Gen DTU startup fails (see only splash screen)

Products

Gen Gen - Workstation Toolset

Issue/Introduction

When starting the Gen Diagram Trace Utility (DTU) from a Windows workstation, it appears to start and the initial splash screen displays and then it goes away without error. This can be on a workstation where the DTU had previously worked without this type of behavior.

Resolution

Use one of the following to try to resolve this problem:

1. Delete the user temporary directory containing the existing DTU cache data.
Specifically, rename the directory: "C:\Users\<userid>\AppData\Local\CA\Gen 8.6\cfg\DiagramTrace".
A new directory will be created on the next attempted DTU startup.

2. Instead of using the normal Diagram Trace Utility shortcut which runs the file "%Gen86%\Gen\DiagramTrace.bat", directly run the file "%Gen86%\Gen\dt\DiagramTrace.exe" with the "clean" option from a command prompt as follows:
"%Gen86%\Gen\dt\DiagramTrace.exe" -clean
The "clean" option deletes runtime metadata and cached data in the configuration directory.
If that is successful then revert to using the Diagram Trace Utility shortcut which runs the file "%Gen86%\Gen\DiagramTrace.bat".

3. The Gen 8.6 DTU uses Windows environment variable Gen86JRE to locate the 32-bit Java runtime it needs to start.
Check for any errors in file named ".log" in directory "%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\CA\Gen 8.6\cfg\DiagramTrace\workspace\.metadata".
If need further assistance log a support case and upload that file and PTF install log "%Gen86%\PTF_Backups\PTF_maintenance.log".
One known problem is as follows:
The ".log" shows several eclipse class error exceptions caused by this java exception:
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Invalid version number: Version number may be negative or greater than 255
That is a known problem when using a 32-bit Java Runtime (JRE) 1.8 version greater than 1.8.0_255 and it is referred to here: https://www.eclipse.org/forums/index.php/t/1105495/
- In Gen 8.5 (now End Of service) which used Windows environment variable GEN85JRE the JRE was not supplied with the product so users had to install a 32-bit version of the JRE and set GEN85JRE to it. From Oracle Java archive page "Windows x86" u251 (1.8.0_251) i.e. jdk-8u251-windows-i586.exe, would be the latest one that could be installed to avoid the problem: https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/javase8u211-later-archive-downloads.html
NOTE: Due to changes in the Oracle JRE licensing using a non-Oracle 32-bit JRE may be appropriate.
- In Gen 8.6, the installation provides the 32-bit Oracle JRE software. Due to Oracle JRE licensing changes the install of Gen Complete PTF WKS86200/SO09618 contains a batch file openjdk.bat which updates the supplied JRE to a 32-bit OpenJDK (8u212) and sets the Gen86JRE Windows environment variable as follows:
Gen86JRE=C:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SharedComponents\JRE\OpenJDK\jdk8u212-b04-jre\
However support has had cases reported where although WKS86200 appears to have been installed per "%Gen86%\PTF_Backups\PTF_maintenance.log", the Gen86JRE Windows environment variable has been set to a version of 32-bit Oracle JRE which is greater than 1.8.0_255 and causes the above error. In that scenario it is possible that the Gen 8.6 installation has been cloned/copied from another machine and WKS86200 was never actually run locally. If so, then whatever installation practices are in place should be updated to also copy over the directory "C:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SharedComponents\JRE\OpenJDK\jdk8u212-b04-jre\" and set Gen86JRE to it. That would be the best resolution to this problem because that is the standard and correct Gen 8.6 setup. Otherwise, per above, Oracle JRE licensing considerations need to be reviewed to resolve the problem by using an Oracle JRE version that is earlier than 1.8.0_255.
To assist with a fast resolution the OpenJDK zip file extracted from WKS86200 has been attached to this article. Download it and rename to jdk8u212-b04-jre.zip.
Create directory "C:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SharedComponents\JRE\OpenJDK" and unzip jdk8u212-b04-jre.zip into it to create directory "C:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SharedComponents\JRE\OpenJDK\jdk8u212-b04-jre". Then set Windows environment variable Gen86JRE as follows:
Gen86JRE=C:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SharedComponents\JRE\OpenJDK\jdk8u212-b04-jre\
NOTE: Under the later level of 8.6.3 Consolidation PTF WKS86300/LU06327 the PTF BTN86301/LU06620 installs OpenJDK 1.8.0_345 and updates Gen86JRE it. No issues have been reported using that version.

Additional Information

Attachments

jdk8u212-b04-jre_1659496408991.zip get_app