PQ72603: TWO NODES OF SAME NAME, BUT DIFFERENT CASE, CREATED BY WEBSPHEREAPPLICATION SERVER

APAR status
Closed as Permanent restriction.

Error description
In WebSphere Application Server 4.0, customer created a new
repository, then used "XMLConfig -import" to populate the
repository.  The XMLConfig file had a node name in a
different case than the hostname.
After creating the new repository and running "XMLConfig
-import" there were two node (e.g. host1 and Host1), with
the same name and a different case.
.
Development has reviewed data and reports that this code
has been rearchitected in WebSphere 5.0.
.
Customer has NOT requested an interim fix, since there is a
well defined workaround.
Local fix
1. Drop and recreate repository
2. Start WebSphere
3. Compare node name in websphere (using admin console) with
   contents of XMLConfig file that will be used for import
4. Change node name to match case listed in Websphere's admin
   console
5. Use "XMLConfig -import" to repopulate repository
Note: It is assumed an XMLConfig file already exists that
contains customer's configuration when this problem occurs.
Problem summary
****************************************************************
* USERS AFFECTED: WebSphere Application Server users with      *
*                 duplicate node names in different case.      *
****************************************************************
* PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Two node with the same name but         *
*                      in different case are shown in the      *
*                      admin console.                          *
****************************************************************
* RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
****************************************************************
It is not clear how this happened for the customer, the
following are two possible scenarios that could cause it:
1. During a XMLConfig -import, the xml file being imported
   specified node name in incorrect case.
2. The com.ibm.ejs.sm.adminServer.nodeName property is added in
   the admin.config file with the incorrect case for the node
   name.
Node names are stored in the NODE_TABLE in the WAS repository.
An EJB is used to access the table through a case sensitive
query to look for a node.  The node name to look for is either
specified by the com.ibm.ejs.sm.adminServer.nodeName property
in admin.config file, or the machine host name if the property
is not found in the admin.config file.  Since host name is not
case insensitive, maybe it is more desirable that the node name
should be case insensitive too.  However, allowing the node
name to be case insensitive could alter the behaviors of
existing  functions, or even break them.  Hence, a code fix is
not recommended here.  Instead, a tech note will be created to
address this issue, and provide a workaround, should anyone run
into it.  This problem does not occur in WebSphere Application
Server 5.0 due to the 5.0 re-architecture, which adopted a file
system repository.  Since the file system on some OS, eg. Unix,
is case sensitive, the node name (which does not have to be
the  machine host name either) is case sensitive by design.
Problem conclusion
It is not recommended to make code change to support node name
to be case insensitive due to potential breakage of existing
functions.  Instead, a tech note will be created to address
this issue and provide a workaround, should any customer run
into it.
Temporary fix Comments
APAR information
APAR number PQ72603
Reported component name WEBSPHERE AE AI
Reported component ID 5630A2200
Reported release 400
Status CLOSED PRS
PE NoPE
HIPER NoHIPER
Submitted date 2003-03-28
Closed date 2003-03-28
Last modified date 2003-03-28

APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:
PQ72516

APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros
AdminSVR          

Fix information

Applicable component levels


Document Information


Product categories: Software > Application Servers > Distributed Application & Web Servers > WebSphere Application Server > General
Operating system(s):
Software version: 400
Software edition:
Reference #: PQ72603
IBM Group: Software Group
Modified date: Mar 28, 2003