Problem while applying configuration to SCE 8000 using SCE-API

Question

We are facing an issue while applying service  configuration to SCE 8000 device using SCE API supplied by CISCO.
We have sample .pqb file  which we are using to upload to SCE 8000. We are using 3.5.5 version of  firmware on SCE.
Attached is exception file which contains sample .pqb and trace  log that we see when we apply configuration. Please note, that we are  using RHEL5 platform, JDK 1.5.0_1 and standalone java program to apply  configuration on SCE using API
com.pcube.management.common.InvocationException:  null ### java.lang.NullPointerException java.lang.NullPointerException
         at  com.pcube.management.framework.fsmanager.RFileInputStream.close(RFileInputStream.java:240)
         at java.io.BufferedInputStream.close(BufferedInputStream.java:440)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.management.Utilities.copyDeviceToLocalRMI(Utilities.java:357)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.ConfigurationRetriever.retrievePolicy(ConfigurationRetriever.java:85)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.Test.fetchPpUpgradeVersion(Test.java:15)
         at com.elitecore.pm.SCEConfiguration.main(SCEConfiguration.java:460)
com.pcube.management.common.InvocationException:  null ### java.lang.NullPointerException java.lang.NullPointerException
failed  to fetch current pp upgrade version  listjava.lang.NullPointerException0.0.0  PP0com.pcube.apps.engage.common.ApplyException: Client version 3.5.5  PP20 is different than SCE version 0.0.0 PP0, therefore apply is not  allowed
        at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.SEPolicyMediator.checkPpVersion(SEPolicyMediator.java:335)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.SEPolicyMediator.applyPolicy(SEPolicyMediator.java:114)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.SEPolicyMediator.applyPolicy(SEPolicyMediator.java:95)
         at com.elitecore.pm.SCEConfiguration.main(SCEConfiguration.java:461)
com.pcube.management.common.InvocationException:  null ### java.lang.NullPointerException java.lang.NullPointerException
         at  com.pcube.management.framework.fsmanager.RFileInputStream.close(RFileInputStream.java:240)
         at java.io.BufferedInputStream.close(BufferedInputStream.java:440)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.management.Utilities.copyDeviceToLocalRMI(Utilities.java:357)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.ConfigurationRetriever.retrievePolicy(ConfigurationRetriever.java:85)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.Test.fetchPpUpgradeVersion(Test.java:15)
         at com.elitecore.pm.SCEConfiguration.main(SCEConfiguration.java:460)
com.pcube.apps.engage.common.ApplyException:  Client version 3.5.5 PP20 is different than SCE version 0.0.0 PP0,  therefore apply is not allowed
        at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.SEPolicyMediator.checkPpVersion(SEPolicyMediator.java:335)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.SEPolicyMediator.applyPolicy(SEPolicyMediator.java:114)
         at  com.pcube.apps.engage.policy.SEPolicyMediator.applyPolicy(SEPolicyMediator.java:95)
         at com.elitecore.pm.SCEConfiguration.main(SCEConfiguration.java:461)

Answer 1

You are likely hitting  CSCtb94072.
The policy file should be manipulated by development engineer.
Please open a case with TAC and ask the CSE to fix the policy (by getting development engineer assistance).
Once you have the fixed policy PQB file perform the following CLI procedure on all SCEs on which the problem was observed:
SCE2000>enable
Password:
SCE2000#cd engage
SCE2000#delete MYENGAGE.PQB
SCE2000#rename MYENGAG1.PQB MYENGAGE.PQB
SCE2000#                                 
Once done you should be able to apply the fixed policy without any issue.
Note: after performing the above CLI procedure, you can also successfully retrieve the policy,
however, you must avoid doing it since the retrieved poilcy would not be the last applied one, it would be the penultimate one which you probably don't want to use.
After applying the fixed policy, you should be able to retrieve policy successfully with no fear.  
====
This is more of a clarification regarding the workaround procedure:
To get you better understand the issue.
The last policy applied to the SCE successfully is kept under the SCE  "/engage" directory by the name MYENGAGE.PQB
The penultimate applied policy is also kept there under the name  MYENGAG1.PQB
When the SCA-BB GUI applies a policy it first verifies the matching SCA-BB and PP version by inspecting this MYENGAGE.PQB file.
If the file has the corruption dealt in this defect, the apply will fail with the message of the kind:
"Client version 3.5.5 PP18 is different than SCE version 0.0.0 PP0, therefore apply is not allowed"
The MYENGAG1.PQB is the penultimate applied policy and it's not corrupted, renaming it MYENGAGE.PQB will assure us that the apply operation won't fail when verifying the versions are matched.
Alternatively (for the renaming procedure) user may copy the fixed policy file into the SCE disk space under /engage directory and name it MYENGAGE.PQB, then the apply should also work fine.