Illegal access: this web application instance has been stopped already.

Spring boot dev tools is unable to restart the server automatically. POM:

<parent>
	<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
	<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
	<version>2.4.4</version>
	<relativePath/>
	<!-- lookup parent from repository -->
</parent>
<properties>
	<java.version>1.8</java.version>
</properties>
<dependency>
	<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
	<artifactId>spring-boot-devtools</artifactId>
	<scope>runtime</scope>
	<optional>true</optional>
</dependency>
<dependency>
	<groupId>org.apache.axis</groupId>
	<artifactId>axis</artifactId>
	<version>1.4</version>
</dependency>

Error:

Illegal access: this web application instance has been stopped already. Could not load [META-INF/services/org.apache.axis.EngineConfigurationFactory]. The following stack trace is thrown for debugging purposes as well as to attempt to terminate the thread which caused the illegal access.

StackTrace:

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Illegal access: this web application instance has been stopped already. Could not load [META-INF/services/org.apache.axis.EngineConfigurationFactory]. The following stack trace is thrown for debugging purposes as well as to attempt to terminate the thread which caused the illegal access.
	at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoaderBase.checkStateForResourceLoading(WebappClassLoaderBase.java:1384) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoaderBase.getResource(WebappClassLoaderBase.java:1037) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.jdk.JDK12Hooks.getResources(JDK12Hooks.java:134) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.DiscoverResources$1.getNextResources(DiscoverResources.java:124) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.DiscoverResources$1.getNextResource(DiscoverResources.java:98) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.DiscoverResources$1.hasNext(DiscoverResources.java:84) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.names.DiscoverNamesInFile$1.getNextClassNames(DiscoverNamesInFile.java:226) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.names.DiscoverNamesInFile$1.getNextClassName(DiscoverNamesInFile.java:209) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.names.DiscoverNamesInFile$1.hasNext(DiscoverNamesInFile.java:196) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.names.NameDiscoverers$1.getNextIterator(NameDiscoverers.java:122) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.names.NameDiscoverers$1.hasNext(NameDiscoverers.java:105) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.classes.ResourceClassDiscoverImpl$1.getNextResource(ResourceClassDiscoverImpl.java:116) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.commons.discovery.resource.classes.ResourceClassDiscoverImpl$1.hasNext(ResourceClassDiscoverImpl.java:103) [commons-discovery-0.5.jar:0.5]
	at org.apache.axis.configuration.EngineConfigurationFactoryFinder$1.run(EngineConfigurationFactoryFinder.java:120) [axis-1.4.jar:na]
	at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method) [na:1.8.0_131]
	at org.apache.axis.configuration.EngineConfigurationFactoryFinder.newFactory(EngineConfigurationFactoryFinder.java:113) [axis-1.4.jar:na]
	at org.apache.axis.configuration.EngineConfigurationFactoryFinder.newFactory(EngineConfigurationFactoryFinder.java:160) [axis-1.4.jar:na]
	at org.apache.axis.client.Service.getEngineConfiguration(Service.java:813) [axis-1.4.jar:na]
	at org.apache.axis.client.Service.getAxisClient(Service.java:104) [axis-1.4.jar:na]
	at org.apache.axis.client.Service.<init>(Service.java:113) [axis-1.4.jar:na]
	at com.fedex.ws.ship.v26.ShipServiceLocator.<init>(ShipServiceLocator.java:12) [classes/:na]
	at com.foo.service.ShipService.processShipment(ShipService.java:69) [classes/:na]
	at com.foo.controller.ShipController.processShipping(ShipController.java:38) [classes/:na]
	at com.foo.controller.ShipController$$FastClassBySpringCGLIB$$3bcae4f4.invoke(<generated>) [classes/:na]
	at org.springframework.cglib.proxy.MethodProxy.invoke(MethodProxy.java:218) [spring-core-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.CglibAopProxy$CglibMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(CglibAopProxy.java:779) [spring-aop-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:163) [spring-aop-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.CglibAopProxy$CglibMethodInvocation.proceed(CglibAopProxy.java:750) [spring-aop-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.validation.beanvalidation.MethodValidationInterceptor.invoke(MethodValidationInterceptor.java:123) [spring-context-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:186) [spring-aop-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.CglibAopProxy$CglibMethodInvocation.proceed(CglibAopProxy.java:750) [spring-aop-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.aop.framework.CglibAopProxy$DynamicAdvisedInterceptor.intercept(CglibAopProxy.java:692) [spring-aop-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at com.foo.controller.ShipController$$EnhancerBySpringCGLIB$$291f6053.processShipping(<generated>) [classes/:na]
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[na:1.8.0_131]
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source) ~[na:1.8.0_131]
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source) ~[na:1.8.0_131]
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source) ~[na:1.8.0_131]
	at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.doInvoke(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:197) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invokeForRequest(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:141) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java:106) [spring-webmvc-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.invokeHandlerMethod(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:894) [spring-webmvc-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.handleInternal(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:808) [spring-webmvc-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.handle(AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.java:87) [spring-webmvc-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:1060) [spring-webmvc-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:962) [spring-webmvc-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:1006) [spring-webmvc-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doPost(FrameworkServlet.java:909) [spring-webmvc-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:652) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:4.0.FR]
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:883) [spring-webmvc-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:733) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:4.0.FR]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:227) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:162) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:53) [tomcat-embed-websocket-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:189) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:162) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.springframework.web.filter.ShallowEtagHeaderFilter.doFilterInternal(ShallowEtagHeaderFilter.java:106) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:189) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:162) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.springframework.web.filter.RequestContextFilter.doFilterInternal(RequestContextFilter.java:100) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:189) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:162) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.springframework.web.filter.FormContentFilter.doFilterInternal(FormContentFilter.java:93) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:189) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:162) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:201) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119) [spring-web-5.3.5.jar:5.3.5]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:189) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:162) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:202) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:97) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:542) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:143) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:92) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:78) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:357) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.service(Http11Processor.java:374) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProcessorLight.process(AbstractProcessorLight.java:65) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$ConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:893) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(NioEndpoint.java:1707) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.SocketProcessorBase.run(SocketProcessorBase.java:49) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source) [na:1.8.0_131]
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source) [na:1.8.0_131]
	at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:61) [tomcat-embed-core-9.0.44.jar:9.0.44]
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source) [na:1.8.0_131]

[wilkinsona]

Thanks for the sample.

The problem you’re experiencing is due to a bug in Axis. The first time AxisProperties.getNameDiscoverer() is called, it performs lazy initialization of some static fields. As part of this initialization a reference to the thread context class loader is retrieved and stored in a static field. This will cause problems in any environment where the ClassLoader of AxisProperties and the thread context class loader are not the same. For example, if you deployed an application to a servlet container with Axis configured as a shared library, the shared library would capture a reference to the web app class loader of the first web application to call AxisProperties.getNameDiscoverer(). Undeploying that web application would then result in a memory leak as its ClassLoader could not be garbage collected. A similar problem occurs with Devtools where a new web app class loader is created for each restart, but Axis holds onto the web app class loader from the first time it’s called.

You can avoid the problem by getting Axis to initialise its name discoverer outside of a web request. This prevents it from capturing a reference to the web app class loader. To do so, add the following method to your main application class:

@PostConstruct
void preventAxisPropertiesClassLoaderLeak() {
	ClassLoader tccl = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
	Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(AxisProperties.class.getClassLoader());
	AxisProperties.getNameDiscoverer();
	Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(tccl);
}

An alternative approach would be to use reflection to set AxisProperties’ loader and nameDiscoverer fields to null, however the approach above appears to be sufficient and feels slightly simpler to me.

[harikesh409]

Thanks for the sample.

The problem you’re experiencing is due to a bug in Axis. The first time AxisProperties.getNameDiscoverer() is called, it performs lazy initialization of some static fields. As part of this initialization a reference to the thread context class loader is retrieved and stored in a static field. This will cause problems in any environment where the ClassLoader of AxisProperties and the thread context class loader are not the same. For example, if you deployed an application to a servlet container with Axis configured as a shared library, the shared library would capture a reference to the web app class loader of the first web application to call AxisProperties.getNameDiscoverer(). Undeploying that web application would then result in a memory leak as its ClassLoader could not be garbage collected. A similar problem occurs with Devtools where a new web app class loader is created for each restart, but Axis holds onto the web app class loader from the first time it’s called.

You can avoid the problem by getting Axis to initialise its name discoverer outside of a web request. This prevents it from capturing a reference to the web app class loader. To do so, add the following method to your main application class:

@PostConstruct
void preventAxisPropertiesClassLoaderLeak() {
	ClassLoader tccl = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
	Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(AxisProperties.class.getClassLoader());
	AxisProperties.getNameDiscoverer();
	Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(tccl);
}

An alternative approach would be to use reflection to set AxisProperties’ loader and nameDiscoverer fields to null, however the approach above appears to be sufficient and feels slightly simpler to me.

Thank you I was able to resolve using the given snippet.