Chapter 4. Enabling and configuring Data Grid statistics and JMX monitoring

Data Grid generates metrics that are compatible with any monitoring system.

By default, Data Grid generates gauges when you enable statistics but you can also configure it to generate histograms.

Metrics configuration

<infinispan>
  <cache-container statistics="true">
    <metrics gauges="true"
             histograms="true" />
  </cache-container>
</infinispan>

{
  "infinispan" : {
    "cache-container" : {
      "statistics" : "true",
      "metrics" : {
        "gauges" : "true",
        "histograms" : "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

infinispan:
  cacheContainer:
    statistics: "true"
    metrics:
      gauges: "true"
      histograms: "true"

Data Grid can register JMX MBeans that you can use to collect statistics and perform administrative operations. You must also enable statistics otherwise Data Grid provides 0 values for all statistic attributes in JMX MBeans.

JMX configuration

<infinispan>
  <cache-container statistics="true">
    <jmx enabled="true"
         domain="example.com"/>
  </cache-container>
</infinispan>

{
  "infinispan" : {
    "cache-container" : {
      "statistics" : "true",
      "jmx" : {
        "enabled" : "true",
        "domain" : "example.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

infinispan:
  cacheContainer:
    statistics: "true"
    jmx:
      enabled: "true"
      domain: "example.com"

<infinispan>
  <cache-container statistics="true">
    <jmx enabled="true"
         domain="example.com"
         mbean-server-lookup="com.example.MyMBeanServerLookup"/>
  </cache-container>
</infinispan>

{
  "infinispan" : {
    "cache-container" : {
      "statistics" : "true",
      "jmx" : {
        "enabled" : "true",
        "domain" : "example.com",
        "mbean-server-lookup" : "com.example.MyMBeanServerLookup"
      }
    }
  }
}

infinispan:
  cacheContainer:
    statistics: "true"
    jmx:
      enabled: "true"
      domain: "example.com"
      mbeanServerLookup: "com.example.MyMBeanServerLookup"

You can export time metrics for clustered caches that Data Grid redistributes across nodes.

A state transfer operation occurs when a clustered cache topology changes, such as a node joining or leaving a cluster. During a state transfer operation, Data Grid exports metrics from each cache, so that you can determine a cache’s status. A state transfer exposes attributes as properties, so that Data Grid can export metrics from each cache.

Data Grid generates time metrics that are compatible with the REST API and the JMX API.

Monitor the site status of your backup locations to detect interruptions in the communication between the sites. When a remote site status changes to offline, Data Grid stops replicating your data to the backup location. Your data become out of sync and you must fix the inconsistencies before bringing the clusters back online.

Monitoring cross-site events is necessary for early problem detection. Use one of the following monitoring strategies:

Monitoring cross-site replication with the REST API

Monitor the status of cross-site replication for all caches using the REST endpoint. You can implement a custom script to poll the REST endpoint or use the following example.

#!/usr/bin/python3
import time
import requests
from requests.auth import HTTPDigestAuth


class InfinispanConnection:

    def __init__(self, server: str = 'http://localhost:11222', cache_manager: str = 'default',
                 auth: tuple = ('admin', 'change_me')) -> None:
        super().__init__()
        self.__url = f'{server}/rest/v2/container/x-site/backups/'
        self.__auth = auth
        self.__headers = {
            'accept': 'application/json'
        }

    def get_sites_status(self):
        try:
            rsp = requests.get(self.__url, headers=self.__headers, auth=HTTPDigestAuth(self.__auth[0], self.__auth[1]))
            if rsp.status_code != 200:
                return None
            return rsp.json()
        except:
            return None


# Specify credentials for Data Grid user with permission to access the REST endpoint
USERNAME = 'admin'
PASSWORD = 'change_me'
# Set an interval between cross-site status checks
POLL_INTERVAL_SEC = 5
# Provide a list of servers
SERVERS = [
    InfinispanConnection('http://127.0.0.1:11222', auth=(USERNAME, PASSWORD)),
    InfinispanConnection('http://127.0.0.1:12222', auth=(USERNAME, PASSWORD))
]
#Specify the names of remote sites
REMOTE_SITES = [
    'nyc'
]
#Provide a list of caches to monitor
CACHES = [
    'work',
    'sessions'
]


def on_event(site: str, cache: str, old_status: str, new_status: str):
    # TODO implement your handling code here
    print(f'site={site} cache={cache} Status changed {old_status} -> {new_status}')


def __handle_mixed_state(state: dict, site: str, site_status: dict):
    if site not in state:
        state[site] = {c: 'online' if c in site_status['online'] else 'offline' for c in CACHES}
        return

    for cache in CACHES:
        __update_cache_state(state, site, cache, 'online' if cache in site_status['online'] else 'offline')


def __handle_online_or_offline_state(state: dict, site: str, new_status: str):
    if site not in state:
        state[site] = {c: new_status for c in CACHES}
        return

    for cache in CACHES:
        __update_cache_state(state, site, cache, new_status)


def __update_cache_state(state: dict, site: str, cache: str, new_status: str):
    old_status = state[site].get(cache)
    if old_status != new_status:
        on_event(site, cache, old_status, new_status)
        state[site][cache] = new_status


def update_state(state: dict):
    rsp = None
    for conn in SERVERS:
        rsp = conn.get_sites_status()
        if rsp:
            break
    if rsp is None:
        print('Unable to fetch site status from any server')
        return

    for site in REMOTE_SITES:
        site_status = rsp.get(site, {})
        new_status = site_status.get('status')
        if new_status == 'mixed':
            __handle_mixed_state(state, site, site_status)
        else:
            __handle_online_or_offline_state(state, site, new_status)


if __name__ == '__main__':
    _state = {}
    while True:
        update_state(_state)
        time.sleep(POLL_INTERVAL_SEC)

When a site status changes from online to offline or vice-versa, the function on_event is invoked.

If you want to use this script, you must specify the following variables:

Monitoring cross-site replication with the Prometheus metrics

Prometheus, and other monitoring systems, let you configure alerts to detect when a site status changes to offline.