Setup java agent

  1. Agent is available for JDK 8 - 21.
  2. Find agent folder in SkyWalking release package
  3. Set agent.service_name in config/agent.config. Could be any String in English.
  4. Set collector.backend_service in config/agent.config. Default point to 127.0.0.1:11800, only works for local backend.
  5. Add -javaagent:/path/to/skywalking-package/agent/skywalking-agent.jar to JVM argument. And make sure to add it before the -jar argument.

Require SkyWalking OAP server 9.7.0+ if the agent works on the JRE using ZGC.

The agent release dist is included in Apache official release. New agent package looks like this.

+-- agent
    +-- activations
         apm-toolkit-log4j-1.x-activation.jar
         apm-toolkit-log4j-2.x-activation.jar
         apm-toolkit-logback-1.x-activation.jar
         ...
    +-- config
         agent.config  
    +-- plugins
         apm-dubbo-plugin.jar
         apm-feign-default-http-9.x.jar
         apm-httpClient-4.x-plugin.jar
         .....
    +-- optional-plugins
         apm-gson-2.x-plugin.jar
         .....
    +-- bootstrap-plugins
         jdk-http-plugin.jar
         .....
    +-- expired-plugins
         # Expired plugins are moved to this folder. No guarantee of working and maintenance.
         apm-impala-2.6.x-plugin.jar
         .....
    +-- logs
    skywalking-agent.jar
  • Start your application.

Install javaagent FAQs

  • Linux Tomcat 7, Tomcat 8, Tomcat 9
    Change the first line of tomcat/bin/catalina.sh.
CATALINA_OPTS="$CATALINA_OPTS -javaagent:/path/to/skywalking-agent/skywalking-agent.jar"; export CATALINA_OPTS
  • Windows Tomcat 7, Tomcat 8, Tomcat 9
    Change the first line of tomcat/bin/catalina.bat.
set "CATALINA_OPTS=-javaagent:/path/to/skywalking-agent/skywalking-agent.jar"
  • JAR file
    Add -javaagent argument to command line in which you start your app. eg:
java -javaagent:/path/to/skywalking-agent/skywalking-agent.jar -jar yourApp.jar
  • Jetty
    Modify jetty.sh, add -javaagent argument to command line in which you start your app. eg:
export JAVA_OPTIONS="${JAVA_OPTIONS} -javaagent:/path/to/skywalking-agent/skywalking-agent.jar"

Plugins

SkyWalking agent has supported various middlewares, frameworks and libraries. Read supported list to get them and supported version. If the plugin is in Optional² catalog, go to optional plugins and bootstrap class plugin section to learn how to active it.

  • All plugins in /plugins folder are active. Remove the plugin jar, it disabled.
  • The default logging output folder is /logs.