleaning up
unused objects.
 Comparing Heap Dumps: By comparing
multiple heap dumps over time, you can track
memory growth patterns and identify objects
that consistently increase in number.

VIII. BEST PRACTICES

To maximize the effectiveness of JVM dump

analysis, it's important to follow best practices in
3. Tools for Heap Dump Analysis both the collection and interpretation of dumps.
Heap dumps are critical for diagnosing memory- These best practices ensure that dumps are
related issues, capturing a complete snapshot of collected efficiently and analyzed accurately,
the heap memory at a particular moment. Heap leading to quicker and more precise diagnostics.
dumps can be collected manually or configured to
trigger automatically under specific conditions. 1. Automated Dump Triggers
Automating the collection of dumps during critical
Key Tools and Methods conditions helps capture the state of the JVM when
 jmap: The jmap command is used to generate issues occur without requiring manual intervention.
heap dumps from running Java processes. It  Configure JVM Flags: Use flags like -
provides options to format the dump for XX:+PrintGCDetails, -
analysis and is the most commonly used tool XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError, and -
for manual heap dump collection. XX:+PrintConcurrentLocks to automatically
 JVisualVM: Offers a graphical interface for capture dumps during garbage collection
heap dump collection and basic analysis, events, memory errors, or thread contentions.
allowing users to capture and review memory  Set Alerts: Integrate monitoring tools like
snapshots directly. Prometheus or Datadog to set alerts that
 Eclipse Memory Analyzer (MAT): A more trigger dump collection when performance
advanced tool specifically designed for heap metrics exceed predefined thresholds.
dump analysis, providing features like leak
suspect reports and memory usage graphs. 2. Enhancing Dump Readability
Proper configuration and collection techniques can
Automatic Collection enhance the readability and interpretability of
 Heap dumps can be automatically generated dumps, making analysis easier and more effective.
when the JVM encounters an out-of-memory  Use Readable Formats: Ensure dumps are
error using the - collected in formats that can be easily
XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError flag. interpreted by analysis tools. For heap dumps,
This setting ensures that valuable diagnostic use HPROF format, which is compatible with
information is captured when memory issues tools like Eclipse MAT.
occur.

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 Filter Non-Critical Threads: Focus on slowing down the application, especially in

application threads rather than internal JVM production environments. Mitigation:
threads during thread dump analysis. This  Schedule Collection during Low-Traffic
reduces noise and highlights the most relevant Periods: If possible, schedule dump collection
data. during maintenance windows or low- traffic
times to reduce the impact on users.
3. Documentation and Knowledge Sharing  Use Remote Agents: Employ remote service
Recording analysis outcomes and sharing insights agents like jstatd to offload some of the
with the team helps build a knowledge base for collection work, minimizing direct impact on
future diagnostics. the JVM.
 Document Findings: Maintain detailed records
of the findings from each dump analysis, 3. Accurate Interpretation of Data
including identified issues and the actions Challenge: Misinterpreting dump data can lead to
taken to resolve them. incorrect conclusions, resulting in ineffective
 Collaborative Tools: Use collaborative tools troubleshooting efforts. Mitigation:
like Confluence or GitHub to share analysis  Cross-Reference Findings: Always cross-check
results, best practices, and diagnostic tips with dump analysis results with other performance
the development and operations teams. logs, monitoring data, and historical trends to
validate insights.
IX. COMMON CHALLENGES AND  Engage Expertise: When dealing with complex
MITIGATION STRATEGIES issues, engage experienced developers or JVM
specialists who can provide deeper insights and
help avoid common pitfalls in interpretation.
While JVM dump analysis is invaluable, it comes
with several challenges that can complicate the
diagnostic process. X. CASE STUDIES

Understanding these challenges and implementing Real-world case studies highlight the effectiveness
mitigation strategies can improve the efficiency and of JVM dump analysis in solving critical
accuracy of dump analysis. performance and stability issues.
These examples provide practical insights into how
1. Large Data Volumes dump analysis can be applied to diagnose and
Challenge: Dumps, especially heap dumps, can be resolve complex problems.
very large, consuming significant disk space and
1. Case Study 1: Resolving a Memory Leak in a
requiring substantial processing power to analyze.
Mitigation: High- Transaction Application
 Use Sampling Techniques: Scenario:
Analyze A financial services application
experienced intermittent out-of-memory errors
representative samples of data rather than the
entire dump, focusing on the most critical during peak transaction periods. Initial monitoring
areas. showed abnormal heap growth but did not reveal
 Optimize Collection Settings: Configure the the specific cause. Solution: A heap dump was
JVM to collect dumps selectively, targetingcollected during peak usage and analyzed using
specific threads, objects, or conditions toEclipse MAT. The analysis identified a caching
minimize the amount of data captured. mechanism that was retaining objects longer than
necessary, leading to excessive memory
2. Performance Overhead consumption. Outcome: Modifications to the
Challenge: Collecting dumps, particularly heap caching algorithm introduced time-based eviction
dumps, can introduce performance overhead, policies, which reduced the retained heap size by
40% and eliminated the out- of-memory errors.

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2. Case Study 2: Addressing Performance  JVisualVM: A powerful monitoring,

Bottlenecks in a Web Application troubleshooting, and profiling tool that comes
Scenario: An e-commerce platform faced with the JDK. JVisualVM provides a graphical
significant performance degradation during flash interface for viewing JVM metrics, collecting
sales, with response times slowing dramatically. heap and thread dumps, and performing
Thread dumps were collected during these events lightweight profiling of Java applications. It is
to investigate the issue. Solution: Analysis of the ideal for real-time monitoring and basic
thread dumps revealed multiple threads in analysis.
BLOCKED state, waiting for database connections  Java Mission Control (JMC): JMC is an
due to high contention. Optimizing database advanced tool that provides detailed insights
connection pooling and adjusting synchronization into JVM performance through low- overhead
in the application code reduced contention points. monitoring and diagnostic features. It captures
Outcome: Post-optimization, response times detailed event data, including thread activity,
improved by 30%, and the application was able to garbage collection behavior, and application
handle peak loads more efficiently without performance metrics, making it invaluable for
significant performance drops. in-depth performance tuning.
 JConsole: A basic monitoring tool included
3. Case Study 3: Diagnosing Crash Issues in a with the JDK, JConsole provides a simple way to
Distributed Microservices Architecture connect to running Java applications, view
Scenario: A distributed system comprising multiple performance metrics, and perform rudimentary
microservices frequently encountered random diagnostics. It’s useful for quick checks and
crashes, disrupting overall service availability. Core basic troubleshooting but lacks the advanced
dumps were collected at the time of each crash for features of JVisualVM and JMC.
in-depth analysis. Solution: Core dump analysis  JStack, JMap, and JCmd: Command-line
revealed that certain microservices were accessing utilities (jstack for thread dumps, jmap for heap
released resources, leading to segmentation faults. dumps, and jcmd for a variety of diagnostics)
A thorough code review identified incorrect are indispensable for quick, on-demand dump
reference handling, which was corrected to collection and JVM state inspection. These tools
implement more stringent resource management are particularly useful for remote diagnostics
policies. Outcome: The changes improved system and scripting automated monitoring tasks.
stability, with no further crashes observed in
subsequent testing and production environments. 2. Third-Party Tools
Third-party monitoring and profiling tools often
XI. TOOLS AND UTILITIES FOR JVM provide enhanced capabilities and integration
MONITORING features that go beyond what is available in the
JDK.
 YourKit Profiler: YourKit is a powerful profiler
Effective JVM dump analysis is complemented by
for Java applications that offers detailed
using robust monitoring and profiling tools that
analysis of CPU and memory usage, thread
provide real-time insights into application
behavior, and garbage collection performance.
performance, resource usage, and system health.
It provides sophisticated visualization tools to
These tools are essential for proactively detecting
help developers identify performance
issues, collecting diagnostic data, and performing
bottlenecks and optimize application
in-depth analysis.
performance.
 AppDynamics: A comprehensive application
1. Built-in Tools
performance monitoring (APM) solution that
Several built-in tools come with the JDK, offering
integrates JVM monitoring into broader system
various features for monitoring and diagnosing
observability. AppDynamics provides detailed
JVM performance.

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metrics on JVM performance, automatic XIII. FUTURE TRENDS

anomaly detection, and seamless integration
with other monitoring tools. As Java continues to evolve, so do the tools and
 New Relic: Another leading APM tool, New techniques used for JVM dump analysis. Emerging
Relic offers robust JVM monitoring features, trends in this field focus on enhancing diagnostics,
including heap and thread analysis, real-time integrating with cloud-native environments, and
performance dashboards, and automated automating the analysis process.
alerts. Its integration with cloud services and
DevOps pipelines makes it ideal for modern 1. Enhanced Diagnostic Tools
microservices architectures. Recent updates to diagnostic tools like JMC and
 Eclipse Memory Analyzer (MAT): Specifically JVisualVM have introduced more granular data
designed for heap dump analysis, Eclipse MAT collection, lower overhead monitoring, and
excels in identifying memory leaks, analyzing improved user interfaces, making dump analysis
object retention, and optimizing memory more accessible and effective.
usage. Its powerful query language and
automatic leak suspect reports provide valuable Event-Driven Analysis
insights into JVM memory behavior. Modern tools are moving towards event-driven
analysis, capturing more detailed events like thread
3. Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics state changes, memory allocation peaks, and GC
Remote monitoring tools allow JVMs to be pauses. This helps in pinpointing issues more
monitored and diagnosed without requiring direct precisely without requiring frequent manual dump
access to the host system, making them ideal for collection.
cloud-based and distributed environments.
 Jstatd: A remote monitoring daemon that Integrated Dashboards
allows tools like JVisualVM to connect to JVMs Tools now offer integrated dashboards that
running on different hosts, facilitating remote combine metrics, logs, and dumps, providing a
diagnostics. unified view of JVM health. This reduces the need
 Jsadebugd: A service agent for attaching to to juggle multiple tools and data sources during
remote JVMs, enabling dump collection and diagnostics.
analysis from systems without direct console
access. 2. Cloud-Native and Containerized
Environments
XII. WALL PAPER The shift towards cloud-native architectures and
containerization has introduced new challenges and
opportunities for JVM dump analysis. Traditional
dump collection methods may not work seamlessly
in containers, requiring adaptations.

Water Sourc Sidecar Patterns

Using sidecar containers to collect and analyze
es Result dumps in Kubernetes environments allows
monitoring tools to be decoupled from the main
application, improving observability and reducing
overhead.

Serverless and Microservices

Dump analysis in serverless environments is
evolving to support lightweight and distributed

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diagnostics, often requiring tailored solutions for 5. YourKit Profiler: A powerful Java profiler with
short-lived functions and highly distributed in-depth features for JVM analysis. Available at:
microservices. YourKit
6. AppDynamics Java Monitoring: A guide to
XIV. CONCLUSION integrating AppDynamics for monitoring Java
applications. Available at: AppDynamics
JVM dump analysis is a critical practice for 7. New Relic Java Agent: Best practices for
diagnosing and resolving performance, memory, monitoring JVMs using New Relic. Available at:
and stability issues in Java applications. By New Relic
leveraging the detailed data captured in core,
thread, and heap dumps, developers and system
administrators can gain invaluable insights into the
inner workings of their applications, leading to
more effective troubleshooting and optimization.
This paper has covered the essential types of JVM
dumps, their purposes, collection methods, and
detailed analysis techniques, along with best
practices and common challenges. It also
highlighted the tools available for monitoring and
profiling Java applications, demonstrating how they
can be used to enhance diagnostic capabilities.

Looking ahead, the integration of automated

analysis, cloud-native adaptations, and AI-driven
insights will continue to evolve the landscape of
JVM diagnostics, making it easier for teams to
maintain high performance and reliability in
increasingly complex Java ecosystems.

REFERENCES

1. Oracle Java Documentation: Detailed guides on

Java tools and diagnostic utilities. Available at:
Oracle Java Tools
2. Java Mission Control User Guide: An overview
of Java Mission Control features and usage for
JVM diagnostics. Available at: Java Mission
Control
3. Eclipse Memory Analyzer (MAT):
Comprehensive tool for analyzing heap dumps
and identifying memory leaks. Available at:
Eclipse MAT
4. JVisualVM Documentation: Official guide for
using JVisualVM for monitoring and
troubleshooting Java applications. Available at:
JVisualVM

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