GAE Application Stopped Working Suddenly - Failed startup of context com.google.apphosting.utils.jetty.RuntimeAppEngineWebAppContext

Question

A couple of days ago my app-engine android app stopped working after a normal deploy. There was no change to my local code (did a diff with previous version), and the only thing that changed was a Java update.

The deploy operation completes successfully, but when the app launches, I get the following errors in the App Engine logs on the Developer Console:

EXCEPTION 
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: Serve
at com.google.appengine.runtime.Request.process-bdec5268b83f2316(Request.java)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:360)
at org.mortbay.util.Loader.loadClass(Loader.java:91)
at org.mortbay.util.Loader.loadClass(Loader.java:71)
at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.Holder.doStart(Holder.java:73)
at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHolder.doStart(ServletHolder.java:242)
at org.mortbay.component.AbstractLifeCycle.start(AbstractLifeCycle.java:50)
at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler.initialize(ServletHandler.java:685)
at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.Context.startContext(Context.java:140)
at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.startContext(WebAppContext.java:1250)
at org.mortbay.jetty.handler.ContextHandler.doStart(ContextHandler.java:517)
at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.doStart(WebAppContext.java:467)
at org.mortbay.component.AbstractLifeCycle.start(AbstractLifeCycle.java:50)
at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.runInContext(TraceContext.java:438)
at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable$1.run(TraceContext.java:445)
at com.google.tracing.CurrentContext.runInContext(CurrentContext.java:220)
at     com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContextNoUnref(TraceContext.java:309)
at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContext(TraceContext.java:301)
at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.run(TraceContext.java:442)

And this

javax.servlet.ServletContext log: unavailable
javax.servlet.UnavailableException: Serve
at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.Holder.doStart(Holder.java:79)
at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHolder.doStart(ServletHolder.java:242)
at org.mortbay.component.AbstractLifeCycle.start(AbstractLifeCycle.java:50)
at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler.initialize(ServletHandler.java:685)
at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.Context.startContext(Context.java:140)
at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.startContext(WebAppContext.java:1250)
at org.mortbay.jetty.handler.ContextHandler.doStart(ContextHandler.java:517)
at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.doStart(WebAppContext.java:467)
at org.mortbay.component.AbstractLifeCycle.start(AbstractLifeCycle.java:50)
at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.AppVersionHandlerMap.createHandler(AppVersionHandlerMap.java:199)
at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.AppVersionHandlerMap.getHandler(AppVersionHandlerMap.java:174)
at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.JettyServletEngineAdapter.serviceRequest(JettyServletEngineAdapter.java:134)
at com.google.apphosting.runtime.JavaRuntime$RequestRunnable.run(JavaRuntime.java:446)
at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.runInContext(TraceContext.java:438)
at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable$1.run(TraceContext.java:445)
at com.google.tracing.CurrentContext.runInContext(CurrentContext.java:220)
at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContextNoUnref(TraceContext.java:309)
at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContext(TraceContext.java:301)
at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.run(TraceContext.java:442)
at com.google.apphosting.runtime.ThreadGroupPool$PoolEntry.run(ThreadGroupPool.java:251)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)

The root cause seems to be this:

    Failed startup of context com.google.apphosting.utils.jetty.RuntimeAppEngineWebAppContext@e0d280{/,/base/data/home/apps/s~diesel-media-647/1.378309428699474015}
org.mortbay.util.MultiException[java.lang.NullPointerException, java.lang.NullPointerException]
    at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler.initialize(ServletHandler.java:656)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.Context.startContext(Context.java:140)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.startContext(WebAppContext.java:1250)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.handler.ContextHandler.doStart(ContextHandler.java:517)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.doStart(WebAppContext.java:467)
    at org.mortbay.component.AbstractLifeCycle.start(AbstractLifeCycle.java:50)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.AppVersionHandlerMap.createHandler(AppVersionHandlerMap.java:199)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.AppVersionHandlerMap.getHandler(AppVersionHandlerMap.java:174)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.JettyServletEngineAdapter.serviceRequest(JettyServletEngineAdapter.java:134)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.JavaRuntime$RequestRunnable.run(JavaRuntime.java:446)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.runInContext(TraceContext.java:438)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable$1.run(TraceContext.java:445)
    at com.google.tracing.CurrentContext.runInContext(CurrentContext.java:220)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContextNoUnref(TraceContext.java:309)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContext(TraceContext.java:301)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.run(TraceContext.java:442)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.ThreadGroupPool$PoolEntry.run(ThreadGroupPool.java:251)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)
java.lang.NullPointerException
    at java.lang.Class.isAssignableFrom(Native Method)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHolder.doStart(ServletHolder.java:256)
    at org.mortbay.component.AbstractLifeCycle.start(AbstractLifeCycle.java:50)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler.initialize(ServletHandler.java:685)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.Context.startContext(Context.java:140)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.startContext(WebAppContext.java:1250)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.handler.ContextHandler.doStart(ContextHandler.java:517)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.doStart(WebAppContext.java:467)
    at org.mortbay.component.AbstractLifeCycle.start(AbstractLifeCycle.java:50)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.AppVersionHandlerMap.createHandler(AppVersionHandlerMap.java:199)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.AppVersionHandlerMap.getHandler(AppVersionHandlerMap.java:174)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.JettyServletEngineAdapter.serviceRequest(JettyServletEngineAdapter.java:134)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.JavaRuntime$RequestRunnable.run(JavaRuntime.java:446)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.runInContext(TraceContext.java:438)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable$1.run(TraceContext.java:445)
    at com.google.tracing.CurrentContext.runInContext(CurrentContext.java:220)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContextNoUnref(TraceContext.java:309)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContext(TraceContext.java:301)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.run(TraceContext.java:442)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.ThreadGroupPool$PoolEntry.run(ThreadGroupPool.java:251)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)
java.lang.NullPointerException
    at java.lang.Class.isAssignableFrom(Native Method)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHolder.doStart(ServletHolder.java:256)
    at org.mortbay.component.AbstractLifeCycle.start(AbstractLifeCycle.java:50)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler.initialize(ServletHandler.java:685)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.Context.startContext(Context.java:140)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.startContext(WebAppContext.java:1250)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.handler.ContextHandler.doStart(ContextHandler.java:517)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.doStart(WebAppContext.java:467)
    at org.mortbay.component.AbstractLifeCycle.start(AbstractLifeCycle.java:50)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.AppVersionHandlerMap.createHandler(AppVersionHandlerMap.java:199)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.AppVersionHandlerMap.getHandler(AppVersionHandlerMap.java:174)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.jetty.JettyServletEngineAdapter.serviceRequest(JettyServletEngineAdapter.java:134)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.JavaRuntime$RequestRunnable.run(JavaRuntime.java:446)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.runInContext(TraceContext.java:438)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable$1.run(TraceContext.java:445)
    at com.google.tracing.CurrentContext.runInContext(CurrentContext.java:220)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContextNoUnref(TraceContext.java:309)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContext(TraceContext.java:301)
    at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.run(TraceContext.java:442)
    at com.google.apphosting.runtime.ThreadGroupPool$PoolEntry.run(ThreadGroupPool.java:251)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)

Here are the solutions that I tried based on similar posts:

I have updated my GAE SDK to the latest (1.9.9) as per this post Weird 500 Error on GAE
I have used appcfg to do a roll-back and clean of my deployment. The clean operating was completed successfully, but when I redeployed the same errors occured.
I have reverted back to Java 1.6 (currently at 1.7) - didn't work.
I have double checked my web.xml file to make sure that the servlet paths are correct. I tried fully qualifying the class names with my package - didn't work
I have tried adding the load-on-startup tag in my web.xml file as per this post EXCEPTION java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: servlet - But the Servlet is present; And web.xml is absolutely correct

I've been battling with this for a couple of days now, and I'm at my wit's end. Any help is appreciated. For reference, I'm using GAE SDK 1.9.9, upgraded from 1.9.3 when I encountered this problem. I'm using Java 1.7 (tried 1.6).

Not entirely sure why I got downvoted - a reason would be nice lol. — Fayez, Aug 30 '14 at 00:40

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 29 '14 at 13:01

0

You must include the class "Serve" in your package (build path) because you get java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: Serve.

answered Aug 29 '14 at 13:01

Jérémy GAUTIER

1

This is not the issue - the classpath details are all correct and there's no change from a previous version of the app. Thank you for the answer though! – Fayez Aug 29 '14 at 14:01
I think this may have to do with the upgrade to Java8 – Fayez Aug 29 '14 at 16:56

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 30 '14 at 01:01

Finally resolved the issue, but unfortunately I don't exactly know why (which always sucks) It was a series of steps (not one).

I'm pretty sure the app was stuck in a partial deployment state so I used the appcfg application to do a rollback. I had done this step solo but it didn't work.

The next thing was manually deleting the generated classes folder - the servlet .class files were corrupt (I had done this step alone but it didn't work).

Redeployed and it automagically worked.

This was a very annoying error given that I hadn't changed any of my code, and the compiler didn't complain about the .classes files not being deleted/recreated.

Hope this helps someone.

GAE Application Stopped Working Suddenly - Failed startup of context com.google.apphosting.utils.jetty.RuntimeAppEngineWebAppContext

2 Answers2