PI15598: ENABLE OR DISABLE GZIP ENCODING

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Customer has request to serveResource failing. When javascript
  content is created by the serveResource method through use of a
  JSP, the resulting markup cannot be interpreted by the browser.
  Although Gzip encoding for javascript content is enabled, the
  HTTP response header "Content-Encoding: gzip" is not being set
  properly. The solution would be to deactivate gzip encoding in
  the portal and perform any necessary gzip encoding through the
  HTTP server. However, the gzip encoding cannot be deactivated
  through a central portal property.
  

Local fix

• The settings for the Compression Filter may be changed in order
  to prevent GZIP encoding of content with javascript MIME types.
  To do so, the web.xml & web_merged.xml deployment descriptors
  for the wps.war file must be updated.
  
  Procedure for updating Compression Filter settings:
  
  1. Open the WAS Admin Console.
  
  2. Navigate to: Applications => Application Types => WebSphere
  enterprise applications.
  
  3. Page through the installed applications to locate the "wps"
  application.
  
  4. Click the checkbox to select the "wps" application and click
  the "export" button near the top of the page.
  
  5. Download the resulting wps.ear file to a temporary
  directory.
  
  6. Use an assembly tool or a jar file tool to
  access the wps.ear file.
  
  7. Within the wps.ear file, locate the wps.war file and
  navigate within the wps.war file to the WEB-INF directory.
  
  8. Within the wps.war file, you will need to edit two files:
  web.xml and web_merged.xml.
  
  9. Open the web.xml file for editing. Locate the Compression
  Filter section by searching for the string
  "ContentHandlerGzip".
  
  10. Locate the <init-param> section for the
  <param-name>mime-type.exclude</param-name>
  parameter.
  
  11. Add the string ".*javascript.*|" to the beginning of the
  <param-value> section for the init parameter and save the
  file. The resulting <init-param> section should appear as
  follows if no other changes have been made previously:
  
  <filter-class>com.ibm.wps.resolver.servlet
  .ContentHandlerGzip</filter-class>
  <init-param>
  <param-name>mime-type.exclude</param-name>
  <param-value>.*javascript.*|.*html.*|.*/(.*zip.*|
  .*compressed.*|.*gz.*)</param-value>
  </init-param>
  
  12. Now make the changes described in steps 9-11 for the
  web_merged.xml file.
  
  13. Use your assembly tool or jar tool to repackage the wps.ear
  file containing the modified wps.war file.
  
  14. In the WAS Admin Console, once again locate and select the
  "wps" WebSphere enterprise application and click the "update"
  button.
  
  15. Select the option "Replace the entire enterprise
  application" and select the updated wps.ear file. Click "next"
  
  16. Select "fast path" and "merge existing and new settings"
  click "Next".
  
  17. On the "Select Installation Options" page, use the settings
  provided and click "Next".
  
  18.  On the "Map modules to servers" page, select the
  "WebSphere Portal Server" module and click "Next".
  
  19.  On the "Summary" page, click "Finish".
  
  20. On the final page, wait for processing to complete and
  click the link "Save" to master configuration.
  
  21. Log out from the WAS Admin Console and restart the portal
  server.
  
  You should be able to verify that content with a javascript
  MIME type is no longer being gzip encoded by the portal.
  

Problem summary

• A code fix for this issue is integrated into the WebSphere
  Portal & WCM Combined Cumulative Fix 16 (PI33619) for Portal
  8.0.0.1 available from Fix Central:
  
  http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/selectFixes?parent
  =ibm/WebSphere&product=ibm/WebSphere/WebSphere+Portal&release=Al
  l&platform=All&function=aparId&apars=PI33619
  

Problem conclusion

• This fix solves the problem by correctly setting the
  "Content-Encoding: gzip" HTTP response header when JavaScript
  content is generated through a JSP included by the serveResource
  method. In addition, it optionally allows GZIP encoding for all
  content to be centrally disabled by setting the custom property
  com.ibm.wps.resolver.servlet.AbstractServlet.enableGZIP to
  false.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

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

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  WEBSPHERE PORTA

• Fixed component ID

  5724E7600

Applicable component levels

• R800 PSY

     UP