— In this paper, we present a design for a generic, open, application-oriented performance instrumentation of multitier applications. Measurements are performed through configurable instrumentation points at the middleware level and can be combined with application-level measurements for a conjoined analysis. In addition, we present a prototypical realisation of the design for two commonly used middleware components: Apache Tomcat and JBoss. Our approach may be used in a wide variety of application scenarios like providing a monitoring architecture for SLM scenarios or as a performance-debugging platform during application development. The architecture uses open standards and APIs and may therefore be seamlessly integrated into existing management environments. I. MOTIVATION Business processes in enterprises are more and more dependent upon a vital IT (Information Technology) infrastructure. The steady growth of enterprise networks provides a basis for the widespread use of distribu...