Spring 3.1 not able to load Configuration Class: - spring

Question

I am working on project that has Rest Service with Spring 3.1.0. Release.
I am using Config class to load beans.
As suggested, using cglib 2.2 and asm-3.3 jars.
This fails in websphere 8.5 with following exception. But works in Apache Tomcat 7.0.
[12/19/12 12:47:26:439 EST] 00000062 webapp E com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.webapp.WebApp logServletError SRVE0293E: [Servlet Error]-[dispatcher]: java.lang.IllegalStateException: Cannot load configuration class: com.hps.config.ApplicationConfig
at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.enhanceConfigurationClasses(ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.java:313)
at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.postProcessBeanFactory(ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.java:197)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(AbstractApplicationContext.java:681)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.invokeBeanFactoryPostProcessors(AbstractApplicationContext.java:620)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:446)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader.configureAndRefreshWebApplicationContext(ContextLoader.java:384)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader.initWebApplicationContext(ContextLoader.java:283)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener.contextInitialized(ContextLoaderListener.java:111)
at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.webapp.WebApp.notifyServletContextCreated(WebApp.java:1651)
at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.webapp.WebAppImpl.initialize(WebAppImpl.java:414)
at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.webapp.WebGroupImpl.addWebApplication(WebGroupImpl.java:88)
at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.VirtualHostImpl.addWebApplication(VirtualHostImpl.java:169)
at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.WSWebContainer.addWebApp(WSWebContainer.java:746)
at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.WSWebContainer.addWebApplication(WSWebContainer.java:634)
at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.component.WebContainerImpl.install(WebContainerImpl.java:426)
at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.component.WebContainerImpl.start(WebContainerImpl.java:718)
at com.ibm.ws.runtime.component.ApplicationMgrImpl.start(ApplicationMgrImpl.java:1170)
at com.ibm.ws.runtime.component.DeployedApplicationImpl.fireDeployedObjectStart(DeployedApplicationImpl.java:1370)
at com.ibm.ws.runtime.component.DeployedModuleImpl.start(DeployedModuleImpl.java:638)
at com.ibm.ws.runtime.component.DeployedApplicationImpl.start(DeployedApplicationImpl.java:968)
at com.ibm.ws.runtime.component.ApplicationMgrImpl.startApplication(ApplicationMgrImpl.java:769)
at com.ibm.ws.runtime.component.ApplicationMgrImpl.startApplicationDynamically(ApplicationMgrImpl.java:1364)
at com.ibm.ws.runtime.component.ApplicationMgrImpl.start(ApplicationMgrImpl.java:2169)
Caused by: java.lang.VerifyError: JVMVRFY007 final method overridden; class=net/sf/cglib/core/DebuggingClassWriter, method=visit(IILjava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/String;[Ljava/lang/String;)V
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClassImpl(Native Method)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:262)
at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:69)
at com.ibm.ws.classloader.CompoundClassLoader._defineClass(CompoundClassLoader.java:852)
at com.ibm.ws.classloader.CompoundClassLoader.localFindClass(CompoundClassLoader.java:762)
at com.ibm.ws.classloader.CompoundClassLoader.loadClass(CompoundClassLoader.java:585)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:627)
at java.lang.J9VMInternals.verifyImpl(Native Method)
at java.lang.J9VMInternals.verify(J9VMInternals.java:85)
at java.lang.J9VMInternals.initialize(J9VMInternals.java:162)
at net.sf.cglib.core.AbstractClassGenerator.<init>(AbstractClassGenerator.java:38)
at net.sf.cglib.core.KeyFactory$Generator.<init>(KeyFactory.java:127)
at net.sf.cglib.core.KeyFactory.create(KeyFactory.java:112)
at net.sf.cglib.core.KeyFactory.create(KeyFactory.java:108)
at net.sf.cglib.core.KeyFactory.create(KeyFactory.java:104)
at net.sf.cglib.proxy.Enhancer.<clinit>(Enhancer.java:69)
at java.lang.J9VMInternals.initializeImpl(Native Method)
at java.lang.J9VMInternals.initialize(J9VMInternals.java:228)
at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassEnhancer.newEnhancer(ConfigurationClassEnhancer.java:136)
at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassEnhancer.enhance(ConfigurationClassEnhancer.java:109)
at org.springframework.context.annotation.ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.enhanceConfigurationClasses(ConfigurationClassPostProcessor.java:303)
... 109 more
Any suggestion on how to fix this issue.
Tried with different versions of cglib and asm jars, but no luck..

Answer 1

Make sure all the dependent JAR files are stored in WEB-INF/lib directory of your WAR file including Sam-3.3. If your using Maven then make sure you don't exclude this JAR or inadvertently set its scope as provided.
Now you you deploy the application in WebSphere make sure you set the application class loading before to application first (parent last). To do this in WebSphere you need to find the link Manage Modules and locate class loading link, don't really remember what it was in WebSphere however should be easy to find. This should resolve your issues.
Update: just noticed the link you provided already suggests using parent last. In WebSphere I find this is a must otherwise you will hit many of these issues and furthermore upgrades become much easier!

Answer 2

I am able to resolve this issue..
Issue is with Websphere 8.5
It has own version of asm4.0 jars. And spring3.1 uses cglib2.2 jar that is only compatible with asm3.3. asm4.0 jar of websphere is the culprit..
workaround is to use cglib-nodep jar instead of cglib2.2 jar
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=14880673

Answer 3

It seems that this was a bug (PM71336) in Websphere 8.5
The bug has been fixed in the Websphere V8.5 Fix Pack 2
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24034672

Answer 4

Use cglib-nodep jar instead of cglib2.2 jar. Also, don't forget to remove asm3.3 jar from your lib. Initially I wasn't removing asm3.3 jar which was still causing the problem.