JR50708: TIMEOUT OF STATEFUL SESSION BEAN MAKES PROCESS PORTAL UNUSABLE

7.5.1.2-WS-BPM-IFJR50708
8.0.1.3-WS-BPM-IFJR50708
8.0.1.2-WS-BPM-IFJR50708
Version 8.5 Refresh Pack 6 for the IBM Business Process Manager products
Version 8.5.0 Fix Pack 2 for the IBM Business Process Manager products

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• While working with IBM Process Portal, you might see the
  following message:
  
  "Java.rmi.NoSuchObjectException: Stateful bean
  BeanId(IBM_BPM_Teamworks_nodename1_server1#twcore-ejb.jar#
  EJBWorkflowManager, D5432F8C-0147-4000-E000-13680998CDF5) was
  removed or timed out.",
  
  It is no longer possible to work with tasks that you have open
  in the current Process Portal session. You must log out of
  Process Portal and log in again to be able to work with these
  tasks. If you click Details in the error message window, the
  following exception is displayed:
  
  com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksException:
  java.rmi.NoSuchObjectException: Stateful bean
  BeanId(IBM_BPM_Teamworks_nodename1_server1#twcore-ejb.jar#
  EJBWorkflowManager, D5432F8C-0147-4000-E000-13680998CDF5) was
  removed or timed out.
    at com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksException.
      asTeamWorksException(TeamWorksException.java:130)
    at com.lombardisoftware.core.RegexExceptionRewriter.
      rewrite(RegexExceptionRewriter.java:76)
    at com.lombardisoftware.core.ExceptionHandler.
      returnProcessedException(ExceptionHandler.java:311)
    at com.lombardisoftware.servlet.ControllerServlet.
      processError(ControllerServlet.java:174)
    at com.lombardisoftware.servlet.ControllerServlet.
      doError(ControllerServlet.java:170)
    at com.lombardisoftware.servlet.ControllerServlet.
      doCommon(ControllerServlet.java:486)
    at com.lombardisoftware.servlet.ControllerServlet.
      doPost(ControllerServlet.java:155)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service
      (HttpServlet.java:738)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service
      (HttpServlet.java:831)
    at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper.
      service(ServletWrapper.java:1657)
    ...
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• IBM BPM keeps a cache of stateful session beans (one session
  bean for each human service that a user works with). This cache
  is stored inside the user's HTTP session. The cache update
  policy removes a stateful session bean from the cache if it has
  not been accessed for more than one hour. If a session bean
  expires, it still is kept in the cache and the expired session
  bean is reused from the cache if you try to work with the
  service again.
  
  For human services of user tasks in a business process
  definition (BPD) instance, the state of the stateful session
  bean is saved in the database with the associated task;
  therefore, the cache for these human services is not needed.
  

Problem conclusion

• A fix is available for IBM BPM V7.5.1.0 that handles expiration
  of stateful session beans. If IBM BPM detects that a session
  bean is expired, it removes this session bean from the cache and
  displays a more user friendly error message to the user. The new
  message is
  
  "A timeout occurred while the task with ID xxxx was being
  processed. To start over or resume this task, run this task
  again."
  
  In addition, session beans for human services of user tasks in a
  BPD instance are no longer kept in the cache. Human services
  that start directly from Process Portal (exposed as startable)
  don't have an associated task and, therefore, the cache is not
  modified for these services.
  
  This fix makes the cache timeout configurable. To modify the
  default timeout (60 minutes), edit 100Custom.xml, which is
  located in the following directory:
  
  <profile-root>/config/cells/<cell-name>/nodes/<node-name>
   /servers/<server-name>/<server-type>/config
  
  where <server-type> can be either process-center or
  process-server.
  
  Add the following definition to the <server> element:
  
    <web-workflow-manager merge="mergeChildren">
      <session-bean-cache-expiry-timeout>timeout in
        minutes</session-bean-cache-expiry-timeout>
    </web-workflow-manager>
  
  An example 100Custom.xml that sets the timeout value to 50
  minutes would look like this:
  
  <properties>
      <server>
          <web-workflow-manager merge="mergeChildren">
              <session-bean-cache-expiry-timeout>50
              </session-bean-cache-expiry-timeout>
          </web-workflow-manager>
      </server>
  </properties>
  
  If your processes run on a cluster, you must make this change
  for each cluster member.
  
  On Fix Central (http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral), search
  for JR50708:
  
  1. Select IBM Business Process Manager with your edition from
    the product selector, the installed version to the fix pack
    level, and your platform, and then click Continue.
  
  2. Select APAR or SPR, enter JR50708, and click Continue.
  
  When you download fix packages, ensure that you also download
  the readme file for each fix. Review each readme file for
  additional installation instructions and information about the
  fix.
  

Temporary fix

• Not applicable
  

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  BPM STANDARD

• Fixed component ID

  5725C9500

Applicable component levels

• R751 PSY

     UP