Difficulty with ADF Faces/ADF Essentials and Glassfish

Question

Hi all,
I've got a web application written with ADF Faces, and it runs just fine within jDeveloper 11.1.2.3 but when I deploy it to Glassfish 3.1.2 (with ADF Essentials installed) something curious happens.
My application has no difficulty performing database reads, but when it tried to write to the database and commit, it fails.
I've seen only a couple of other people with this problem, and none of them seem to have found a solution - so I'm assuming it's something stupid that I'm doing or misunderstanding.
Here is the log file:
[#|2013-11-10T11:45:17.601-0500|WARNING|glassfish3.1.2|oracle.adf.controller.faces.lifecycle.Utils|_ThreadID=79;_ThreadName=Thread-2;|ADF: Adding the following JSF error message: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError cannot be cast to java.lang.Exception
java.lang.ClassCastException: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError cannot be cast to java.lang.Exception
  at oracle.jbo.server.BaseSQLBuilderImpl.isSQLRecoverableException(BaseSQLBuilderImpl.java:4575)
  at oracle.jbo.server.DBTransactionImpl.doPostTransactionListeners(DBTransactionImpl.java:3380)
  at oracle.jbo.server.DBTransactionImpl.postChanges(DBTransactionImpl.java:3067)
  at oracle.jbo.server.DBTransactionImpl.commitInternal(DBTransactionImpl.java:2071)
  at oracle.jbo.server.DBTransactionImpl.commit(DBTransactionImpl.java:2352)
  at oracle.adf.model.bc4j.DCJboDataControl.commitTransaction(DCJboDataControl.java:1590)
  at oracle.adf.model.binding.DCDataControl.callCommitTransaction(DCDataControl.java:1415)
  at oracle.jbo.uicli.binding.JUCtrlActionBinding.doIt(JUCtrlActionBinding.java:1428)
  at oracle.adf.model.binding.DCDataControl.invokeOperation(DCDataControl.java:2169)
  at oracle.jbo.uicli.binding.JUCtrlActionBinding.invoke(JUCtrlActionBinding.java:731)
  at oracle.adf.controller.v2.lifecycle.PageLifecycleImpl.executeEvent(PageLifecycleImpl.java:402)
  at oracle.adfinternal.view.faces.model.binding.FacesCtrlActionBinding._execute(FacesCtrlActionBinding.java:252)
  at oracle.adfinternal.view.faces.model.binding.FacesCtrlActionBinding.execute(FacesCtrlActionBinding.java:210)
  at app.AppModuleImpl.commitOperation(AppModuleImpl.java:50)
  at com.methods.lrc.view.VendorBean.createPaymentReceived(VendorBean.java:509)
  at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
  at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
  at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
  at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
  at com.sun.el.parser.AstValue.invoke(AstValue.java:254)
  at com.sun.el.MethodExpressionImpl.invoke(MethodExpressionImpl.java:302)
  at org.apache.myfaces.trinidad.component.MethodExpressionMethodBinding.invoke(MethodExpressionMethodBinding.java:46)
  at com.sun.faces.application.ActionListenerImpl.processAction(ActionListenerImpl.java:102)
  at org.apache.myfaces.trinidad.component.UIXCommand.broadcast(UIXCommand.java:190)
  at oracle.adf.view.rich.component.fragment.ContextSwitchingComponent$1.run(ContextSwitchingComponent.java:130)
  at oracle.adf.view.rich.component.fragment.ContextSwitchingComponent._processPhase(ContextSwitchingComponent.java:461)
  at oracle.adf.view.rich.component.fragment.ContextSwitchingComponent.broadcast(ContextSwitchingComponent.java:134)
  at oracle.adf.view.rich.component.fragment.UIXInclude.broadcast(UIXInclude.java:112)
  at oracle.adf.view.rich.component.fragment.ContextSwitchingComponent$1.run(ContextSwitchingComponent.java:130)
  at oracle.adf.view.rich.component.fragment.ContextSwitchingComponent._processPhase(ContextSwitchingComponent.java:461)
  at oracle.adf.view.rich.component.fragment.ContextSwitchingComponent.broadcast(ContextSwitchingComponent.java:134)
  at oracle.adf.view.rich.component.fragment.UIXInclude.broadcast(UIXInclude.java:106)
  at javax.faces.component.UIViewRoot.broadcastEvents(UIViewRoot.java:787)
  at javax.faces.component.UIViewRoot.processApplication(UIViewRoot.java:1252)
  at oracle.adfinternal.view.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl._invokeApplication(LifecycleImpl.java:973)
  at oracle.adfinternal.view.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl._executePhase(LifecycleImpl.java:354)
  at oracle.adfinternal.view.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.execute(LifecycleImpl.java:202)
  at javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet.service(FacesServlet.java:508)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.service(StandardWrapper.java:1550)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:343)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:217)
  at com.methods.lrc.view.ApplicationSessionExpiryFilter.doFilter(ApplicationSessionExpiryFilter.java:42)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:256)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:217)
  at oracle.adf.model.servlet.ADFBindingFilter.doFilter(ADFBindingFilter.java:173)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:256)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:217)
  at oracle.adfinternal.view.faces.webapp.rich.RegistrationFilter.doFilter(RegistrationFilter.java:125)
  at org.apache.myfaces.trinidadinternal.webapp.TrinidadFilterImpl$FilterListChain.doFilter(TrinidadFilterImpl.java:468)
  at oracle.adfinternal.view.faces.activedata.AdsFilter.doFilter(AdsFilter.java:60)
  at org.apache.myfaces.trinidadinternal.webapp.TrinidadFilterImpl$FilterListChain.doFilter(TrinidadFilterImpl.java:468)
  at org.apache.myfaces.trinidadinternal.webapp.TrinidadFilterImpl._doFilterImpl(TrinidadFilterImpl.java:293)
  at org.apache.myfaces.trinidadinternal.webapp.TrinidadFilterImpl.doFilter(TrinidadFilterImpl.java:199)
  at org.apache.myfaces.trinidad.webapp.TrinidadFilter.doFilter(TrinidadFilter.java:92)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:256)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:217)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:279)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:175)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.doInvoke(StandardPipeline.java:655)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:595)
  at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:161)
  at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.doService(CoyoteAdapter.java:331)
  at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:231)
  at com.sun.enterprise.v3.services.impl.ContainerMapper$AdapterCallable.call(ContainerMapper.java:317)
  at com.sun.enterprise.v3.services.impl.ContainerMapper.service(ContainerMapper.java:195)
  at com.sun.grizzly.http.ProcessorTask.invokeAdapter(ProcessorTask.java:860)
  at com.sun.grizzly.http.ProcessorTask.doProcess(ProcessorTask.java:757)
  at com.sun.grizzly.http.ProcessorTask.process(ProcessorTask.java:1056)
  at com.sun.grizzly.http.DefaultProtocolFilter.execute(DefaultProtocolFilter.java:229)
  at com.sun.grizzly.DefaultProtocolChain.executeProtocolFilter(DefaultProtocolChain.java:137)
  at com.sun.grizzly.DefaultProtocolChain.execute(DefaultProtocolChain.java:104)
  at com.sun.grizzly.DefaultProtocolChain.execute(DefaultProtocolChain.java:90)
  at com.sun.grizzly.http.HttpProtocolChain.execute(HttpProtocolChain.java:79)
  at com.sun.grizzly.ProtocolChainContextTask.doCall(ProtocolChainContextTask.java:54)
  at com.sun.grizzly.SelectionKeyContextTask.call(SelectionKeyContextTask.java:59)
  at com.sun.grizzly.ContextTask.run(ContextTask.java:71)
  at com.sun.grizzly.util.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.doWork(AbstractThreadPool.java:532)
  at com.sun.grizzly.util.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.run(AbstractThreadPool.java:513)
  at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)
Here is the method where it fails:
    public String createPaymentReceived() {
        AppModuleImpl appModule = this.getAppModule();
        ViewObjectImpl paymentReceivedVOI = appModule.getPaymentsReceivedView3();
        Row paymentRow = paymentReceivedVOI.createRow();
        paymentRow.setAttribute("CheckNumber", prCheckNumber);
        paymentRow.setAttribute("PaymAmount", totalSelectedValue);
        paymentRow.setAttribute("PaymentComment", prComment);
        paymentRow.setAttribute("PaymentDate", prPaymentDate);
        paymentRow.setAttribute("PaymentType", prPaymentType);
        paymentRow.setAttribute("TrackId", prTrackId);
        appModule.commitOperation();
        DBSequence paymentsReceivedId = (DBSequence)paymentRow.getAttribute("PaymentsReceivedId");
        Iterator selectionIt = unpaidPaymentItemsTable.getSelectedRowKeys().iterator();
        while (selectionIt.hasNext()) {
            Object rowKey = selectionIt.next();
            unpaidPaymentItemsTable.setRowKey(rowKey);
            int index = unpaidPaymentItemsTable.getRowIndex();
            JUCtrlHierNodeBinding row = (JUCtrlHierNodeBinding)unpaidPaymentItemsTable.getRowData(index);
            Row selectedRow = row.getRow();
            selectedRow.setAttribute("PaymentsReceivedId", paymentsReceivedId.getSequenceNumber());
            selectedRow.setAttribute("PaymentDate", prPaymentDate);
        appModule.commitOperation();
        prCheckNumber = null;
        totalSelectedValue = 0;
        prComment = null;
        prPaymentDate = new Date();
        prTrackId = null;
        prPaymentType = "K";
        refreshTableIterator("VendorPaymentItemsView1Iterator");
        refreshTableIterator("VendorPaymentsReceived1Iterator");
        return null;
it fails on the second appModule.commitOperation() (which I've bolded)
if anyone can give a clue to what I'm misunderstanding I'd really appreciate it.  I'm sure that if I had the course for BaseSQLBuilderImpl.java and/or DBTransactionImpl it would be easier to see what the actual error was - unfortunately java.lang.ClassCastException: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError cannot be cast to java.lang.Exception doesn't tell me much of anything.
Thanks so much to anyone who's got the time/knowledge to help.
Bob

Answer 1

That doesn't seem to make any difference.  It works just fine within jDeveloper, but as soon as I deploy it, I can no longer write to the database.
A few more details that seem relevant - it's not only this method that fails.  Even on screens which were designed without any backing code (where I used the wizards to create my forms and commit buttons) the same exact thing happens.
I've also replicated this behavior in Tomcat.
Part of what is happening is that something is throwing a NoClassDefFoundError, which is caught by a catch (Throwable thEx) clause within DBTransactionImpl.  This passes the Error to a method (isSQLRecoverableException) within the BaseSQLBuilderImpl class.  The problem is that this method takes only Exceptions for arguments, and NoClassDefFoundError is not a subclass of Exception (only of Throwable.)
It seems obvious to me that there's somewhere a jar missing, but I cannot find it without knowing which class was not found.