PH36211: CRASH WITH PLUGIN 8.5.519 ON LINUX PPC64LE

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• The problem is that the plugin enhanced its messages to take
  advantage of an OS call to get the meaning of a return code
  instead of just reporting the failure number.
  

Local fix

• They should stop the web server, rename the existing
  mod_was_ap22_http.so, copy over new mod_was_ap22_http.so file,
  set execute permission if necessary and restart the webserver.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  IBM WebSphere Application Server web        *
  *                  server plugin users on Linux ppc64le        *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Plugin may crash web server on Linux    *
  *                      PowerPC when a connection failure to    *
  *                      WAS occurs                              *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  A crash may occur when using WebSphere web server plugin on
  Linux PowerPC. The crash would occur after a connection
  failure to WebSphere Application server.
  The crash stack will show the following functions at the top
  of the stack:
  #0   __strlen_power8
  #1   vfprintf
  #2   vsnprintf
  #3   plg_vsnprintf
  #4   logLog_ex
  #5   logLog
  #6   logError
  #7   websphereGetStream
  #8   websphereExecute
  

Problem conclusion

• The plugin code is calling an OS api to obtain message details
  for a OS specific failure code when the crash occurs. Plugin
  is uses different libraries on Linux PowerPC which returned a
  different data type in this API which caused the crash. Code
  has been corrected to use the correct data types on PowerPC.
  
  The fix for this APAR is targeted for inclusion in fix pack
  8.5.5.20 and 9.0.5.8. For more information, see
  'Recommended Updates for WebSphere Application Server':
  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/715553
  

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 APP S

• Fixed component ID

  5724J0800

Applicable component levels

• R850 PSY

     UP

• R900 PSY

     UP