TroubleShooting: Plug-in problems with WebSphere Application Server V5.0 and 5.1
 Technote (troubleshooting)
 
Problem(Abstract)
Troubleshooting for problems with the WebSphere® Application Server plug-in component. This should help address common issues with this component before calling IBM® support and save you time.
 
Symptom
 
Resolving the problem

1. Learning more 2. Troubleshooting 3. Collecting data

Steps to help resolve WebSphere Application Server plug-in problems
  1. Do you need information on the supported Web servers for use with WebSphere Application Server and the plug-in?
  2. Is the plug-in module failing to load properly or do you want general information on how to configure the plug-in? Symptom: Web server does not start with the current plugin-cfg.xml file.
  3. Do you need to verify the plug-in build date?
    • Yes, the build date of the plug-in is logged in the http_plugin.log file. The location of the http_plugin.log file is specified in the plugin-cfg.xml file.

      Look for the label of "Bld date" to determine the build date of the plug-in. The following is an example of what you need to look for in the plug-in log file:

      PLUGIN: ----------System Information--------------
      PLUGIN: Bld version: 6.0.0
      PLUGIN: Bld date: Oct 31 2004, 11:15:26
      PLUGIN: Webserver: IBM_HTTP_Server/6.0 Apache/2.0.47 (Win32)
      PLUGIN: Hostname = RIGHTNOW
      PLUGIN: OS version 5.2, build 3790, ''
      PLUGIN: ------------------------------------------

    • No, continue to the next question.

  4. Do you need to upgrade to the latest plug-in module to ensure all current fixes have been applied?
  5. Is the issue related to plug-in Load Balancing?
  6. Is the request failing with a 404 File Not Found error?
    • Yes, review the http_plugin.log file for information.

      If the 404 error is shown within the plug-in log, then the application server provided that response which indicates that it was unable to fulfill the request. This could be an application deployment related issue.

      If the 404 error only shows up in the web server access log for an application server request, then this is the result of the plug-in failing the request and then web server attempts to serve it. Review the request in question and verify if it should be served by the web server or application server. If the request was intended for web server review web server configuration. Static files are generally served by the web server. If the request was intended for the application server the plug-in did not find a match. Review the SystemOut.log file for an error similar to "virtual webgroup not defined for /<requested URI>". The needed virtualHost setting may not have been defined in the plugin-cfg.xml file. Ensure the web server listening port has been added to the virtual hosts of the application server. If has to be added the application server must be recycled to pick up the changes. Regen the plugin-cfg.xml file from the admin console and recopy the file to the webserver.

    • No, continue to the next question.

  7. Is the request failing with a 500 Internal Server Error?
    • Yes, review the http_plugin.log file.

      If you see the 500 error response code in the plug-in log, then this was passed from the application server log. This kind of response could be related to an application server being down.

      If you only see the 500 error within the Web server access log, then this usually corresponds to a failed attempt to communicate with the application server. Recommendation is to investigate what could be interfering with the plug-in’s attempt to communicate with the application server. Possibilities include: A firewall between the plug-in and application server or the Hostname and port from the plug-in are not correctly defined to the network. Verify the ports defined the plugin-cfg.xml file are open in the firewall configuration.

    • No, next question

  8. Are the SSL requests failing?
    • Yes, review the http_plugin.log file.

      Check for the following error in the plug-in log:

      GSK_BAD_KEYFILE_PASSWORD

      When HTTPS transports are defined within the plug-in, a keyfile is required to establish the SSL handshake between the plug-in and the WebSphere Application Server. This message tells us that the plug-in binary was not able to open the keyfile because the Stash file either does not exist, or does not contain a correct password to the keyfile. The recommendation is to use the iKeyman tool to re-stash the password into the Stash file.

    • No, continute to the next question.

  9. Do you need information on creating KDB files with the iKeyman tool for SSL?
  10. Is the plug-in failing to connect to the application server? This is noted by the following error in the http_plugin.log file:

    ERROR: ws_common: websphereGetStream: Failed to connect to app server on host

    • Yes, review the following in your environment:
      • The application server has either gone down or was not started.
      • The application server is up, but has exhausted its thread pool and backlog.
      • There is a firewall in-between the plug-in and the application server that does not have the correct ports open to allow traffic through.

    • No, continue to the section, What to do next.

What to do next
If the preceding troubleshooting steps did not help solve your problem, see the MustGather for WebSphere Application Server HTTP plug-in problems to continue investigation.
 
 
Cross Reference information
Segment Product Component Platform Version Edition
Application Servers Runtimes for Java Technology Java SDK
 
 


Document Information


Product categories: Software > Application Servers > Distributed Application & Web Servers > WebSphere Application Server > Plug-in
Operating system(s): Windows
Software version: 5.1
Software edition:
Reference #: 1265388
IBM Group: Software Group
Modified date: Sep 27, 2008