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Upgrading Java VisualVM

VisualVM has been distributed in Oracle JDK 6~8 as Java VisualVM. It has been discontinued in Oracle JDK 9. The most recent Oracle JDK 8 updates contain Java VisualVM based on VisualVM 1.3.9 released on October 04, 2016.

To get the latest features, improvements and security & bug fixes, we recommend upgrading to the most recent VisualVM version. There are two options available: use the standalone VisualVM or VisualVM bundled with GraalVM.

Use standalone VisualVM

Standalone VisualVM provides the latest features and bugfixes in a small .zip archive or .dmg application bundle. The tool can run using various JDK distributions and Java versions. The same bits are eventually available also in the GraalVM.

Using standalone VisualVM is the right choice:

  • If you want or need to continue using your current JDK
  • If you want to use the latest improvements as soon as available
  • If you need a minimal download and install

To start using the standalone VisualVM tool, download the latest version from the Download page and run visualvm\bin\visualvm.exe on Windows or visualvm/bin/visualvm on Linux and macOS.

The JDK to run VisualVM can be customized either using visualvm --jdkhome <JDK_HOME> or by setting the visualvm_jdkhome parameter in visualvm\etc\visualvm.conf or visualvm/etc/visualvm.conf config file.

Use VisualVM bundled with GraalVM

GraalVM contains a fully compliant Java SE 8 and Java SE 11 JDK distribution based on Oracle JDK and OpenJDK. It features an innovative JIT compiler which may noticeably improve performance of Java applications, compared to the standard Oracle JDK or OpenJDK.

Other GraalVM features include the native-image tool to create ahead-of-time compiled native binaries, and a polyglot engine to run and combine non-Java languages like JavaScript, Python, Ruby, R, LLVM, WASM etc. GraalVM bundles a Node.js runtime.

Using VisualVM bundled with GraalVM is the right choice:

  • If you want to start using VisualVM out of the box without any configuration
  • If you want to continue using VisualVM bundled and tested with the concrete JDK
  • If you are interested in the unique GraalVM features and advantages over your current JDK

To start using VisualVM bundled with the GraalVM, download the distribution of your choice at https://www.graalvm.org and run <GRAALVM_HOME>\bin\jvisualvm.exe on Windows or <GRAALVM_HOME>/bin/jvisualvm on Linux and macOS.

Troubleshooting

In case you are experiencing any issues when starting or using the standalone VisualVM or VisualVM bundled with GraalVM, please see the Troubleshooting Guide, let us know using the Feedback page or file a bug.