This is how I tested: Add this setting so the check period change from 2 minutes to 20 seconds. change these 2 from INFO to DEBUG, so the recovery test log will be show in server log. Below are the logs: 1) normal log with connection fine. 2018-04-18 12:04:13,556 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Recovery user name=mysqluser 2018-04-18 12:04:13,556 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Recovery Subject=Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 2018-04-18 12:04:13,556 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Open managed connection (Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 ) 2018-04-18 12:04:13,556 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Open connection (org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.xa.XAManagedConnection@20758a95, Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 ) 2018-04-18 12:04:13,556 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Closing connection for recovery check (org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.jdk8.WrappedConnectionJDK8@591fe164) 2018-04-18 12:04:13,557 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Force close=false 2018-04-18 12:04:13,557 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Recovery XAResource=XAResourceWrapperImpl@752f94bd[xaResource=org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.xa.XAManagedConnection@20758a95 pad=false overrideRmValue=null productName=MySQL productVersion=5.7.16 jndiName=java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS] for java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS 2) I stopped mysql: systemctl stop mysqld.service From log: 2018-04-18 12:04:43,559 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Recovery user name=mysqluser 2018-04-18 12:04:43,559 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Recovery Subject=Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 2018-04-18 12:04:43,559 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Open managed connection (Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 ) 2018-04-18 12:04:43,559 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Open connection (org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.xa.XAManagedConnection@20758a95, Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 ) 2018-04-18 12:04:43,559 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Closing connection for recovery check (org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.jdk8.WrappedConnectionJDK8@63b2817c) 2018-04-18 12:04:43,566 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Force close=true 2018-04-18 12:04:43,566 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Closing managed connection for recovery (org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.xa.XAManagedConnection@20758a95) 2018-04-18 12:04:43,566 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Open managed connection (Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 ) 2018-04-18 12:04:43,568 ERROR [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) IJ000906: Error during crash recovery: java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS (IJ031084: Unable to create connection): javax.resource.ResourceException: IJ031084: Unable to create connection Caused by: java.net.ConnectException: Connection refused ... 32 more 3) I started mysql again: systemctl start mysqld.service from log: 2018-04-18 12:05:43,574 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Recovery user name=mysqluser 2018-04-18 12:05:43,574 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Recovery Subject=Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 2018-04-18 12:05:43,574 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Open managed connection (Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 ) 2018-04-18 12:05:43,575 ERROR [stderr] (Periodic Recovery) Wed Apr 18 12:05:43 EDT 2018 WARN: Establishing SSL connection without server's identity verification is not recommended. According to MySQL 5.5.45+, 5.6.26+ and 5.7.6+ requirements SSL connection must be established by default if explicit option isn't set. For compliance with existing applications not using SSL the verifyServerCertificate property is set to 'false'. You need either to explicitly disable SSL by setting useSSL=false, or set useSSL=true and provide truststore for server certificate verification. 2018-04-18 12:05:43,611 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Open connection (org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.xa.XAManagedConnection@132f37f4, Subject: Principal: mysqluser Private Credential: javax.resource.spi.security.PasswordCredential@bcec8908 ) 2018-04-18 12:05:43,612 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Closing connection for recovery check (org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.jdk8.WrappedConnectionJDK8@281b6b2a) 2018-04-18 12:05:43,612 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Force close=false 2018-04-18 12:05:43,612 DEBUG [org.jboss.jca.core.tx.jbossts.XAResourceRecoveryImpl] (Periodic Recovery) Recovery XAResource=XAResourceWrapperImpl@37c02af6[xaResource=org.jboss.jca.adapters.jdbc.xa.XAManagedConnection@132f37f4 pad=false overrideRmValue=null productName=MySQL productVersion=5.7.16 jndiName=java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS] for java:jboss/datasources/ExampleDS