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Filenet Process Engine 4.5.1: Bad component calls can lead to deadlocks

Troubleshooting


Problem

Usage of unsupported parameter values in component calls can lead to deadlocks in the Component Manager of IBM ECM FileNet Process Engine (PE) Version 4.5.1

Symptom

No more component calls are processed by Component Manager. Process Task Manager console of Component Manager shows recurring error message, for example (important parts marked):

FATAL [filenet.vw.ComponentIntegrator.Dispatcher] - Dispatcher FAILED!!!
Dispatcher got exception while doing query at <timestamp>.
Cause=[Err=d52d03f2] invalid data type for null function

Cause

An exception occurs in the dispatcher of the Component Manager while it is carrying out a query. This leads to the work of the Component Manager being aborted. Moreover, the workflow causing this is neither locked nor moved to the malfunction queue of the Component Manager.
This means, when the Component Manager runs again for processing component calls, the error occurs again.

Diagnosing The Problem

  1. Run the vwtool command.
  2. Use the command "wobquery", on the Component Manager queue.
  3. Select to display the "invocations" which will perform the same kind of query as the Component Manager.
  4. Consequently, you should get the same error message as the one that appears in the Component Manager.

Depending on the specific fixpack level of the Process Engine, you might also get an error message in the elog with the number of the workflow that is causing this. If you do not get it, use the command "wobquery" on the Component Manager queue and choose to display the work items. In this report, the first work item is usually the one causing this error.

Resolving The Problem

  1. Use the Tracker on the workflow to find the workflow definition with the bad parameter value.
  2. Review the parameter values, and try to correct what is leading to the exception. This problem was reproduced for example by using the unsupported expression "null(string)" as the actual value to a string parameter of a component call. In this case, the work item could only be deleted.

[{"Product":{"code":"SSNW2F","label":"FileNet P8 Platform"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU053","label":"Cloud & Data Platform"},"Component":"Process Engine","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"},{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"},{"code":"PF010","label":"HP-UX"},{"code":"PF016","label":"Linux"},{"code":"PF027","label":"Solaris"}],"Version":"4.5.1;5.0;5.1.0","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSTHRT","label":"IBM Case Foundation"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU053","label":"Cloud & Data Platform"},"Component":"Process Engine","Platform":[{"code":"","label":""}],"Version":"5.1.0;5.0;4.5.1","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB36","label":"IBM Automation"}}]

Document Information

Modified date:
17 June 2018

UID

swg21642446