Remote debugging Java web app running in Glassfish - java

I have a web application. It is currently deployed on a remote server in a Glassfish instance. Is it possible to remotely connect to the server and debug the application (like I would a normal java application) using Netbeans?
If someone has done this and could provide insight or could point me to a guide, that would be great.
I know this functionality exists with Visual Studio and ASP.Net. I was not sure if there is a java equivalent.
Most examples that I have seen online are for applications that are simply running on a remote machine or for debugging a Glassfish application running on the local machine.

Yes, it is possible.
Once you have GlassFish running in debug mode, go to the Debug menu in NetBeans and click on Attach Debugger..., which brings up the Attach dialog. You'll probably go with something like:
Debugger: Java Debugger (JPDA)
Connector: SocketAttach
Transport: dt_socket
Host: hostname_or_ip_address
Port: 9009
Timeout may be left blank. When you click OK on this dialog, you should be able to connect your NetBeans debugger to GlassFish.
Remember:
The firewall on your remote server (and any gateways in between) should allow connections to the debugger port (9009 in my example).
Make sure you're using matching port numbers. In the GlassFish admin console, usually at: http://localhost:4848
Expand Configurations.
Expand server-config (or whichever you are using).
Click JVM Settings.
Check Debug to Enabled.
Verify that Debug Options contains:
-Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=n,address=9009
Read the JPDA docs for other options you can use.

Related

How to debug dynamic web page in Eclipse?

I am trying to debug my dynamic web application in Eclipse (Helios) as Debug mode but it could not work out. I have googled eventually i confirmed that i have to do Remote Debug. I trying to do Remote Debug. It seems doesn't work. Could please any one help me out to how to do set up Remote Debug and please mention steps to setup.
What app. server (web container) are you using ? I.e. tomcat , Add that server to your eclipse using "add server" and add project to it then run server in debug mode.
Sometimes its an issue with port.The port which you are trying to access is already occupied and wouldn't be released and you get this exception.Try restarting your system,in my case it worked.See the below post for more troubleshooting.
See Also
Eclipse : Failed to connect to remote VM. Connection refused.

How to debug a jar remotely from netbeans

I'm trying to figure out how to debug my jar that is running remotely. Here is my scenario:
My .jar will be running from a VPS. This jar basically runs a server
for a game, so it also connects to a mysql db. I start the server with 3 .bat files that looks something like this:
set CLASSPATH=.;dist\aries.jar;dist\mina-core.jar;dist\slf4j-api.jar;dist\slf4j-jdk14.jar;dist\mysql-connector-java-bin.jar
java -Xmx500m -Dwzpath=wz\ -Djavax.net.ssl.keyStore=filename.keystore -Djavax.net.ssl.keyStorePassword=passwd -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=filename.keystore -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword=passwd net.world.WorldServer
pause
What I want to do is start the server on the vps like normal, but debugging the server on my local machine via Netbeans IDE. I don't know if this is possible because people will be connecting to the server (although, I will be debugging a test server which will only have me online).
Note: I have done a lot of searching before coming here and a lot of what I found had to do with using xdebug & php which has doesn't have much to do with my situation (I don't think)
-Thanks
There's a NetBeans FAQ page about this.
In brief:
Add the remote debugging options to your Java command. For example:
-Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,server=y,address=8888,suspend=n
Then, use the attach debugger option in NetBeans and select your server and the port you used above (8888). It's pretty much that easy.
You may want to think about network and firewall considerations, as you may have noticed there are no passwords involved, so anyone who can connect to the port can debug your app. This could be a big security risk. Your VPS provider probably has some tools to help with setting up a secure, private connection.

How do I debug Java servlet filters, on-the-fly, from a remote machine (I'm using Eclipse and Apache Tomcat 5.5)

I wrote a Java servlet filter on my local machine and deployed it a remote (machine) web server. Unfortunately, it's been very difficult and time-consuming trying to trace errors reported by Apache Tomcat 5.5, my JSP/servlet engine. I can't keep writing System.out.println(...), saving, deploying, testing JSP pages, and so on. It's taking too long. There has to be a better, faster way.
Is it possible to remotely debug servlet filters? I don't have a web server on my local machine, which is why I'm asking about remote debugging. Specifically, I'm looking for a way to debug, line-by-line, the servlet filter, on-the-fly, as it's happening on the remote web server. Does such a method exist?
Or, is there a better method than writing to standard output. It's taking too long and I feel that must be a more efficient means of debugging Java servlet filters.
Note: I'm using Eclipse for development.
Thank you very much for any help.
Update
Thank you all for your help. I really appreciate it.
I added the JVM argument to Tomcat, restarted Tomcat. Then, on the machine with Eclipse, I entered in the appropriate info in the Debug config, put the breakpoint in, and tested. Unfortunately, it did not work. In the config, I left it as Socket Attach, clicked apply, and that was it. I pressed the debug button and it said the connection was refused. I tried ports 8000 and 8001 and both did not work.
Let me explain what I'm trying to do, that might be better.
I have a login page called login.jsp. On that page, is a form whose action attribute is servlet/LoginServlet. When the user submits the form, it calls servlet/LoginServlet, which is mapped to a class in the web.xml file. Let's call this class com.mysite.mypkg.classA. In class A, it calls a method from another class called com.custom.mypkg.classB. I want to put a breakpoint in classB.
So, using the url with login.jsp page in the Eclipse debugger won't call it. I tried using servlet/LoginServlet and that also did not work.
What should I put in for the URL? Or, do I debug this type of setup?
Thank you.
Update 2
I found this site here, which is pretty comprehensive. I ran netstat -a and noticed that the debug port is not listed. Windows Firewall is turned off, but there could be another thing blocking the port, who knows. Anyway, I placed the VM argument here and it's not working.
Thank you.
For remote debugging you need to start the server in debug mode. There are couple of ways doing that.
1 > start the server using
catinlina.bat jpda start
2 > Add an jvm argument to the tomcat java process
-Xdebug -Xrunjdwp:transport=dt_socket,address=8000,server=y,suspend=n
Once the server is started in debug mode , you need to change the perspective of the project in eclipse to debug.
Then go to Run - > Debug configuration.
Double click remote java application and enter the details such as
Remote IP address
Debug port . Default tomcat debug port is 8000. If you use jvm argument, use the port mentioned in the jvm argument.
Click Apply
Go to the java file you want to debug.
Put a break point in the source code and run the scenario you want to test (Eg Web application using browser)
Also , ensure that the code in the java file is in sync with code deployed on remote server.
Happy Debugging!!!
Peace.
Sanket Raut
You can attach a debugger to a running Tomcat instance, provided that you gave it the right command line options when you launched it.
The Tomcat Development Wiki explains how to do this, and as a bonus gives you instructions on how to set up to debug from the Eclipse or NetBeans IDEs.
Of course, attaching a debugger to a running Tomcat has both security and performance implications*.
* And OH&S issues - you might get badly scratched if you tried this on the wrong kind of tomcat ...
You should run your remote tomcat with the following starup parameter:
bin/catalina.bat jpda start
Then in Eclipse on your local machine go to Run -> Debug Configurations -> Remote Java Application, create new configuration here, use IP of the remote machine as a host and 8000 as a port there
Run this configuration and use the breakpoints in Eclipse for debugging

GWT run on External Server

I need to test my client application on an external server, with the development mode to a better debug.
i try to run in eclipse the application on the external server, but it doesn't run.
i realy need a step-by-step example
thanks for the help
Check out THIS page. There they have a command how to start your server with GWT debug mode on.
Than make sure your URL is pointed to the right server.
This is how it should look on your machine:
http://{local ip or host name}:8080/AppName/?gwt.codesvr=127.0.0.1:9997
This is what should be entered on the external clint on the same network:
http://[YOUR-IP]:8080/AppName/?gwt.codesvr=[YOUR-IP]:9997
Make sure both ports are matching. Mine is running 8080 because I'm running Java server, you might have different port.

Can't debug servlet Eclipse + Glassfish

The server is in debugging mode. I've set 10 breakpoints and the browser just skips them all. Why? This happens with JSPs also in that project. Why?
Have you checked that the Debbuger is indeed connected with Glassfish? Also please note that it is not possible for the debugger to stop at breakpoints which have been set inside jsp. AFAIK, debugger works only pure java code
So you are connecting to external server with "debug remote java application".
What is your server's debug port? Port 8000 is default setting in eclipse debug configuration for remote java appilcation. You should change that value to one that GlassFish server is configured for debugging.
Also, take a look at How do I debug GlassFish 3 using Eclipse Helios?

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