PQ70205; 4.0.2 - 4.0.5: WebSphere Application Server
fails to handle POST reques
Downloadable files
Abstract
WebSphere® Application Server fails to handle POST
requests when the POST data is sent in time intervals greater that the
connection timeout.
Download Description
PQ70205 resolves the following problem:
USERS AFFECTED:
WebSphere Application Server installations that receive http requests of
type POST.
PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
WebSphere Application Server fails to handle POST requests when the POST
data is sent in time intervals greater than the connection timeout.
WebSphere needs to handle this situation and return the correct status
code. The plug-in needs to be modified to limit the possibility of sending
this type of request to the application server. The plug-in change was
done as part of PQ70037. The interim fix for PQ70037 was incorporated in
cumulative plug-in interim fix from March 7, 2003 and any future
cumulative plug-in fix.
WebSphere returns a http status code of 500 when the connection times out
during the reading of POST data. Per the HTTP specification, WebSphere
should return an http status code of 408 to indicate a timeout versus an
internal status error.
PROBLEM CONCLUSION:
Modified WebSphere Application Server's transport code to return the
correct status code when the connection times out before the request can
be sent to the Application Server.
We recommend to consider to increase default HTTP transport parameters of
WebSphere Web container to prevent premature I/O & KeepAlive timeout
of http requests, especially when Web server is remote and behind a
firewall.
Each system is unique and has different optimum parameter settings. These
are reasonable values for Web container settings:
MinThreadSize = MaxThreadSize = 50 (defaults are 25 and 50)
KeepAlive Timeout = 10 - 60 (default is 5)
I/O Timeout = 10 - 60 (default is 5)
Do not enable thread allocation beyond maximum (increase MinThreadSize
and MaxThreadSize if needed)
General recommendation is to set I/O and KeepAlive timeout to the same or
lower values as their corresponding parameters in Web server, such as
Timeout & KeepAliveTimeout in IHS or Apache. Results of performance
tests should show optimum parameters for HTTP transport of the Servlet
Engine.
Notes:
PQ70205 REQUIRES the latest WebSphere Application Server plug-in fix,
such as WAS_plug-in_03-07-2003_4.0.x_cumulative_eFix_<OS>.tar or
later.
This interim fix MUST be applied to the application server