Troubleshooting
Problem
Collecting data for problems with the IBM WebSphere Application Server sessions and session management component. Gathering this MustGather information before calling IBM support will help you understand the problem and save time analyzing the data.
Diagnosing The Problem
Resolving The Problem
Sessions and Session Management specific MustGather information:
The first step in solving HTTPSession issues in WebSphere Application Server or Liberty is to reproduce the problem with session tracing enabled. Adding debug code to the application simplifies the task of identifying the problem.
1. Enable Tracing on the application server(s) relating to the issue:
Enabling Trace for Traditional WebSphere Application Server
Enabling Trace for WebSphere Liberty
Enabling Trace for Traditional WebSphere Application Server:
Note: For detailed instructions on enabling trace, see How to setup a Trace
Trace Specifications:
T1. Generic Session Trace:
com.ibm.ws.session.*=all:com.ibm.ws.webcontainer*=all:com.ibm.wsspi.webcontainer*=all:HTTPChannel=all:GenericBNF=all
T2. If using memory-to-memory replication:
com.ibm.ws.session.*=all:com.ibm.ws.webcontainer*=all:com.ibm.wsspi.webcontainer*=all:HTTPChannel=all:GenericBNF=all:com.ibm.ws.drs.*=all
T3. If using database persistence:
com.ibm.ws.session.*=all:com.ibm.ws.webcontainer*=all:com.ibm.wsspi.webcontainer*=all:HTTPChannel=all:GenericBNF=all:WAS.j2c=all:RRA=all
Note: There should not be any spaces or '.' between webcontainer and '*' for the trace strings shown.
Make sure to increase the maximum trace file size to 100MB and increase the maximum number of the historical log files to 10.
Enabling Trace for WebSphere Liberty:
Add one of the following <logging> elements to the server.xml file located within the <LIBERTY_HOME>/usr/servers/<server name>/ directory:
Trace Specification <logging> elements:
L1. Generic Session Trace:
<logging traceSpecification="com.ibm.ws.session.*=all:com.ibm.ws.webcontainer*=all:com.ibm.wsspi.webcontainer*=all:HTTPChannel=all:GenericBNF=all:HTTPDispatcher=all" traceFileName="trace.log" maxFileSize="100" maxFiles="10" traceFormat="BASIC" />
L2. If using database persistence:
<logging traceSpecification="com.ibm.ws.session.*=all:com.ibm.ws.webcontainer*=all:com.ibm.wsspi.webcontainer*=all:HTTPChannel=all:GenericBNF=all:HTTPDispatcher=all:RRA=all" traceFileName="trace.log" maxFileSize="100" maxFiles="10" traceFormat="BASIC" />
L3. For trace scheduler problems:
<logging traceSpecification="com.ibm.ws.session.*=all:com.ibm.ws.webcontainer*=all:com.ibm.wsspi.webcontainer*=all:HTTPChannel=all:GenericBNF=all:HTTPDispatcher=all:persistentExecutor=all:concurrent=all:EJBContainer=all:RRA=all:WAS.j2c=all:com.ibm.ws.jdbc.*=all:Transaction=all" traceFileName="trace.log" maxFileSize="100" maxFiles="10" traceFormat="BASIC" />
2. Enable a plug-in trace by changing the LogLevel attribute from Error to Trace in the plugin-cfg.xml file. This file is located in the following directory:
install_root/profiles/profile_name/config/cells/cell_name/nodes/web_server_node_name/servers/server_name
For more information on capturing plug-in trace, refer to the MustGather document for plug-in.
3. Stop the Web server.
4. Clear all logs for the Application Server:
· trace.log
· SystemOut.log
· SystemErr.log
· SystemErr.log
5. Start the Application Server.
6. Start the Web server.
7. Reproduce your problem.
8. Capture the cookie information from the browser by typing the following text in the address bar:
javascript:document.cookie
9. Collect the following:
6. Start the Web server.
7. Reproduce your problem.
8. Capture the cookie information from the browser by typing the following text in the address bar:
javascript:document.cookie
9. Collect the following:
Collect for Traditional WebSphere Application Server:
a. Trace file from the diagnostic trace.
b. The Application Server(s) logs:
install_root/profiles/profile_name/logs/server_name
c. FFDC logs with the current date from the following directory:
install_root/profiles/profile_name/logs/ffdc
install_root/profiles/profile_name/logs/ffdc
d. The server.xml file located in the following direcotry:
install_root/profiles/profile_name/config/cells/cell_name/nodes/node_name/servers/server_name
install_root/profiles/profile_name/config/cells/cell_name/nodes/node_name/servers/server_name
e. The http_plugin.log file.
f. The plugin-cfg.xml file.
g. The sessionID that encountered the problem or was captured in Step 8.
h. historyReport.html generated by running the tool genHistoryReport.bat or genHistoryReport.sh, located in the install_root/bin directory; historyreport.html is generated in the working directory of where the genHistoryReport tool is run.
i. Run collector.sh/collector.bat tool from install_root/bin. If using WebSphere ND, please run the collector for the DMGR profile. Follow the instructions to run the collector tool and provide the hostname -ND-WASenv.jar or hostname -Base -WASenv.jar file.
Collect for WebSphere Liberty:
a. Run the following command from the bin directory:
server dump <SERVER_NAME>
(this creates a .zip file in the /usr/servers/<SERVER_NAME>/ directory)
Provide the created .zip file.
b. The http_plugin.log file
Provide the created .zip file.
b. The http_plugin.log file
c. The plugin-cfg.xml file
10. Follow instructions to send diagnostic information to IBM support.
For a listing of all technotes, downloads, and educational materials specific to the Session and Sessions Management component, search the WebSphere Application Server support site.
Related information
Submitting information to IBM support
Steps to getting support for WebSphere Application Server
MustGather: Read first for WebSphere Application Server
Troubleshooting guide for WebSphere Application Server
Related Information
[{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB67","label":"IT Automation \u0026 App Modernization"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSEQTP","label":"WebSphere Application Server"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m3p000000F7ymAAC","label":"IBM WebSphere Liberty-All Platforms-\u003EHTTP Sessions"},{"code":"a8m50000000Cd9yAAC","label":"WebSphere Application Server traditional-All Platforms-\u003EHTTP Session- Session corrover\/Serialization\/replication issues\/session data lost"}],"ARM Case Number":"","Platform":[{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"},{"code":"PF010","label":"HP-UX"},{"code":"PF016","label":"Linux"},{"code":"PF027","label":"Solaris"},{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"All Versions"},{"Product":{"code":"SS7JFU","label":"WebSphere Application Server - Express"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Component":"Java SDK","Platform":[{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"},{"code":"PF010","label":"HP-UX"},{"code":"PF016","label":"Linux"},{"code":"PF027","label":"Solaris"},{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB67","label":"IT Automation \u0026 App Modernization"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSNVBF","label":"Runtimes for Java Technology"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU054","label":"Systems w\/TPS"},"Component":null,"Platform":[{"code":"","label":""}],"Version":"","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB08","label":"Cognitive Systems"}}]
Was this topic helpful?
Document Information
Modified date:
18 April 2024
UID
swg21192604