Workaround: Server Rename Read-only Mode Limitations

Author: Heather Sterling, Eric Solomon
Last Updated: December 14, 2012
Build Basis: CLM 4.0.1

Summary

Following a server rename, the server enters a read-only mode state to allow administrators to verify the data before completing the rename. The goal of this verification process is to catch any errors and correct them before the servers are open to users. Users can still login to the server during read-only mode and browse data. If anyone attempts to perform an operation that is not a read, it will fail with an exception. In some cases, the way the operation fails or the message that is presented is not user-friendly. This article lists the known issues with server rename read-only mode.

More Information

Product/Component: All CLM products
Work item: Server Rename LPA verification error when rename is performed and there is a backlevel app (240646)
Behavior: If you are performing a rename with a back-level application (JTS is 4.0.1, application is version 4.0, 4.0 ifix 1, or 4.0.0.x), the application does not support some of the verification features. The known limitations are:

• The application will not contribute any URLs to the server rename verification wizard.
• The application does not support read-only mode and will be inaccessible until the rename is completed. If you attempt to browse the data, you will be redirected to the server rename status page.
• The LPA wizard will show error ID CRJAZ2547E if at least one application is back-level. This error can be ignored and the rename can be completed without a problem.
  

  ID CRJAZ2547E - An error occurred while fetching the list of URLs for this application. Click Next to continue verifying URLs on other applications. Unable to load /jts/proxy?uri=https%3A%2F%2Fclmfvt01a.raleigh.ibm.com%3A9443%2Fadmin%2FrenameVerificationUrlProvider&dojo.preventCache=1352501693250 status:500

Impact: A rename with back-level applications is only supported for production to staging. Pilot to production and production to production renames require the JTS and all applications to be at least version 4.0.1. An upgrade to 4.0.1 across the board is recommended even for the production to staging scenario. The rename with back-level applications still works but the verification features on those applications are missing. This means that there is a risk of opening up the servers before the data is validated. If the admin chooses to proceed with a backlevel application, the admin must thoroughly validate all of the data immediately after the wizard is completed.

Product/Component: Jazz Team Server, Rational Team Concert, Rational Quality Manager
Work item: ConfigService updates are not blocked in read-only mode – including token license server updates (235447)
Behavior: An administrator can update configuration property values in the Advanced Properties page of the admin console. There are other areas in the product where configuration properties can be updated as well. This list includes the Floating License Server on the License Key Management page of the JTS admin console. No read-only mode exception will be thrown.
Impact: The new value will be written to the teamserver.properties file. Only administrators can update these values so there is no risk from a regular user updating them. No adverse impacts are known, but administrator should refrain from updating these properties during read-only mode.

Product/Component: Process Authoring
Work item: 233829: Process Authoring scenarios which show bad error message on read only server
Behavior: An attempt to create, update, or delete data will result in a “503 Service Unavailable” error for process authoring operations. Sometimes the error includes details indicating that the server is in read-only mode, but sometimes the details are missing.
Impact: Poor user experience for users.

Product/Component: Rational Team Concert, Source Control Web UI
Work items:

• 238757: Unlocking a file hangs without posting a “server rename is in progress…” error when server is in read-only mode
• 238759: CRJAZ0212I Internal error encountered when trying to delete a folder in a stream with the server in read-only mode
• 238760: Adding a new file to a stream hangs without any error message when the server is in read-only mode
• 238762: In post server rename in read-only mode, in SCM, saving a new text file in a stream does not show an error message
• 238764: CRJAZ0212I Internal error when editing a file when the server is in read-only mode

Behavior: The Source Control web UI does not always report an appropriate error message when the server is in read-only mode. Sometimes it reports an internal error, and sometimes no error at all, making it seem as if the operation is hung.
Impact: Poor user experience for users that attempt to use the Source Control web UI for anything other than browsing files and viewing history.

Product/Component: Rational Team Concert SCM CLI client
Work item: Handle ReadOnlyModeException in SCM CLI (238782)
Behavior: When the SCM write operations fail, RTC SCM CLI client dumps the whole stack trace of the read-only mode exception in the command-line console.
Impact: Poor user experience. Also, when the read-only mode exception is nested, though the cause is indicated in the nested trace, it is not evident that the server is in read-only mode until you scroll the whole trace.

Product/Component: Lifecycle Project Administration
Work item: [LPA] Address poor error handling for write actions in LPA when JTS is in read-only mode (230145)
Behavior: The work item referenced enumerates several operations, such as creating a lifecycle project or adding a member to a lifecycle project, where error handling is not ideal or there is no report of a failure in the LPA application.
Impact: Poor user experience for administrators that attempt to use LPA for anything other than browsing lifecycle projects and members that already exist. LPA is only useful for users with JazzAdmins rights, so most users should not be impacted.

Product/Component: Rational Requirements Composer/Requirements Management
Work item:  Poor error handling in read-only mode (65678)
Behavior: There are a handful of differences between RM’s read-only mode compared to the Jazz Team Server and other applications, including:

• Most write operations will result in an error message indicating that the server is in read-only mode. There are a handful of scenarios where a generic 500 internal server error or 503 service not available error are returned instead.
• RM does not show the server alert message in the upper-right-hand corner of the RM web pages.
• If a non-admin user logs in, the following error message will appear: CRRRS9904W The Jazz Team Server repository is in read-only mode. The user should close the message dialog and may continue browsing the data in read-only mode.

Impact: Poor user experience. Users logging into the server see an error upon login.

Product/Component: DOORs Next Generation
Work item:  DNG Client does not indicate server is in read only mode when trying to create new items from the File -> New -> menu (68003)
Behavior: After a rename, the DNG client reports a general error indicating that the service is not available if a user attempts to perform a write operation.  The log also does not indicate that the server is in read-only mode.
Impact: Poor user experience for users using the DNG rich client. Administrators should inform users ahead of time that they will need to change their client’s repository URL.

Related Information

The following links point to related information:

• Renaming your Rational solution for Collaborative Lifecycle Management server (version 4.0.1 and later)