Java's XML DocumentBuilder fails with parse time out?

Question

I have what I would think was a typical use case. I am using Apache HttpClient to make a POST to a remote (internal) server. The response from the server is XML.

I get the response from the entity as a stream and parse it directly to an XML Document. This code snippet shows what I am doing.

HttpResponse response = httpClient.execute(request);
int code = response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode();
if(code != 200) {
    returnValue.addParameter("msg", "Recieved invalid status code '" + code + "'");
}
else {
    HttpEntity entity = response.getEntity();

    if (entity != null) {
        InputStream iStream = entity.getContent();
        try {
            DocumentBuilder db = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance().newDocumentBuilder();
            Document doc = db.parse(iStream);

All is OK when running this on my dev box. But when I deploy it to one of our internal servers I get a connection time out exception on the final line of my snippet db.parse(iStream).

Why?

My understanding (and Fiddler) says that the request is complete by the time I ask the entity for the content. Therefore the input stream is not being pulled over a network and should therefore be pretty quick!

Anyone got an ideas what could be going on?

Many thanks in advance

Update, here is the stack trace I get

java.net.ConnectException: Connection timed out: connect
    at java.net.DualStackPlainSocketImpl.connect0(Native Method) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.net.DualStackPlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(DualStackPlainSocketImpl.java:79) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.doConnect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:339) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:200) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:182) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:172) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(SocksSocketImpl.java:392) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:579) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:528) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.NetworkClient.doConnect(NetworkClient.java:180) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(HttpClient.java:432) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(HttpClient.java:527) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.<init>(HttpClient.java:211) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.New(HttpClient.java:308) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.New(HttpClient.java:326) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getNewHttpClient(HttpURLConnection.java:997) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.plainConnect(HttpURLConnection.java:933) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.connect(HttpURLConnection.java:851) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream(HttpURLConnection.java:1301) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLEntityManager.setupCurrentEntity(XMLEntityManager.java:643) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLEntityManager.startEntity(XMLEntityManager.java:1297) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLEntityManager.startDTDEntity(XMLEntityManager.java:1264) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDTDScannerImpl.setInputSource(XMLDTDScannerImpl.java:263) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl$DTDDriver.dispatch(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:1164) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl$DTDDriver.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:1050) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl$PrologDriver.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:964) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:606) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:510) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:848) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:777) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XMLParser.parse(XMLParser.java:141) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.DOMParser.parse(DOMParser.java:243) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.DocumentBuilderImpl.parse(DocumentBuilderImpl.java:347) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilder.parse(DocumentBuilder.java:121) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at com.XXXXXX.YYYYY.harness.server.Api.postCxml(Api.java:183) [classes/:?]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606) ~[?:1.7.0_80]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.model.internal.ResourceMethodInvocationHandlerFactory$1.invoke(ResourceMethodInvocationHandlerFactory.java:81) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.model.internal.AbstractJavaResourceMethodDispatcher$1.run(AbstractJavaResourceMethodDispatcher.java:144) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.model.internal.AbstractJavaResourceMethodDispatcher.invoke(AbstractJavaResourceMethodDispatcher.java:161) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.model.internal.JavaResourceMethodDispatcherProvider$ResponseOutInvoker.doDispatch(JavaResourceMethodDispatcherProvider.java:160) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.model.internal.AbstractJavaResourceMethodDispatcher.dispatch(AbstractJavaResourceMethodDispatcher.java:99) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.model.ResourceMethodInvoker.invoke(ResourceMethodInvoker.java:389) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.model.ResourceMethodInvoker.apply(ResourceMethodInvoker.java:347) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.model.ResourceMethodInvoker.apply(ResourceMethodInvoker.java:102) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.ServerRuntime$2.run(ServerRuntime.java:326) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.internal.Errors$1.call(Errors.java:271) [jersey-common-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.internal.Errors$1.call(Errors.java:267) [jersey-common-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.internal.Errors.process(Errors.java:315) [jersey-common-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.internal.Errors.process(Errors.java:297) [jersey-common-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.internal.Errors.process(Errors.java:267) [jersey-common-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.process.internal.RequestScope.runInScope(RequestScope.java:317) [jersey-common-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.ServerRuntime.process(ServerRuntime.java:305) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.server.ApplicationHandler.handle(ApplicationHandler.java:1154) [jersey-server-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.servlet.WebComponent.serviceImpl(WebComponent.java:473) [jersey-container-servlet-core-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.servlet.WebComponent.service(WebComponent.java:427) [jersey-container-servlet-core-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.servlet.ServletContainer.service(ServletContainer.java:388) [jersey-container-servlet-core-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.servlet.ServletContainer.service(ServletContainer.java:341) [jersey-container-servlet-core-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.glassfish.jersey.servlet.ServletContainer.service(ServletContainer.java:228) [jersey-container-servlet-core-2.22.2.jar:?]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:291) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:52) [tomcat-websocket.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:239) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.logging.log4j.web.Log4jServletFilter.doFilter(Log4jServletFilter.java:71) [log4j-web-2.5.jar:2.5]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:239) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:212) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:106) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:502) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:141) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:79) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.AbstractAccessLogValve.invoke(AbstractAccessLogValve.java:616) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:88) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:521) [catalina.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.AbstractHttp11Processor.process(AbstractHttp11Processor.java:1096) [tomcat-coyote.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$AbstractConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:674) [tomcat-coyote.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.AprEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(AprEndpoint.java:2500) [tomcat-coyote.jar:8.0.30]
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.AprEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(AprEndpoint.java:2489) [tomcat-coyote.jar:8.0.30]
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1145) [?:1.7.0_80]
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:615) [?:1.7.0_80]
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:61) [tomcat-util.jar:8.0.30]
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745) [?:1.7.0_80]

score 5 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:53

As KilleKat pointed out this was due to the DocumentBuilder trying to validate an external DTD. I used this post

Make DocumentBuilder.parse ignore DTD references

and modified my code to be

HttpResponse response = httpClient.execute(request);
int code = response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode();
if(code != 200) {
    returnValue.addParameter("msg", "Recieved invalid status code '" + code + "'");
}
else {
    HttpEntity entity = response.getEntity();

    if (entity != null) {
        InputStream iStream = entity.getContent();
        try {
            DocumentBuilderFactory dbf = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
            dbf.setValidating(false);
            dbf.setFeature("http://apache.org/xml/features/nonvalidating/load-external-dtd", false);

            DocumentBuilder db = dbf.newDocumentBuilder();
            Document doc = db.parse(iStream);

Setting `load-external-dtd` to `false` works for me. `setValidating(false)` is not necessary. — JonnyJD, Sep 12 '17 at 12:10

Mafick · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-18T08:58:16.427

2

Can you post the exactly error message and can you post the content of the response to have a look what is in it?

But for me this sounds like an issue in the network/ security setup.

Parhaps the DocumentBuilder is unsuccessfully trying to access a DTD via a network socket for your XML document? If there are DTD references in the XML document, try editing them out to prove the cause.

edited May 18 '16 at 08:58

answered May 18 '16 at 08:42

Mafick

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I get a HTTP response of 200 - so not sure how it could be a network/setup problem. The request has completed successfully! – YanisTheYak May 18 '16 at 08:46
Okay, maybe the connection is fine, but maybe in the response stand something like "error by requesting etc..." or whatever. I just think about, that the response that you got just cannot be parsed. Parhaps the DocumentBuilder is unsuccessfully trying to access a DTD via a network socket for your XML document? If there are DTD references in the XML document, try editing them out to prove the cause. – Mafick May 18 '16 at 08:49
Yes - you are right, it was the DTD! Server I was deploying to does not have internet access. – YanisTheYak May 18 '16 at 09:14
Or try some of the "features" from [this answer](http://stackoverflow.com/a/155874/3080094)? – vanOekel May 18 '16 at 09:26

Java's XML DocumentBuilder fails with parse time out?

2 Answers2

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