PM44053: Installation Manager: null pointer exception when corrupt file encountered. Meaningful error message should be given instead.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• The IBM Installation Manager throws a NullPointerException
  message when updating a WebSphere Application Server V7 product
  which has a corrupt "files.list" file.
  
  WebSphere Application Server contains a number of XML files
  named "files.list" in subdirectories under
  WAS_HOME/properties/version/nif/backup.  These files are used to
  maintain the list of files which belong to each product
  component.  If one of these files becomes corrupt, then
  Installation Manager is unable to install fixes on a WebSphere
  Application Server V7 product.
  
  When this occurs, the error message in the Installation Manager
  log looks like this:
  
  java.lang.NullPointerException
  java.util.Hashtable.put(Hashtable.java:775)
  com.ibm.ws.pak.internal.utils.componentactions.
    ChecksumUpdater.add(ChecksumUpdater.java:61)
  com.ibm.ws.pak.internal.utils.componentactions.FilesListParser.
    updateChecksumForThisComponentV6FullUninstallInverseFilesList
    (FilesListParser.java:299)
  com.ibm.ws.pak.internal.utils.componentactions.FilesListParser.
    getV6FullUninstallInverseFilesListForThisComponent
    (FilesListParser.java:251)
  com.ibm.ws.pak.internal.utils.componentactions.
    UpdateComponent.updateV6FullUninstallFilesListFile
    (UpdateComponent.java:326)
  
  The purpose of this APAR is to improve the error message and
  logging to show a more meaningful message, instead of the null
  pointer exception.
  

Local fix

• If a files.list file is corrupt, then manual intervention is
  required to resolve the problem.  You will need to recover a
  good copy of "files.list" from a backup of the product's files.
  
  The new error message generated as a result of this APAR will
  give better information to convey this.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
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  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
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  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
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  PAKENGINE is throwing NPE when corrupt file is encountered -
  meaning error message should be given.
  

Problem conclusion

• message has been improved in IM 1.5.1
  

Temporary fix

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

  IBM INSTALL MGR

• Fixed component ID

  RATLIMG00

Applicable component levels

• R143 PSN

     UP