IT29790: DS8K PERFORMANCE COLLECTION FAILS WITH NULL POINTER EXCEPTION NPE

IBM Spectrum Control 5.3.4 (September 2019)

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• DS8K performance collection fails due to a race condition in the
  ESSNI API. Once the situation occurs, performance monitoring
  fails until the Device Server is restarted.
  
  The following is observed in the device specific tracePerfMgr
  log:
  
  2019-03-07 11:52:00.013+0200 PmThread24670   StatsCollectorDsNi
  establishConnection            DEBUG_MIN  Connecting to ESSNI...
  2019-03-07 11:52:00.013+0200 PmThread24670   StatsCollectorDsNi
  collectData                    EXIT       return value = Error
  exit: Unable to connect to agent <IP address>
  
  The following NullPointerException is observed in the
  tracePerfMgr log:
  
  2019-03-07 11:55:00.017+0200 CollThread33    CollectorThread
  processCollection              DEBUG_MIN  Data collection failed
  on device <device name> [IP address].
  com.ibm.tpc.perf.counter.DeviceOpFailedException: HWNPM4303E An
  agent API call (NIServices.connect()) failed while attempting to
  retrieve performance data for the device.
     at
  com.ibm.tpc.perf.counter.CounterDataServiceDsNapi.pollForCounter
  Data(CounterDataServiceDsNapi.java:612)
  [...]
  Caused by: com.ibm.tpc.perf.pdc.PdcAgentException: Unable to
  connect to agent <IP address> (method: NIServices.connect())
  [...]
  Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
     at java.util.LinkedList$ListItr.next(LinkedList.java:904)
     at
  com.ibm.storage.ess.ni.communication.extensions.reliable.NIRelia
  bleCommunicationsClientImpl.getInstance(Unknown Source)
  

Local fix

• Restart the Device Server
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * IBM Spectrum Control & Storage Insights users monitoring and *
  * collecting performance data on DS8000                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * DS8000 performance collection fails due to a race condition  *
  * in                                                           *
  * the ESSNI API.                                               *
  *                                                              *
  * Once the situation occurs, performance monitoring fails      *
  * until                                                        *
  * the Device Server is restarted.                              *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• The fix for this APAR is targeted for the following release:
  
  IBM Storage Insights 3Q19   [ 5.3.4-IBM-SC ]
  IBM Spectrum Control 5.3.4   [ 5.3.4-IBM-SC ]
  
  ( release target September 2019 )
  
  http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?&uid=swg21320822
  
  The target dates for future releases do not represent a formal
  commitment by IBM. The dates are subject to change without
  notice.
  

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

  TPC ADVANCED

• Fixed component ID

  5608TPCA0

Applicable component levels