MustGather: Sessions and Session Management Problems in V4.0
 Technote (FAQ)
 
Problem
MustGather for problems with the WebSphere® Application Server V4.0 (all releases) Sessions and Session Management component. Gathering this information before calling IBM® Support helps familiarize you with the troubleshooting process saves you time.
 
Solution
If you have already contacted support, continue on to the Session and Session Management component specific MustGather information. Otherwise, click on the following link: MustGather: Read First for all WebSphere Application Server Products.

The first step in solving a problem with your HTTPSessions in WebSphere Application Server V4.0 (all releases) is to reproduce the problem with session tracing enabled. Adding debug code to the application simplifies the task of identifying the problem.

Attention: Prior to V4.0.6, session trace does not start until the session manager invalidation thread has run once. Wait 5 minutes after the application server has started before attempting to recreate.

Sessions and Session Management MustGather
If you can add debug code to your application prior to reproducing the problem, the following information is useful:

  1. What SessionID encounters the problem?
  2. Does getSession()return null?
  3. Does getValue()(getAttribute) return null? If so, what were you doing a getValue()(getAttribute)on?
  4. If you catch an exception that is pertinent to the problem:
    1. Call PrintStackTrace()after catching the exception (this goes to stderr without a timestamp).
    2. Call System.out.println()to print out the message of the exception. This also indicates that you are printing out the stack trace.

Note: If you cannot add debug code to your application prior to reproducing, identify the sessionID that encounters the problem.

Provide the Following Documentation
  1. Full XMLConfig export of the WebSphere Application Server configuration.
  2. Explanation of topology (number of nodes, software on each, and so forth).
  3. Stop WebSphere and the Web server.
  4. Delete everything in install_root\logs.
  5. Start WebSphere.
  6. Bring up the WebSphere Application Server Advanced administrative console and select yourAapplication Server (for example: Default Server).
  7. Click on the Services tab. Select Trace service, then click Edit properties.
  8. For Trace:
    • Set it to the following value:
      com.ibm.servlet.personalization.sessiontracking.*=all=enabled:com.ibm.servlet.engine.srt.*=all=enabled
    • Note: A colon (:) is required between the trace settings. The string must be continuous, without spaces.
  9. For Trace output file:
    1. Click Specify.
    2. Type the fully-qualified filename; for example:
      C:\WebSphere\AppServer\logs\sessiontrace.txt
  10. Click OK, then click Apply.
  11. Restart the application server.
  12. Wait 5 minutes.
  13. If the problem might occur in the Session Affinity component (for example, the request is being bounced from clone to clone), enable plugin tracing by changing the LogLevel to Trace in the plugin-cfg.xml on the Web server:
    <Log LogLevel="Trace" Name="D:/WebSphere/AppServer/logs/native.log"/>
  14. Start the Web server.
  15. Reproduce your problem. If you did not add debug code to your application, change your browser settings to Warn before accepting cookies so that you can capture the sessionID (see link in Related information section below for instructions)
  16. Send the following files:
    1. Everything in install_root\logs directory
    2. sessiontrace.txt
    3. XMLConfig export
    4. sessionID that encounters the problem
    5. native.log from Web server systems (from step 13)
  17. Follow instructions to send diagnostic information to IBM support.


For a listing of all Technotes, Downloads, and educational materials specific to the Session and Session Management component, search the WebSphere Application Server support site for session, session management, or HTTPSession.
 
Related information
Configuring browsers to warn before accepting cookie
Submitting information to IBM Support
Steps for getting support
MustGather: Readme first
Troubleshooting guide
 
 
 


Document Information


Product categories: Software > Application Servers > Distributed Application & Web Servers > WebSphere Application Server > Sessions and Session Management
Operating system(s): Windows
Software version: 4.0
Software edition:
Reference #: 1055373
IBM Group: Software Group
Modified date: Mar 31, 2006