Troubleshooting an HTTP status code 404: "NOT FOUND" error

Technote (FAQ)
Problem
This document lists what is needed to debug a 404 error in WebSphereŽ Application Server V3.5 releases.
Solution

If the 404 error is easily reproducible, do the following:
  1. Start the administrative console:
    1. Click on the advanced tab of the servlet engine,
    2. Click on Settings,
    3. Select all options in the field Select Log File Mask,
    4. Click on OK, then
    5. Click on apply.

  2. While in the administrative console,
    1. Select your Application Server (for example Default Server), and
    2. Click on the advanced tab.
    3. Edit the Trace specification and "Trace output file settings.
    4. Set the Trace specification to the following value:

      com.ibm.servlet.engine.*=all=enabled

  3. For trace output file, fill in the fully qualified filename. For example: c:/WebSphere/AppServer/logs/srttrace.txt

  4. Edit the bootstrap.properties on the Web server system to look like the following:

    ose.native.log.level=ERROR|WARNING|TRACE|INFORM
    ose.plugin.log.level=ERROR|WARNING|TRACE|INFORM


  5. Stop the Application Server

  6. Delete the stdout and stderr log files for the Application Server.

  7. Stop the Web server.

  8. Delete the error.log and access.log for the Web server.

  9. Start the Application Server.

  10. Start the Web server.

  11. Recreate the problem and take a screen shot of the 404 error in the browser.

  12. Send in the following files:

    1. Trace file from step 3.

    2. Everything in the $WAS_HOME/logs directory, ensuring that the stdout and stderr for the application server are included.

    3. Plug-in trace (trace.log.Web server.timestamp)

    4. Web server error.log

    5. Web server httpd.conf

    6. Web server access.log

    7. Application server rules.properties

    8. Application server bootstrap.properties

    9. XMLConfig export file

    10. Document the requested URL that causes the 404 error, including the host and port number.

    11. Screen shot of 404 error in the browser.


If the 404 error is not easily reproducible and you cannot setup tracing, do the following:
  1. Take a screen shot of the 404 error in the browser

  2. Send in the following files:

    1. Everything in the install_root/logs directory, ensuring that the stdout and stderr for the Application Server are included.


    2. Plug-in log (trace.log.Web server.timestamp)

    3. Web server error.log

    4. Web server httpd.conf

    5. Web server access.log

    6. Application Server rules.properties

    7. Application Server bootstrap.properties

    8. XMLConfig export file

    9. Document the requested URL that causes the 404 error, including the host and port number.
    10. Screen shot of 404 error in the browser.











Document Information

Product categories: Software, Application Servers, Distributed Application & Web Servers, WebSphere Application Server, Servlet Engine/Web Container
Operating system(s): AIX, HPUX, Linux, Solaris, Windows
Software version: 3.5, 3.5.1, 3.5.2, 3.5.3, 3.5.4, 3.5.4.1, 3.5.4.2, 3.5.5, 3.5.6, 3.5.7
Software edition: Advanced, Standard
Reference #: 1143592
IBM Group: Software Group
Modified date: 2004-10-27