JR55205: P.E. TW.SYSTEM.SERIALIZER.FROMXML BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN IBM BPM V8.5.6 CF02 CAUSES APPLICATION FAILURE

8.5.6.2-WS-BPM-IFJR55205
Version 8.5 Refresh Pack 7 for the IBM Business Process Manager products

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• In IBM Business Process Manager (BPM) V8.5.6 cumulative fix 2
  (CF02), the behavior of the tw.system.serializer.fromXml()
  JavaScript API changed in a way that causes deserializing the
  XML string to fail although it was successful before CF02 was
  installed. For more information, see "JavaScript API for IBM
  Process Designer"
  (http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSFPJS_8.5.6/com.ibm
  .wbpm.ref.doc/ae/doc/JSAPI.html?lang=en).
  
  .
  [2/6/17 7:19:50:123 EST] 00003b03 JavaScriptRun E   CWLLG2015E:
   An unexpected runtime exception occurred. See exception for
  more details.
  Error: Wrapped
  com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksRuntimeException:
  com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksException: Type mismatch.
  Value "" must be array. Java class found: java.lang.String
  (<JSScript>#105).
  
  Problem 2:
  UCA (under cover agents) which have a variable of a type list
  (array) fail and cannot be completed.
  

Local fix

• Add the attribute type to the nested complex type element.
  f.e. <genericData type=&#148;GenericData&#148;>
  

Problem summary

• More information about the issue is in the following exception
  message:
  [1/15/16 18:36:34:449 PST] 000001d4 JavaScriptRun E
  CWLLG2041E:  TeamWorksJavaScriptException created non-nested.
  Error: [TeamworksException name='<JSScript>', message='fromXML()
  requires String or XMLElement argument', line=16, pos=0
  nested=<none>][TeamworksException name='<JSScript>',
  message='fromXML() requires String or XMLElement argument',
  line=xx, pos=xx nested=<none>]
  at com.lombardisoftware.core.script.js.
    JavaScriptRunner$MyErrorReporter.runtimeError
    (JavaScriptRunner.java:590)
  at org.mozilla.javascript.Context.reportRuntimeError
    (Context.java:938)
  at org.mozilla.javascript.Context.reportRuntimeError
    (Context.java:994)
  at com.lombardisoftware.core.script.js.SerializerScriptable.
    jsFunction_fromXml(SerializerScriptable.java:107)
  Caused by: [TeamworksException name='<JSScript>',
  message='fromXML() requires String or XMLElement argument',
  line=xx, pos=xx nested=<none>]
  at com.lombardisoftware.core.script.js.
    JavaScriptRunner$MyErrorReporter.runtimeError
    (JavaScriptRunner.java:590)
  at org.mozilla.javascript.Context.reportRuntimeError
    (Context.java:938)
  at org.mozilla.javascript.Context.reportRuntimeError
    (Context.java:994)
  at com.lombardisoftware.core.script.js.SerializerScriptable.
    jsFunction_fromXml(SerializerScriptable.java:107)
  The issue occurs for a nested XML element that does not specify
  the attribute "type" (system defaults to type "String" if
  omitted). For nested XML elements, the attribute "type" should
  be optional. For the top element, it is mandatory.
  Here's an example XML that causes the issue:
  <variable type="variable" xmlns="http://bpm">
    <operation>CheckRisk</operation>
     <genericData>
         <booleanData>false</booleanData>
     </genericData>
  </variable>
  Problem 2 exception stack.
  CWLLG0203E: Undercover Agent job failed. Task 12345 job details
  are:
  class=com.lombardisoftware.server.scheduler.tasks.UcaExecutorTas
  k
          at
  com.ibm.ws.util.ThreadPool$Worker.run(ThreadPool.java:1881)
  ...[UCA envelope message]...
    Caused by:
  com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksRuntimeException:
  com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksException: Type mismatch.
  Value "
  
    " must be array. Java class found: java.lang.String
          at
  com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksRuntimeException.asTeamWorksR
  untimeException(TeamWorksRuntimeException.java:69)
          at
  com.lombardisoftware.core.TWObject.setPropertyValue(TWObject.jav
  a:720)
          at
  com.lombardisoftware.core.VariableObjectSerializer.deserializeCo
  mplexType(VariableObjectSerializer.java:1197)
          at
  com.lombardisoftware.core.VariableObjectSerializer.deserialize(V
  ariableObjectSerializer.java:951)
          at
  com.lombardisoftware.core.VariableObjectSerializer.deserialize(V
  ariableObjectSerializer.java:134)
          at
  com.lombardisoftware.server.eventmgr.UnderCoverAgentExecutor.doG
  et(UnderCoverAgentExecutor.java:139)
          ... 59 more
  

Problem conclusion

• A fix is available for IBM BPM V8.5.6.0 CF02 that retrieves the
  type of the nested property from the enclosing type if the
  nested XML element does not have a specified attribute type.
  On Fix Central (http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral), search
  for JR55205:
  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 JR55205, 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

• R856 PSY

     UP