According to the Cisco AppDynamics Professional Implementer (CAPI) documents, the two methods that are available to define JVM options for an AppDynamics Controller so that the JVM options are retained across upgrades of the Controller are:

Use the modifyJvmOptions utility provided by AppDynamics. (A) This is a valid method because the modifyJvmOptions utility is a script that allows you to add, remove, or list the JVM options for the Controller without manually editing any files. The utility also validates the syntax and format of the JVM options and creates a backup of the original configuration. The utility is located in the /bin directory and can be run on Linux or Windows platforms. The utility updates the /appserver/glassfish/domains/domain1/config/domain.xml file with the specified JVM options, which are preserved during the Controller upgrade12.

Define JVM options on the Controller Settings page of the Enterprise Console. (B) This is a valid method because the Controller Settings page of the Enterprise Console is a graphical user interface that allows you to configure various settings for the Controller, including the JVM options. The Enterprise Console is a web-based application that provides a centralized way to manage the AppDynamics platform components, such as the Controller, the Events Service, and the EUM Server. The Enterprise Console also handles the Controller upgrade process and preserves the JVM options that are defined on the Controller Settings page34.

The incorrect options are:

Pass JVM options to the Controller via java -javaagent:“options jar”. © This is not a valid method because the java -javaagent option is used to specify the path to the AppDynamics agent jar file, not the JVM options for the Controller. The agent jar file is used to instrumentthe Java applications that are monitored by the AppDynamics platform, not the Controller itself. The agent jar file also contains the agent configuration properties, such as the Controller host, port, account name, access key, and application name. Passing JVM options to the Controller via this option will not have any effect on the Controller performance or behavior5.

Use the controller.sh script provided by AppDynamics. (D) This is not a valid method because the controller.sh script is used to start, stop, or restart the Controller, not to define the JVM options for the Controller. The controller.sh script is located in the /bin directory and can be run on Linux platforms. The controller.sh script does not accept any arguments or parameters for the JVM options, and does not update any configuration files with the JVM options. Using this script to define the JVM options for the Controller will not have any effect on the Controller performance or behavior6.

Define JVM options manually in the domain. xmi file. (E) This is not a valid method because the domain. xmi file is not a configuration file for the JVM options for the Controller, but a configuration file for the WebSphere Application Server. The WebSphere Application Server is a Java EE application server that can be used to host the Java applications that are monitored by the AppDynamics platform, not the Controller itself. The domain. xmi file contains the settings for the WebSphere Application Server, such as the server name, port, security, data sources, and class loaders. Defining JVM options manually in this file will not have any effect on the Controller performance or behavior, and may cause errors or conflicts with the WebSphere Application Server configuration7.

References:

1: Modify JVM Options for the Controller - AppDynamics

2: Release Upgrade Checklist for Controllers - AppDynamics

3: Configure the Controller Using the Enterprise Console - AppDynamics

4: Upgrade the Controller Using the Enterprise Console - AppDynamics

5: Install the Java Agent - AppDynamics

6: Start and Stop the Controller - AppDynamics

7: Configuring the WebSphere Application Server - IBM