This is the initial draft of the specification for JSR 326. This
is a "work in progress" document and is intended to provide a summation
of information readily available. Further information can be found by
visiting the JSR 326
community page or by visiting the Apache Kato Open Source
project
JSR 326 is intended to be a Java API specification for standardising how
and what can be retrieved from the contents of post-mortem artefacts -
typically process and JVM dumps.
Project Kato is intended to be the place where the Specification, Reference implementation (RI) and Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) are openly created. The intention is that the Specification and RI will be developed in tight unison, guided by a user-story-focused approach to ensure that real-world problems drive the project from the beginning.
Unusually for new APIs, this project will endeavour to encompass the old and the new. A diagnostic solution that only works when users move to the latest release does little to improve diagnosability in the short term. This project will consume existing dump artefacts as well as possible while developing an API that can address the emerging trends in JVM and application directions. The most obvious of these trends are the exploitation of very large heaps, alternative languages and, paradoxically for Java, the increased use of native memory through vehicles such as NIO.