Java runtime environment

Smartsite 7.9 - ...

Purpose

The Java runtime environment (Java RTE, or JRE for short) is required to run Elastic Search, Kibana and Tika. JRE includes runtime libraries and includes a Java virtual machine. OpenJDK stands for Open Java Development Kit.

Version

Use Java v18.36.

Installation for Elastic Search

Use Java v18.36 as bundled with Elastic Search.

Unpacking and installing Elastic Search will result in a folder jdk, for example:

C:\Program Files\ElasticSearch\7.17.3\jdk
  1. Previous installation pages may have instructed to create a system environment variable JAVA_HOME and/or to include the Java bin folder in the system PATH. Remove both settings. For information only: Elastic Search itself establishes these settings.

Installation for Kibana

The service manager nssm is used to install Kibana as a Windows service. Nssm allows to specifiy the Java runtime environment.

  • If Kibana is installed on one of the servers of the Elastic Search cluster: specify the jdk as bundled with Elastic Search.
  • If Kibana is installed on a distinct server: copy the jdk as bundled with Elastic Search to that server, for example to E:\Program Files\Java\18.36, and specify that JRE.

Installation for Tika

The service manager nssm is used to install Tika as a Windows service. Nssm allows to specifiy the Java runtime environment.

  • If Tika is installed on one of the servers of the Elastic Search cluster: specify the jdk as bundled with Elastic Search.
  • If Tika is installed on a distinct server: copy the jdk as bundled with Elastic Search to that server, for example to E:\Program Files\Java\18.36, and specify that JRE.

Use of the service manager nssm

Previous installation pages may have instructed to create a system environment variable JAVA_HOME and/or to include the Java bin folder in the system PATH. Remove both settings. Tika will run under control of the nssm service manager. JAVA_HOME will be specified in the configuration of the service manager. The system PATH is not required because the absolute path of the JRE will be specified in the nssm configuration.