PI40775: Symbolic links to server directories from Liberty usr/servers di rectory do not work as expected

8.5.5.6: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 6
8.5.5.7: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 7
8.5.5.8: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 8
8.5.5.9: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 9
8.5.5.10: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 10
8.5.5.11: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 11
8.5.5.12: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 12
8.5.5.13: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 13
8.5.5.14: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 14
8.5.5.15: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 15
8.5.5.17: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 17
8.5.5.20: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5.20
8.5.5.18: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 18
8.5.5.19: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 19
8.5.5.16: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Fix Pack 16
8.5.5.21: WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5.21

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• It should be possible to put the server directory elsewhere
  in the system, making it available to Liberty via a symbolic
  link from usr/servers. However, in the current code, if the
  name of the link and the name of the actual directory are
  different, this will fail due to confusion over which name
  to use as the actual "server name".
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  All users of IBM WebSphere Application      *
  *                  Server Liberty Profile                      *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Symbolic links to server directories    *
  *                      from Liberty usr/servers directory do   *
  *                      not work as expected                    *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  It should be possible to put the server directory elsewhere in
  the system, making it available to Liberty via a symbolic link
  from usr/servers. However, in the current code, if the name of
  the link and the name of the actual directory are different,
  this will fail due to confusion over which name to use as the
  actual "server name".
  

Problem conclusion

• The problem arose due to the use of filename canonicalization,
  which unfortunately "unwraps" symbolic links. We have added a
  special-case which recognizes when this specific directory is a
  symbolic link and uses other mechanisms to canonicalize its
  name. Caveat: Symbolic links from locations _within_ the server
  directory may still be unwrapped; addressing that has been
  deferred as future work since that may make sense in some use
  cases but not others.
  
  The fix for this APAR is currently targeted for inclusion in fix
  pack 8.5.5.6.  Please refer to the Recommended Updates page for
  delivery information:
  http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg27004980
  

Temporary fix

• If the name of the symlink _exactly_ matches the name of the
  file it points to -- for example, if the symlink is
  .../wlp/user/servers/MyServer and the directory it points to is
  .../some/other/path/MyServer -- the previously existing code
  should correctly access the server definition. The bug becomes
  visible when the two names differ, even if the differences are
  just uppercase versus lowercase.
  

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

  WAS LIBERTY COR

• Fixed component ID

  5725L2900

Applicable component levels

• R855 PSY

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