JR52517: WHEN USING A CUSTOM AUTHENICATION PLUGIN WITH PROCESS DESIGNER, HTTP 500 ERRORS OCCUR FOR EXTERNAL WEB PAGES.

Version 8.5 Refresh Pack 7 for the IBM Business Process Manager products

APAR status

• Closed as fixed if next.

Error description

• When using a custom authenication plugin with Process Designer,
  Http 500 errors occur for external web pages.
  
  The browser will show a 500 error and
  StringIndexOutOfBoundsException.
  
  In the app cluster SystemOut logs, you will also see this
  exception.
  
  com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper service
  SRVE0068E: An exception was thrown by one of the service
  methods of the servlet [/redirect-login.jsp] in application
  [IBM_BPM_Teamworks_AppCluster].
  Exception created : [java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException
  at java.lang.String.substring(String.java:1148)
  at
  com.ibm._jsp._redirect_2D_login._jspService(_redirect_2D_login.j
  ava:145)
  at
  com.ibm.ws.jsp.runtime.HttpJspBase.service(HttpJspBase.java:99)
  
  
  This will only occur when using a custom authentication plugin
  for Process Designer:
  http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSFPJS_8.5.5/com.i
  bm.wbpm.imuc.ebpm.doc/topics/tsec_custom_authenticator.html
  
  If the failing URL is viewed for redirect-login.jsp, it will
  contain null credentials.
  

Local fix

• This setting needs to be set to false:
  <add-redirect-url-credentials>
  
  This will force external browsers to login again and avoid null
  credentials.
  
  This config setting should be modified using this process:
  http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSFPJS_8.5.5/com.i
  bm.wbpm.admin.doc/topics/managing_twks_config_settings.html
  
  This is a child of this element:
  <authoring-environmentmerge="mergeChildren">
  

Problem summary

• ERROR DESCRIPTION -
  When you use IBM Process Designer to access the IBM Process
  Center console, viewing the process documentation by selecting
  Generate Report for a specific business process definition (BPD)
  results in an exception in the external browser.
  
  
  PRODUCTS AFFECTED
  IBM Business Process Manager (BPM) Advanced
  IBM BPM Standard
  IBM BPM Express
  
  LOCAL FIX -
  Set <add-redirect-url-credentials> to ?true?.
  
  
  PROBLEM SUMMARY
  If you select Generate Report to view the process documentation
  from Process Designer when the property
  <add-redirect-url-credentials> is set to ?false?, an exception
  occurs in the external web browser.
  
  The URL constructed will be similar to this:
  
  https://localhost:9443/bpm/dev/WebViewer/redirect-login.jsp?jses
  sionId=null&credentials=null&redirect=...
  
  This issue occurs because of the null ?credentials? parameter in
  the HTTP request. The server side cannot handle the null
  credentials and throws an exception. However, Process Designer
  does not store user credential information if the property
  <add-redirect-url-credentials> is set to ?false?.
  
  You might see the following exception in the log files:
  
  ServletWrappe E com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper
  service SRVE0068E: An exception was thrown by one of the service
  methods of the servlet [/redirect-login.jsp] in application
  [IBM_BPM_Teamworks_AppCluster]. Exception created :
  [java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException]
  

Problem conclusion

• A fix is released in IBM BPM V8.5.7.0. Because no user
  credentials are passed in the request, the browser prompts the
  user to log in to view the process documentation.
  
  To obtain the fix, apply the V8.5.7.0 refresh pack.
  

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

Applicable component levels

• R856 PSY

     UP