Login Fails nullpointer exception with external Tomcat 7.0.76 after update to Build 227

Products

• Output Management Web Viewer

Issue/Introduction

Attempted upgrade to level 237.  Logins failed with nullpointer exception.  Backed off to previous level.  Still getting nullpointer exception.

org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationContext log
SEVERE: StandardWrapper.Throwable
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at com.ca.erm.webviewer.dao.AuditFileDAO.getRollingAuditDate(AuditFileDAO.java:118)
        at com.ca.erm.webviewer.dao.AuditFileDAO.<init>(AuditFileDAO.java:64)
        at com.ca.erm.webviewer.util.AuditTrail.<init>(AuditTrail.java:53)
        at com.ca.erm.webviewer.util.AuditTrail.getInstance(AuditTrail.java:91)
        at com.ca.erm.webviewer.data.LicenseCheckBean.check(LicenseCheckBean.java:111)
        at com.ca.erm.webviewer.servlet.webInitServlet.init(webInitServlet.java:172)
        at javax.servlet.GenericServlet.init(GenericServlet.java:158)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.initServlet(StandardWrapper.java:1230)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.loadServlet(StandardWrapper.java:1174)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.load(StandardWrapper.java:1066)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.loadOnStartup(StandardContext.java:5377)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5669)
        at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:145)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase.java:899)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChild(ContainerBase.java:875)
        at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.addChild(StandardHost.java:652)
        at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWAR(HostConfig.java:1092)
        at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig$DeployWar.run(HostConfig.java:1984)
        at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:511)
        at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149)
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624)
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:750)

 

Environment

Release : 12.1

Cause

The level of Tomcat (7.0.76) does not support the level of the JSP files that went on with Build 227 of 12.1 Web Viewer. And, unfortunately, back-leveling to their original Web Viewer Build will NOT replace the old JSP files. 

Resolution

Back up the Config directory prior to removing Web Viewer. 

Uninstall Web Viewer, making sure that all vestiges and all directories are deleted. Then do a new install of Web Viewer, which will put you at Build 203, without Modern Browser support. Then run the update to apply the Build you were at prior to the attempt to go to Build 237. You want to be at at least Build 210 to have Modern Browser support with no issues. 

Copy the config directory backup to the reinstalled and updated Web Viewer. That will save you from having to reconfigure your Production system.

 

Additional Information

 The best and quickest solution for this problem is to update to the 9.0.72 Tomcat (or current) that Web Viewer provides. In this case the customer preferred not to do that until after it is first tested on their test system.