NPE while starting Node Manager in SOA 11.1.1.5

Question

I have installed SOA Suite 11g (11.1.1.5) as per Oracle Quick Start Guide for SOA Suite 11.1.1.5.
I start the database and Weblogic admin server. When I try to start the node manager, I am getting following error:
1 Nov, 2011 9:23:28 AM weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServer <init>
WARNING: Node manager configuration properties file 'C:\Oracle\MIDDLE~3\WLSERV~1
.3\common\NODEMA~1\nodemanager.properties' not found. Using default settings.
<1 Nov, 2011 9:23:28 AM> <INFO> <Saving node manager configuration properties to
'C:\Oracle\MIDDLE~3\WLSERV~1.3\common\NODEMA~1\nodemanager.properties'>
1 Nov, 2011 9:23:28 AM weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServer <init>
INFO: Saving node manager configuration properties to 'C:\Oracle\MIDDLE~3\WLSERV
~1.3\common\NODEMA~1\nodemanager.properties'
<1 Nov, 2011 9:23:28 AM> <SEVERE> <Fatal error in node manager server>
java.lang.NullPointerException
at java.util.Hashtable.containsKey(Hashtable.java:314)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServerConfig.initNetworkInfoList(NMServ
erConfig.java:491)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServerConfig.getNetworkInfoList(NMServe
rConfig.java:481)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServerConfig.getConfigProperties(NMServ
erConfig.java:545)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServer.<init>(NMServer.java:154)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServer.main(NMServer.java:375)
at weblogic.NodeManager.main(NodeManager.java:31)
1 Nov, 2011 9:23:28 AM weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServer main
SEVERE: Fatal error in node manager server
java.lang.NullPointerException
at java.util.Hashtable.containsKey(Hashtable.java:314)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServerConfig.initNetworkInfoList(NMServ
erConfig.java:491)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServerConfig.getNetworkInfoList(NMServe
rConfig.java:481)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServerConfig.getConfigProperties(NMServ
erConfig.java:545)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServer.<init>(NMServer.java:154)
at weblogic.nodemanager.server.NMServer.main(NMServer.java:375)
at weblogic.NodeManager.main(NodeManager.java:31)
C:\Oracle\MIDDLE~3\WLSERV~1.3\common\NODEMA~1>goto finish
C:\Oracle\MIDDLE~3\WLSERV~1.3\common\NODEMA~1>ENDLOCAL
C:\Oracle\Middleware\wlserver_10.3\server\bin>
I checked "C:\Oracle\Middleware\wlserver_10.3\common\nodemanager" directory. There is no nodemanager.properties file there. Do I need to create it manually?
Please advise.
Thanks,
Vivek

Answer 1

I cut and paste the description of the note. There is a statement with the cause that states
"This issue happens only when the display name of a NIC configured for migration in nodemanager is null"
and it is a little ambigious. It implies there is a workaround of setting the display name, but doesn't discuss how to apply this workaround; the display name it refers to generated by a code call to the NetworkInterface.getDisplayName() method from the JDK.
I assume that the display name here is the parameter called Interface within the nodemanger.properties, but there is nothing within the note that confirms this, nor if setting this to the NICE name will fix this issue. here is a full list of the nodemanger.propertes file -> http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E12840_01/wls/docs103/nodemgr/java_nodemgr.html#wp1068415
I'd download and try the patch in your place; it's a WLS patch (as nodemanager is part of WLS) so shouldn't affect SOA Suite. Failing that, open a SR.