PH21030: JAVA.LANG.NULLPOINTEREXCEPTION IN COM.IBM.WS.SECURITY.WEB.WEBCOLLABORATOR IS SEEN AT TOMCAT STARTUP WHEN USING COM.IBM.WS.EJB.T

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• When placing the thinclient com.ibm.ws.ejb.thinclient_9.0.jar
  to the Catalina classpath "/usr/share/tomcat_restda/lib/" when
  application started.
  And it works for the old version 8.5.5.14
  for years. But it is started failed after upgrading to
  9.0.0.11. There is NULL point when starting the
  service.
  
  Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
  at com.ibm.w
  s.security.web.WebCollaborator.isJaspiEnabled(WebCollaborator.ja
  va:1437)
  at com.ibm.ws.security.web.SecurityServletContainerInit
  ializer.onStartup(SecurityServletContainerInitializer.java:50)
  a
  t org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(Standar
  dContext.java:5632)
  
  The problem is seen while starting up
  tomcat and the following error comes while loading IBM client
  jar com.ibm.ws.ejb.thinclient_9.0.jar. This jar located in
  <WAS_HOME>/AppServer/plugins directory in WAS nodes.
  
  SEVERE:
  ContainerBase.addChild:
  start:
  org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start
  component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].Stan
  dardContext[/restda]]
  at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.
  start(LifecycleBase.java:162)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.Contai
  nerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase.java:899)
  at org.apache.c
  atalina.core.ContainerBase.addChild(ContainerBase.java:875)
  at o
  rg.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.addChild(StandardHost.java:
  652)
  at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployDescriptor(
  HostConfig.java:679)
  at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig$D
  eployDescriptor.run(HostConfig.java:1966)
  at java.util.concurren
  t.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:511)
  at
  java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
  at java
  .util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor
  .java:1149)
  at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.ru
  n(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624)
  at
  java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)
  Caused by:
  java.lang.NullPointerException
  at com.ibm.ws.security.web.WebCol
  laborator.isJaspiEnabled(WebCollaborator.java:1437)
  at com.ibm.w
  s.security.web.SecurityServletContainerInitializer.onStartup(Sec
  urityServletContainerInitializer.java:50)
  at org.apache.catalina
  .core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5632)
  a
  t org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.jav
  a:145)
  ... 10 more
  

Local fix

• N/A
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  All users of IBM WebSphere Application      *
  *                  Server                                      *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: When using the                          *
  *                      com.ibm.ws.ejb.thinclient_9.0.jar with  *
  *                      TomCat Catalina in Websphere 90. The    *
  *                      following error shows up: Caused by:    *
  *                      java.lang.NullPointerException          *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      com.ibm.ws.security.web.WebCollaborator *
  *                      .isJaspiEnabled(WebCollaborator.ja      *
  *                      va:1437)                                *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      com.ibm.ws.security.web.SecurityServlet *
  *                      ContainerInit                           *
  *                      ializer.onStartup(SecurityServletContai *
  *                      nerInitializer.java:50)                 *
  *                      at                                      *
  *                      org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContex *
  *                      t.startInternal(Standar                 *
  *                      dContext.java:5632)                     *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  When using TomCat Catalina in Websphere 90. The following error
  shows up:
  Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
  at com.ibm.w
  s.security.web.WebCollaborator.isJaspiEnabled(WebCollaborator.ja
  va:1437)
  at com.ibm.ws.security.web.SecurityServletContainerInit
  ializer.onStartup(SecurityServletContainerInitializer.java:50)
  a
  t
  org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(Standar
  dContext.java:5632)
  The problem is seen while starting up
  tomcat and the following error comes while loading IBM client
  jar com.ibm.ws.ejb.thinclient_9.0.jar. This jar located in
  <WAS_HOME>/AppServer/plugins directory in WAS nodes.
  

Problem conclusion

• When support JASPI 1.1 was added in WAS 9.0.0.0 a new piece of
  code was designed to always have the security object
  initialized.
  
  However when TomCat Catalina is used this object is not
  initialized.
  
  The fix for this APAR is targeted for inclusion in fix pack
  9.0.5.5. For more information, see 'Recommended Updates for
  WebSphere Application Server':
  http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg27004980
  

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

  WEBS APP SERV N

• Fixed component ID

  5724H8800

Applicable component levels

• R900 PSY

     UP