Classloader issue with BEA WLS8.1 and ContextLoaderListener?

[ivom2gi]

I am developing a spring application for Weblogic Server 8.1SP4. Currently having the following problem:

Defining ContextLoaderListener in web.xml for reloading resources as following:

<context-param>
<param-name>contextConfigLocation</param-name>
<param-value>/WEB-INF/envreg-servlet.xml</param-value>
</context-param>
<listener>
<listener-class>org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListe ner</listener-class>
</listener>

results in a classcast exception in development while weblogic automatically redeploys webapp an exploded webapp after recompilation.

Stacktrace follows:

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Root context attribute is not of type WebApplicationContext: org.springframework.web.context.support.XmlWebAppl icationContext: display name [Root WebApplicationContext]; startup date [Wed Jul 27 10:37:34 EEST 2005]; root of context hierarchy; config locations [/WEB-INF/bug-servlet.xml]
at org.springframework.web.context.support.WebApplica tionContextUtils.getWebApplicationContext(WebAppli cationContextUtils.java:64)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.i nitWebApplicationContext(FrameworkServlet.java:249 )
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.i nitServletBean(FrameworkServlet.java:219)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.HttpServletBean.in it(HttpServletBean.java:111)
at javax.servlet.GenericServlet.init(GenericServlet.j ava:258)
at weblogic.servlet.internal.ServletStubImpl$ServletI nitAction.run(ServletStubImpl.java:1028)
at weblogic.security.acl.internal.AuthenticatedSubjec t.doAs(AuthenticatedSubject.java:321)
at weblogic.security.service.SecurityManager.runAs(Se curityManager.java:121)
at weblogic.servlet.internal.ServletStubImpl.createSe rvlet(ServletStubImpl.java:904)
...

I have provided a minimal testcase for the issue which can be downloaded from http://ivo.webmedia.ee/bug.zip

Steps to reproduce:

1. Have a Weblogic Server 8.1SP4 running in development mode.
2. unzip bug.zip
3. deploy war folder (exploded .war file)
4. Open browser for URL http://localhost:7001/bug/. You should see a "Hello world" message.
5. Change ee.bug.HelloController.java file and recompile it to the WEB-INF/classes folder. ant compile target should do it.
6. Refresh the browser window. Stacktrace should be displayed to you.

Alternate scenarios:

- redeploy webapp from weblogic console before hitting the URL - everything works
- remove following from the web.xml. Now everything works even without redeployment from console.
<listener>
<listener-class>
org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListe ner
</listener-class>
</listener>
- put to the server's classpath all the supporting libraries from WEB-INF/lib (common-log, spring, jstl) and remove those from WEB-INF/lib. Everything works now.

Business effect for the issue: notable development slowdown due to the need of manual redeployment after each change in class files.

I have previously opened a case in BEA support environment, but their claim was it to be a spring problem, most likely a classloader issue (inforrect static reference somewhere?)

Case can be reproduced with at least Spring versions 1.2.2 and 1.2.3

[ivom2gi]

- tried countries sample application - after switching the sample app also to the exploded format (slightly modifying build scripts as compiling everything to the WEB-INF/classes and removing counties.jar from WEB-INF/lib) the same exception occured:

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Root context attribute is not of type WebApplicationContext: org.springframework.web.context.support.XmlWebAppl icationContext: display name [Root WebApplicationContext]; startup date [Wed Jul 27 12:05:51 EEST 2005]; root of context hierarchy; config locations [/WEB-INF/applicationContext.xml]
at org.springframework.web.context.support.WebApplica tionContextUtils.getWebApplicationContext(WebAppli cationContextUtils.java:64)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.i nitWebApplicationContext(FrameworkServlet.java:249 )
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.i nitServletBean(FrameworkServlet.java:219)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.HttpServletBean.in it(HttpServletBean.java:111)
at javax.servlet.GenericServlet.init(GenericServlet.j ava:258)
at weblogic.servlet.internal.ServletStubImpl$ServletI nitAction.run(ServletStubImpl.java:1028)
at weblogic.security.acl.internal.AuthenticatedSubjec t.doAs(AuthenticatedSubject.java:321)
at weblogic.security.service.SecurityManager.runAs(Se curityManager.java:121)
at weblogic.servlet.internal.ServletStubImpl.createSe rvlet(ServletStubImpl.java:904)
at weblogic.servlet.internal.ServletStubImpl.createIn stances(ServletStubImpl.java:883)
at weblogic.servlet.internal.ServletStubImpl.prepareS ervlet(ServletStubImpl.java:822)

[ivom2gi]

Seems like an issue related to WLS 8.1 classloading and spring initialization - checked the provided code with tomcat 5.0.28 with automatic redeployment flags turned on and it works.

[ivom2gi]

Groovy - prefectly clear reproducible issue and:

- one of the market leaders in J2EE container market with possible classloader issue - no reply
- one of the most used frameworks in market with possible classloader issue - no reply

It's a wonderful world.

[robh]

Please can you raise a JIRA issue for this. Unfortunately, many bug repots get missed on here - and your post doesn't show up as an unanswered post which means many people will have missed it. The best way to get a bug addressed it to post to JIRA.

Also, make sure that you don't have multiple versions of the spring.jar on your classpath - this is a common cause of issues such as this.

Regards,

Rob

[ivom2gi]

Posted a JIRA issue SPR-1217