Instrumenting Java Web Start Applications

[#1]

Java Web Start software allows you to download and run Java applications from the web and is included in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) since release of Java 5.0. Java Web Start applications are launched by using the Java Network Launch Protocol (JNLP).

Environment 

• Java client application launched via JNLP
• JVM: Oracle 1.7.0_71
• Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_71-b14)
• OS: Windows 7 64-bit 

 

Solution

To attach the Java Agent, use one of the following approaches:

Approach 1

javaws -J-javaagent:<agent-install-dir>\javaagent.jar <jnlp file>

 

Approach 2

set JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Java\jre7
set JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS=-javaagent:<agent-install-dir>\javaagent.jar<JAVA_HOME>\bin\javaws.exe <jnlp file>

Security Settings

If the agent is not behaving as expected due to security related issues, then you might need to tweak Java security settings as follows:

1. Find the <JAVA_HOME>\lib\security\javaws.policy file .
2. Edit the file with these settings: 

grant codeBase "file:${jnlpx.home}/javaws.jar" {
permission java.security.AllPermission;
};

grant {
permission java.security.AllPermission;
};