PM56334: WEBSPHERE MQ FILE TRANSFER EDITION AGENT PROCESS FAILS WITH A JAVA.LANG.NULLPOINTEREXCEPTION

WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition V7.0 Fix Pack 7.0.4.2

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• The symptoms for this APAR are similar to APAR IC79441.  The WMQ
  FTE agent process fails with a
  java.lang. NullPointerException.
   The following stack is evident in the FTE agent FDC file
   Method:     uncaughtException
   Probe:      ABEND_001
   Cause:      java.lang.NullPointerException
  .
  While this has the same symptoms as APAR IC79441, it is actually
  has a different root cause. It seems that because the agent
  ended uncleanly before making its first transfer checkpoint, we
  throw a NullPointerException as observed in the ABEND file. This
  is because the code does not take account for the situation
  whereby the transfer may move to state RUNNING but to complete
  no checkpoints. During recovery we expect a checkpoint, and so
  throw the NullPointerException.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• If an agent failed without having made any checkpoints for a
  given transfer, and had already moved the transfer into RUNNING
  state, the agent would never be able to recover and would log a
  NullPointerException ABEND on every attempt to start.
  
  USERS AFFECTED:
  All
  
  PLATFORMS AFFECTED:
  All
  

Problem conclusion

• The code has been altered to cater for the window in which no
  checkpoints have been made for a given transfer. In this
  situation transfer of the file will restart from the beginning.
  
  The fix for this APAR is currently targeted for inclusion in fix
  pack 7.0.4.2.
  

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

  WMQ FTE Z/OS

• Fixed component ID

  5655U8000

Applicable component levels

• R703 PSY

     UP

• R704 PSY

     UP