upstart script

A Upstart script have to be placed at /etc/init/, ending with .conf.

It requires 2 sessions: one to indicate when to start, and another with the command to exec.

The easiest script to start with your sample is:

# myprogram.conf
start on filesystem
exec /usr/bin/java -jar /path_to/program

Created as root under /etc/init/myprogram.conf.

If your script requires more than one command line, use the script section instead of the exec line:

# myprogram.conf
start on filesystem
script
    /usr/bin/java -jar /path_to/program
    echo "Another command"
end script

To enable bash completion for your service, add a symlink into /etc/init.d folder:

sudo ln -s /etc/init/myprogram.conf /etc/init.d/myprogram

Then try start and stop it:

sudo service myprogram start

According the upstart cookbook, you can create pre-start/post-start and pre-stop/post-stopcommands to be executed.

Additionally, I read you want to check if a process is running. Check this question and maybe use the pre-start section

Linux, UNIX