JR43880: NULLPOINTEREXCEPTION OCCURS CAUSING APPLICATION INSTANCE TO FAIL

Download Version 8.0.1 Fix Pack 2 for the IBM Business Process Manager products
Version 8.5.0 Fix Pack 1 for the IBM Business Process Manager products
Version 7.5.1 Fix Pack 2 for the IBM Business Process Manager products
Version 7.5.1 Fix Pack 1 for the IBM Business Process Manager products
Version 8.5 Refresh Pack 5 for the IBM Business Process Manager products

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• If a variable in a business process diagram (BPD) is exposed as
  "Available in search" (in Process Designer), then when an
  instance of the BPD is executed, the first modification of that
  variable succeeds, but any subsequent modification to any
  variable other than the original causes the process instance to
  fail with no visible error message.  In SystemOut.log (on the
  server or cluster where the process application is deployed), a
  NullPointerException with a stack trace similar to the following
  is written:
  
  wle_ucaexcept E  CWLLG0181E:An exception occurred during
  execution of task 1,239.  Error: java.lang.NullPointerException
  
  com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksException:
  java.lang.NullPointerException
  at
  com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksEx
  ception.asTeamWorksException(TeamWorksException.java:130)
  at
  com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine
  .quartz.AbstractBpdTask.execute(AbstractBpdTask.java:129)
  ...
  Caused by:
  java.lang.NullPointerException
  at
  om.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine.
  BPDInstanceDAO.processSearchableField(BPDInstanceDAO.java:1166)
  at
  com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine
  .BPDInstanceDAO.getSearchableValues(BPDInstanceDAO.java:1067)
  at
  com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine
  .BPDInstanceDAO.saveSearchableValues(BPDInstanceDAO.java:593)
  at
  com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine
  .BPDInstanceDAO.save(BPDInstanceDAO.java:251)
  ...
  at
  com.lombardisoftware.server.core.TXComm
  and.execute(TXCommand.java:69)
  at
  com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine
  .quartz.AbstractBpdTask.execute(AbstractBpdTask.java:100)
  ... 14 more
  

Local fix

• from L3:
  I made a null pointer check code change in BPDInstanceDAO class
  and was able to complete the task without an issue except the
  (PFS-0065) errors which is pdw related.
  
  Code change snippet
  
  else if (lastModificationTime == null || (modificationTime !=
  null && (modificationTime.compareTo(lastModificationTime) >
  0))) {
                  updateValue = true;
              }
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  Users of BPM Express, BPM Standard and BPM  *
  *                  Advanced.                                   *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: If a variable in a business process     *
  *                      diagram (BPD) is exposed as             *
  *                      "Available in search" (in Process       *
  *                      Designer), then when an                 *
  *                      instance of the BPD is executed, the    *
  *                      first modification of that variable     *
  *                      succeeds, but any subsequent            *
  *                      modification to any variable other      *
  *                      than the original causes the process    *
  *                      instance to fail with no visible error  *
  *                      message.  In SystemOut.log (on the      *
  *                      server or cluster where the process     *
  *                      application is deployed), a             *
  *                      NullPointerException with a stack       *
  *                      trace similar to the following is       *
  *                      written:                                *
  *                      wle_ucaexcept E  CWLLG0181E:            *
  *                      An exception occurred during            *
  *                      execution of task 1,239.  Error:        *
  *                      java.lang.NullPointerException          *
  *                      com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksExce *
  *                      ption:                                  *
  *                      java.lang.NullPointerException          *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksEx   *
  *                      ception.asTeamWorksException(TeamWorksE *
  *                      xception.java:130)                      *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine *
  *                      .quartz.AbstractBpdTask.execute(Abstrac *
  *                      tBpdTask.java:129)                      *
  *                      ...                                     *
  *                      Caused by:                              *
  *                      java.lang.NullPointerException          *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      om.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine. *
  *                      BPDInstanceDAO.processSearchableField(B *
  *                      PDInstanceDAO.java:1166)                *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine *
  *                      .BPDInstanceDAO.getSearchableValues(BPD *
  *                      InstanceDAO.java:1067)                  *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine *
  *                      .BPDInstanceDAO.saveSearchableValues(BP *
  *                      DInstanceDAO.java:593)                  *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine *
  *                      .BPDInstanceDAO.save(BPDInstanceDAO.jav *
  *                      a:251)                                  *
  *                      ...                                     *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      com.lombardisoftware.server.core.TXComm *
  *                      and.execute(TXCommand.java:69)          *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      com.lombardisoftware.bpd.runtime.engine *
  *                      .quartz.AbstractBpdTask.execute(Abstrac *
  *                      tBpdTask.java:100)                      *
  *                      ... 14 more                             *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  Code that is tracking modifications to searchable variables
  (for the Performance Data Warehouse) was not checking for a
  null modification time in a comparison with the previous
  modification time (to determine if a searchable variable was
  updated); it was assuming the variable was modified,
  resulting in the NullPointerException.  (Prior to and
  including the first modification of a searchable variable, a
  check for a null previous modification time was short
  circuiting the check for current modificaton time and
  therefore the issue did not occur in those cases.)
  

Problem conclusion

• Adding a check for null modification time to the code
  mentioned in the Problem Summary resolved the issue.
  
  An interim fix for Business Process Manager Version 7.5.1.0 has
  been published to Fix Central.  Please refer to the separate
  file that is automatically downloaded with the interim fix
  for prerequisite information and installation/uninstallation
  instructions.
  
  Additionally, Business Process Manager Version 7.5.1 Fix Pack
  1 (7.5.1.1) contains the fix for this issue.
  

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

  BPM STANDARD

• Fixed component ID

  5725C9500

Applicable component levels

• R750 PSY

     UP