Sun is announcing Java VisualVM, a new GUI-based tool for troubleshooting Java applications. Available as part of JavaSE 6 Update 7 (available today) VisualVM incorporates various technologies, including: jvmstat, Java Management Extensions (JMX), and the NetBeans profiler, in order to provide a unified easy-to-use visual diagnostic tool for both development and production environments.

There is a public API for building extensions to Java VisualVM that allows developers to easily create their own tools for solving monitoring and performance problems. Check out the Get Started Extending VisualVM Tutorial. A central repository is available for developers who wish to share their Java VisualVM extensions with the entire Java community.

For more information, visit the Java VisualVM documentation or Geertjan  and  Luis-Miguel offer more information about VisualVM on their blogs.