Broken pipe Java EE

Question

I got this broken pipe exception which again lead to that my Spring application context somehow broke down. I have not any clue what caused it, the server had been running nicely for a long time before this happend, anyone which recognize it and can point my in right direction?

org.springframework.web.util.NestedServletException: Request processing failed; nested exception is java.lang.IllegalStateException: BeanFactory not initialized or already closed - call 'refresh' before accessing beans via the ApplicationContext
at    
org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:894)

at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:778)


04.01.2013 11:48:54 *ERROR* ReauthenticatingInterceptor: Got some exception when reauthenticating user (ReauthenticatingInterceptor.java, line 47)
ClientAbortException:  java.net.SocketException: Broken pipe
at org.apache.catalina.connector.OutputBuffer.realWriteBytes(OutputBuffer.java:373)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.buf.ByteChunk.flushBuffer(ByteChunk.java:437)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.OutputBuffer.doFlush(OutputBuffer.java:321)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.OutputBuffer.flush(OutputBuffer.java:299)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteOutputStream.flush(CoyoteOutputStream.java:103)
at org.codehaus.jackson.impl.Utf8Generator.flush(Utf8Generator.java:1091)
at org.codehaus.jackson.map.ObjectMapper.writeValue(ObjectMapper.java:1354)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.view.json.MappingJacksonJsonView.renderMergedOutputModel(MappingJacksonJsonView.java:199)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.view.AbstractView.render(AbstractView.java:262)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.render(DispatcherServlet.java:1180)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:950)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:852)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:882)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:778)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:621)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:722)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:304)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.springframework.web.filter.HiddenHttpMethodFilter.doFilterInternal(HiddenHttpMethodFilter.java:77)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:88)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.springframework.orm.hibernate3.support.OpenSessionInViewFilter.doFilterInternal(OpenSessionInViewFilter.java:198)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:369)
at com.bipper.bsafe.web.util.HostInterceptorFilter.doFilter(HostInterceptorFilter.java:26)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at com.bipper.bsafe.web.security.EncodingApplyingFilter.doFilter(EncodingApplyingFilter.java:23)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:109)
at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:83)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at com.bipper.bsafe.web.security.ReauthenticatingInterceptor.doFilter(ReauthenticatingInterceptor.java:45)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at com.bipper.bsafe.web.security.BsafeExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(BsafeExceptionTranslationFilter.java:37)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:97)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.session.SessionManagementFilter.doFilter(SessionManagementFilter.java:100)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:78)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.servletapi.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.java:54)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.savedrequest.RequestCacheAwareFilter.doFilter(RequestCacheAwareFilter.java:35)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:187)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:105)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:79)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.access.channel.ChannelProcessingFilter.doFilter(ChannelProcessingFilter.java:109)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at com.bipper.bsafe.web.util.DirtyHackTempFilter.doFilter(DirtyHackTempFilter.java:43)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at com.bipper.bsafe.web.util.UserRequestsLoggingFilter.doFilter(UserRequestsLoggingFilter.java:45)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at com.bipper.bsafe.web.util.CookieFilter.doFilter(CookieFilter.java:56)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:381)
at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:168)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:346)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:259)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:243)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:210)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:224)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:169)
at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:472)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:168)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:100)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:929)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:118)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:405)
at org.apache.coyote.ajp.AjpProcessor.process(AjpProcessor.java:200)
at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$AbstractConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:515)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(JIoEndpoint.java:302)
at    java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662)

 Caused by: java.net.SocketException: Broken pipe
at java.net.SocketOutputStream.socketWrite0(Native Method)
at java.net.SocketOutputStream.socketWrite(SocketOutputStream.java:92)
at java.net.SocketOutputStream.write(SocketOutputStream.java:136)
at org.apache.coyote.ajp.AjpProcessor.output(AjpProcessor.java:295)
at org.apache.coyote.ajp.AbstractAjpProcessor$SocketOutputBuffer.doWrite(AbstractAjpProcessor.java:1081)
at org.apache.coyote.Response.doWrite(Response.java:533)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.OutputBuffer.realWriteBytes(OutputBuffer.java:368)
... 84 more

Answer 1

This documentation of the ClientAbortException will tell you why you're getting the exception:

Wrap an IOException identifying it as being caused by an abort of a request by a remote client.

I see this type of exception in my logs too. Basically it means they your server was sending information to a web client (My guess from the jackson json stuff in the stacktrace is that a webpage made an AJAX call to your webserver), but before you server could send all the information, the web client broke the connection (perhaps your user closed the web page or their browser before the entire response was written). I don't think this is anything you need to worry about, unless you are controlling both the server and the client, in which case you should check why your client is closing the connection early.