PH23233: NULLPOINTEREXCEPTION WHEN INSTALLING THE REQUIRED WLP SERVER'S FEATURES FROM LOCAL REPOSITORY

20.0.0.4: WebSphere Application Server Liberty 20.0.0.4
20.0.0.5: WebSphere Application Server Liberty 20.0.0.5

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• NullPointerException when installing the required WLP
  server's
  features from local repository. The problem occurs ONLY on
  WLP
  19.0.0.12 or higher on SLES 12. The problem does not occur
  on
  CentOS and RedHat. It does not occurs on WLP 19.0.0.11.
  

Local fix

• n/a
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  All users of IBM WebSphere Application      *
  *                  Server Liberty - Liberty Archive Install    *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: unnecessary features were obtained when *
  *                      scanning the server.xml resulting in    *
  *                      resolution troubles                     *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  A null pointer exception (NPE) is encountered when installing
  server.xml features using installUtility if the features in the
  feature list are incompatible features for the server (i.e
  servlet-3.1 and servlet-4.0). The NPE Was the result of a
  previous bug that was fixed in fixpack 20.0.0.2, but the NPE was
  thrown while making an exception for the underlying server.xml
  resolution bug that this APAR is a fix for. The underlying
  problem is that the method we use to determine features from the
  server.xml gave us more features than we needed which caused
  issues with the resolver and gave it the impression that certain
  unnecessary features needed to be installed giving us the error
  of incompatible features.
  

Problem conclusion

• The problem was fixed by filtering out the already installed
  features from server.xml before passing it to the resolver, this
  way no unnecessary features were requested by the resolver after
  resolution.
  
  The fix for this APAR is currently targeted for inclusion in fix
  pack 20.0.0.4.  Please refer to the Recommended Updates page for
  delivery information:
  http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg27004980
  

Temporary fix

• The user can manually install the incompatible server.xml
  features using installUtility install feature command
  

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

  LIBERTY PROFILE

• Fixed component ID

  5724J0814

Applicable component levels

• RCD0 PSY

     UP