java.net.UnknownHostException: Invalid hostname for server: local

java.net.UnknownHostException virtualhostname at
  java.net.InetAddress.lookUpHostByName(InetAddress.java:506)

[root@xyz ~]# echo $HOSTNAME
xyz

[root@xyz ~]# ping $HOSTNAME
ping: unknown host xyz

[root@xyz ~]# hostname -f
hostname: Unknown host

127.0.0.1 xyz.xxx.xxx.edu xyz

java.net.UnknownHostException:  google.com
    at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:184)
    at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(SocksSocketImpl.java:392)
    at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:589)
    at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:538)
    at java.net.Socket.<init>(Socket.java:434)
    at java.net.Socket.<init>(Socket.java:211)
    ...

jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/openfire