javax.servlet.ServletException: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: org/apache/tomcat/InstanceManager

Question

I have been facing challenges in understanding the issue behind the exception trace thrown while i access my web application through tomcat 6.0.33. Below are the detailed exception trace. FYI. the same application works with different versions of tomcat, but i am unable to access my application through the 6.0.33 tomcat. This happen when i access even my application home page FYI.

Exception trace:

org.apache.catalina.authenticator.FormAuthenticator forwardToLoginPage
WARNING: Unexpected error forwarding to login page
javax.servlet.ServletException: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: org/apache/tomcat/InstanceManager
    at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:268)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:717)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.invoke(ApplicationDispatcher.java:646)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.processRequest(ApplicationDispatcher.java:436)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.doForward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:374)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.forward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:302)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.FormAuthenticator.forwardToLoginPage(FormAuthenticator.java:322)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.FormAuthenticator.authenticate(FormAuthenticator.java:246)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:528)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:589)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:111)
    at org.apache.catalina.ha.tcp.ReplicationValve.invoke(ReplicationValve.java:347)
    at org.apache.catalina.ha.session.JvmRouteBinderValve.invoke(JvmRouteBinderValve.java:228)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:291)
    at org.apache.coyote.ajp.AjpAprProcessor.process(AjpAprProcessor.java:444)
    at org.apache.coyote.ajp.AjpAprProtocol$AjpConnectionHandler.process(AjpAprProtocol.java:399)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.AprEndpoint$Worker.run(AprEndpoint.java:1675)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662)
Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: org/apache/tomcat/InstanceManager
    at java.lang.Class.getDeclaredFields0(Native Method)
    at java.lang.Class.privateGetDeclaredFields(Class.java:2291)
    at java.lang.Class.getDeclaredFields(Class.java:1743)
    at org.apache.catalina.util.DefaultAnnotationProcessor.processAnnotations(DefaultAnnotationProcessor.java:181)
    at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.getServlet(JspServletWrapper.java:153)
    at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.service(JspServletWrapper.java:340)
    at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.serviceJspFile(JspServlet.java:313)
    at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:260)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:717)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.invoke(ApplicationDispatcher.java:646)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.processRequest(ApplicationDispatcher.java:436)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.doForward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:374)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.forward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:302)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.FormAuthenticator.forwardToLoginPage(FormAuthenticator.java:322)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.FormAuthenticator.authenticate(FormAuthenticator.java:245)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:528)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:589)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
    at org.apache.catalina.ha.tcp.ReplicationValve.invoke(ReplicationValve.java:347)
    at org.apache.catalina.ha.session.JvmRouteBinderValve.invoke(JvmRouteBinderValve.java:227)

Any help in directing me towards issue resolution is much appreciated with thanks.

Regards!!

Jai

Answer 1

Seems like you have cached some java classes from other tomcat versions in your Tomcat's work dir. To resolve your issue

1. Stop your tomcat
2. Delete $CATALINA_BASE/work/*
3. Delete the unpacked dir of your web application in $CATALINA_BASE/webapps (this step might not be needed)
4. Start your tomcat.

Answer 2

Looks like your JSPs were (pre-)compiled against Tomcat 7. These cannot be deployed on Tomcat 6.