Troubleshooting
Problem
This article describes issues specific to the "ODM" experienced while installing and uninstalling WebSphere Application Server V5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, and 7.0 as well as IBM HTTP Server V1.3, 2.0, 6.0, 6.1, and 7.0 on AIX. Also, solutions for common issues are discussed.
Symptom
Symptoms which indicate ODM issues
There are several factors which indicate that the WebSphere Application Server product installer is experiencing difficulty with the ODM. For hints about where to find the product's installation log files, consult the Install MustGather document for the version of the product in question.
- The installer fails or hangs in the installation wizard, or it claims that it successfully installed the product nearly instantaneously. In either case, the presence of this stack trace error in the installation log is a major indicator of an ODM-related installation issue.
STACK_TRACE: 11
java.lang.NullPointerException at com.installshield.product.SoftwareObjectUtils.updateKey(SoftwareObjectUtils.java:21) at com.installshield.product.service.product.PureJavaProductServiceImpl$Inst
allProduct.addToVPD(PureJavaProductServiceImpl.java:4664) at com.installshield.product.service.product.PureJavaProductServiceImpl$Inst
allProduct.checkInstalledVersion(PureJavaProductServiceImpl.java:4632)
The highlighted methods (updateKey and addToVPD) are the key indicators.
- The installer claims that the product installation was successful, but the wizard hangs at the end of the process. The installation process proceeds much faster than it should have, perhaps taking mere seconds to claim that the product is installed. Or, perhaps the installation appears to proceed normally, but attempts to start the server fail.
In this case, the product installation log file contains several occurrences of this phrase:
- If the AIX system has been recently migrated to a newer release (for example, migrating from AIX 5.1 to AIX 5.2), then a critical ODM table is dropped during the process. It is possible to test whether or not the ODM table has been dropped by issuing the following command:
| Did not replace installed object (name) with object (name) |
| This typically means that the installer detected data related to a previous installation instance of the product. As a result, the installer will skip the installation of critical components. |
| ODMDIR=/usr/lib/objrepos odmget vendor >vendor.txt |
| Examine the resulting vendor.txt file. If it is blank, then the vendor table is empty. If a WebSphere Application Server product is currently installed on this system and the vendor table is blank, then it is likely that the vendor table was dropped; therefore, the ODM needs to be cleaned up. |
[{"Product":{"code":"SSEQTP","label":"WebSphere Application Server"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Component":"Install","Platform":[{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"}],"Version":"7.0;6.1;6.0;5.1","Edition":"Base;Enterprise;Express;Network Deployment;WebSphere Business Integrations Server Foundation","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSEQTJ","label":"IBM HTTP Server"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU059","label":"IBM Software w\/o TPS"},"Component":"Uninstall","Platform":[{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"}],"Version":"6.0;2.0.47;1.3.28;1.3.26","Edition":"Edition Independent","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSNVBF","label":"Runtimes for Java Technology"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU054","label":"Systems w\/TPS"},"Component":"Java SDK","Platform":[{"code":"","label":""}],"Version":"","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB08","label":"Cognitive Systems"}}]
Log InLog in to view more of this document
This document has the abstract of a technical article that is available to authorized users once you have logged on. Please use Log in button above to access the full document. After log in, if you do not have the right authorization for this document, there will be instructions on what to do next.
Was this topic helpful?
Document Information
Modified date:
03 March 2025
UID
swg21231062