"No tenured pools found" error when starting VMware GemFire client with IBM Java 8

Products

• VMware Tanzu Gemfire

Issue/Introduction

You may encounter the following ERROR when starting a VMware GemFire client using IBM JDK 8 or IBM JRE 8.

2019-10-29 14:41:37 [85] [server.startup : 1] ERROR org.apache.geode.internal.cache.control.HeapMemoryMonitor - No tenured pools found.  Known pools are: [(Name=class storage;Type=Non-heap memory;UsageThresholdSupported=false), (Name=miscellaneous non-heap storage;Type=Non-heap memory;UsageThresholdSupported=false), (Name=JIT code cache;Type=Non-heap memory;UsageThresholdSupported=false), (Name=JIT data cache;Type=Non-heap memory;UsageThresholdSupported=false), (Name=tenured-SOA;Type=Heap memory;UsageThresholdSupported=true), (Name=tenured-LOA;Type=Heap memory;UsageThresholdSupported=true), (Name=nursery-allocate;Type=Heap memory;UsageThresholdSupported=false), (Name=nursery-survivor;Type=Heap memory;UsageThresholdSupported=false)] 

Environment

Product Version: 9.0

Resolution

Beginning with IBM Java 8 (IBM J9 virtual machine), there are an important enhancements made to the IBM Garbage Collector and Memory Pool MXBeans to provide more detailed information about Garbage collection activity and associated memory pools *1.

Because VMware GemFire is to expect only one heap memory pool and relies on the memory pool name "Java heap", you need to use the -XX:+HeapManagementMXBeanCompatibility option *2 so that J9+ VM can have compatibility with earlier versions of the VM to avoid the above ERROR message.

*1: Enhancements are made to the IBM Garbage Collector and Memory Pool MXBeans
*2: -XX:[+|-]HeapManagementMXBeanCompatibility