Alfresco stopped working after several weeks

[moosach]

Hi everybody,

we are evaluating and using Alfresco in our 3 guys startup company and were quite happy with it. Cool stuff !

Since yesterday night happiness is gone. During a post to a discussion area I got a message telling me something like "database might be deleted" and it was over since then …

Tomcat is running, but Alfresco not …
Version : alfresco-community-tomcat-1.4.0 on a Suse 9.3 server

I had now a look in catalina.log and found this (excerpt) :

   

17:45:06,279 INFO  [service.descriptor.DescriptorService] Alfresco JVM - v1.5.0_10-b03; maximum heap size 63.563MB
17:45:06,280 WARN  [service.descriptor.DescriptorService] Alfresco JVM - WARNING - maximum heap size 63.563MB is less than recommended 512MB
17:45:06,281 INFO  [service.descriptor.DescriptorService] Alfresco started (Community Network): Current version 1.4.0 (build-105) schema 21 - Installed version 1.4.0 (build-105) schema 21
17:45:06,307 ERROR [web.app.ContextListener] Failed to initialise 
org.alfresco.error.AlfrescoRuntimeException: Root path not created prior to application startup: app:company_home
   at org.alfresco.web.app.ContextListener.contextInitialized(ContextListener.java:109)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.listenerStart(StandardContext.java:3692)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.start(StandardContext.java:4127)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase.java:759)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChild(ContainerBase.java:739)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.addChild(StandardHost.java:524)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWAR(HostConfig.java:804)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWARs(HostConfig.java:693)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployApps(HostConfig.java:472)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.start(HostConfig.java:1118)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.lifecycleEvent(HostConfig.java:310)
   at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleSupport.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleSupport.java:119)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.start(ContainerBase.java:1020)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.start(StandardHost.java:718)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.start(ContainerBase.java:1012)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine.start(StandardEngine.java:442)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService.start(StandardService.java:450)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardServer.start(StandardServer.java:680)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:536)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
   at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:585)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.start(Bootstrap.java:275)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:413)
17:45:06,309 ERROR [[Catalina].[localhost].[/alfresco]] Exception sending context initialized event to listener instance of class org.alfresco.web.app.ContextListener
org.alfresco.error.AlfrescoRuntimeException: Failed to initialise 
   at org.alfresco.web.app.ContextListener.contextInitialized(ContextListener.java:132)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.listenerStart(StandardContext.java:3692)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.start(StandardContext.java:4127)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase.java:759)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChild(ContainerBase.java:739)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.addChild(StandardHost.java:524)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWAR(HostConfig.java:804)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWARs(HostConfig.java:693)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployApps(HostConfig.java:472)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.start(HostConfig.java:1118)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.lifecycleEvent(HostConfig.java:310)
   at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleSupport.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleSupport.java:119)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.start(ContainerBase.java:1020)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.start(StandardHost.java:718)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.start(ContainerBase.java:1012)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine.start(StandardEngine.java:442)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService.start(StandardService.java:450)
   at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardServer.start(StandardServer.java:680)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:536)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
   at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
   at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
   at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:585)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.start(Bootstrap.java:275)
   at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:413)
Caused by: org.alfresco.error.AlfrescoRuntimeException: Root path not created prior to application startup: app:company_home
   at org.alfresco.web.app.ContextListener.contextInitialized(ContextListener.java:109)
   … 24 more
Jan 27, 2007 5:45:06 PM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext start
SEVERE: Error listenerStart
Jan 27, 2007 5:45:06 PM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext start
SEVERE: Context [/alfresco] startup failed due to previous errors
Jan 27, 2007 5:45:06 PM org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11BaseProtocol start
INFO: Starting Coyote HTTP/1.1 on http-8080
Jan 27, 2007 5:45:06 PM org.apache.jk.common.ChannelSocket init
INFO: JK: ajp13 listening on /0.0.0.0:8009
Jan 27, 2007 5:45:06 PM org.apache.jk.server.JkMain start
INFO: Jk running ID=0 time=0/27  config=null
Jan 27, 2007 5:45:06 PM org.apache.catalina.storeconfig.StoreLoader load
INFO: Find registry server-registry.xml at classpath resource
Jan 27, 2007 5:45:06 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina start
INFO: Server startup in 22995 ms
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I didn't touch the configuration files. So this strange thing just happened without any for me visible reasons … I'm quite desperate at the time …

Does anybody have an idea why that has happened and help us to get back on the feet with Alfresco again ?

Thank you for any hint !!!

Tony

[kevinr]

This error can only occur if the "Company Home" root space has been deleted. Did you start the server from the same location? i.e. make sure you only have one copy of the alf_data folder - if you have 2 then the system is loading the indexes from the wrong location. Did the admin using delete the company home space?

Thanks,

Kevin

[moosach]

Hi Kevin,

many thanks for your answer !!

Well I am the only admin and I definitely didn't delete the company home space. I only renamed it some hours before the incident. Maybe that is the initial reason. Hopefully not …

There is only one alf_data-folder and I'm always starting the server from the same location. I already learned at beginning where Alfresco is looking for its DB ;-). As far as I can remember I only added (for the first time though) a discussion to a document and then the server crashed short after and didn't came up again.

I had a look into alf_data/hsql… and the "alfresco.script"-file seems to be ok on a first glance. If the renaming of the company workspace is the initial reason for that whole mess, can this be fixed in the hsql-script-file ? Do you know that ?

Well if there is no fix we have a lot of work to recreate the work space … Hopefully that isn't necessary …

In the meanwhile another idea came into my mind : We are currently running Alfresco on a rented root server space. Could the problem be caused by restricted memory ?

At the time I'm completely lost and would be more than happy to get out of that situation …

Best regards and thanks again for your answer

Tony

[moosach]

This error can only occur if the "Company Home" root space has been deleted. Did you start the server from the same location? i.e. make sure you only have one copy of the alf_data folder - if you have 2 then the system is loading the indexes from the wrong location. Did the admin using delete the company home space?

Well after investigating in that alfresco.script file it indeed seems that the "company_home" has gone. Somewhere there is a bug as I know for absolutely sure that I never deleted the company home ! I didn't do that !

Either it was the renaming (seems there was such an issue at least in 1.3 according a never answered posting here) or the attachment of a discussion to a document which I did shortly before the incident for the first time. I personally feel that the renaming killed my Alfresco. Maybe the 1.3 issue is back again … Very bad stuff anyway !! Such things MUST NOT happen ever !

Maybe a kind soul can give me a hint how to insert that one line (seems to be only one …). In a fresh installation I found
INSERT INTO ALF_CHILD_ASSOC VALUES(356,361,362,'{http://www.alfresco.org/model/system/1.0}children',
'{http://www.alfresco.org/model/application/1.0}company_home',
'9de077a2-aec7-11db-ae3b-c952ef39b177',-1,TRUE,2147483647)
which is missing in my filled database. Maybe I'm naive but isn't it possible to
add that line manually ? The problem seems to be the unique node id.

Any advice, any How-To would really help and not me alone …

Best regards and thanks for any further help

Tony

[sofie24]

Hi,

I'm working with Alfresco for a few weeks now, all with no problems.

Yesterday, I added a workflow and it worked perfectly well. But when I started the tomcat server this morning, I got the following error:

20-apr-2007 11:01:35 org.apache.catalina.core.AprLifecycleListener lifecycleEvent
INFO: The Apache Tomcat Native library which allows optimal performance in production environments was not found on the java.library.path: C:\Alfresco\java\bin;.;C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\Alfresco\java\bin;C:\Alfresco\bin;C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.0\bin;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn\;C:\PROGRA~1\AscentSS\ServLib\ImgCtls\bin;C:\Program Files\AscentSS\ServLib\Bin
20-apr-2007 11:01:37 org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11BaseProtocol init
INFO: Initializing Coyote HTTP/1.1 on http-8080
20-apr-2007 11:01:37 org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina load
INFO: Initialization processed in 7328 ms
20-apr-2007 11:01:37 org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService start
INFO: Starting service Catalina
20-apr-2007 11:01:37 org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine start
INFO: Starting Servlet Engine: Apache Tomcat/5.5.20
20-apr-2007 11:01:37 org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost start
INFO: XML validation disabled
20-apr-2007 11:01:42 org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig deployWAR
INFO: Deploying web application archive alfresco.war
20-apr-2007 11:03:08 org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext start
SEVERE: Error listenerStart
20-apr-2007 11:03:08 org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext start
SEVERE: Context [/alfresco] startup failed due to previous errors
20-apr-2007 11:03:11 org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11BaseProtocol start
INFO: Starting Coyote HTTP/1.1 on http-8080
20-apr-2007 11:03:12 org.apache.jk.common.ChannelSocket init
INFO: JK: ajp13 listening on /0.0.0.0:8009
20-apr-2007 11:03:12 org.apache.jk.server.JkMain start
INFO: Jk running ID=0 time=0/797  config=null
20-apr-2007 11:03:12 org.apache.catalina.storeconfig.StoreLoader load
INFO: Find registry server-registry.xml at classpath resource
20-apr-2007 11:03:13 org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina start
INFO: Server startup in 96047 ms
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Does anyone know what went wrong here?

Thanks in advance

Sofie

[moosach]

Hi Sofie,

I'm a user as you are and no specialist for Tomcat at all. So I can't help you too much, but a short google inquiry pointed me to this information (there are a lot more infos about that problem around though) :

http://javablog.fi/blog/default/2007/03/

INFO: The Apache Tomcat Native library which allows optimal performance in production environments was not found on the java.library.path

You have propably noticed the message complaining about the missing Apache Tomcat Native library in catalina.out. This means that Apache Portable Runtime is not installed. With apr the HTTP connector uses sendfile for hadling static files using high performance kernel level calls. This should provide superior scalability and performance but I haven't done any benchmarks yet so I cannot confirm this.

Install required packages (libapr1-dev, libssl-dev, gcc and make) and go to $CATALINA_HOME/bin. Extract tomcat-native.tar.gz package and install the libs.

# apt-get install libapr1-dev libssl-dev gcc make
# cd $CATALINA_HOME/bin
# tar -zxvf tomcat-native.tar.gz
# cd $CATALINA_HOME/bin/tomcat-native-1.1.3/jni/native
# ./configure –with-apr=/usr/bin/ –with-java-home=/usr/lib/j2sdk1.5-sun/
# make && make install

After 'make install' you cand find the apr libs from /usr/local/apr and you need to add them to java.library.path. This can be done by adding the following line to Tomcat's initscript or $CATALINA_HOME/bin/catalina.sh.

CATALINA_OPTS="-Djava.library.path=/usr/local/apr/lib"

Tomcat uses the apr library automatically after restart but I was a bit amused about the informational message I got during the startup. Tomcat recommends version 1.1.4 or greater but the most recent version of Tomcat includes version 1.1.3.

Well hopefully that helps a bit …

Best regrds

Toni

[sofie24]

Hi Toni

I'm sorry it took so long before I answered your suggestion.

First of all, thanks for suggestion something. But I don't know if that had worked. Apparantly there was a problem with the virtual machine on which I had installed Alfresco.

So there wasn't a problem with Alfresco.

But thanks again

Sofie