What is JFR parameter filename meaning? File ends up being empty after exit

Question

I have situation where I start JDK18 jvm from c++ code to produce vst plugin goal being to implement audio signal algorithms in java side with added value of full java GUI api. My framework works very smoothly apart from the repeatable state where my audio streaming crashes after 14 hours. So I thought this is good place to start learning JFR. My jvm starting parameters are in xml file and relevant part is:

<param>
    -XX:StartFlightRecording,dumponexit=true,filename=c:/out/blackbox.jfr
  </param>

Even when application exits that named file keeps empty. So what is the idea of filename parameter if it stays empty and how to use it?

Answer 1

The recording is dumped in a Java shutdown hook. If you terminate the C++ application with exit(status), the Java hook never gets a chance to run.

Not sure how to best run the shutdown hooks, but you could perhaps invoke System.exit(status) from native using CallStaticVoidMethod?

Answer 2

My solution with JDK 18 and flight recorder is not to use JVM startup options at all but instead use jcmd's JFR commands. This is due to incompatible JVM options at startup and lacking documentation. Available documentation is clearly for some older versions of JVM. Here is the available documentation:https://docs.oracle.com/javacomponents/jmc-5-5/jfr-command-reference/toc.htm which proposes use of -XX:+UnlockCommercialFeatures which has been long gone. What is current state of command line options is not achieveable for average programmer. But "jcmd JFR.start" is example of things that work. I got things working observing with "jcmd PID JFR.check" . It is obvious that JFR api is also little bit broken and needs to addressed in a certain way to get the wanted results. There must have been very hurry when implementing it because the order of parameters is very crucial. And there is a nag that "name" must not be a number even it uses it as number. Now I know it is sensitive. So the way I want it to function is to sample and dump periodic chunks so that differences reveal them selves. Now I have the solution to that but it needs another question with no stupid complaints. Baseline is that jcmd with JFR parameter must be used as it comes out of the box in the way which is not obvious.