AsyncRequestNotUsableException: Response not usable after response errors

Question

In a recent attempt to upgrade to spring-boot:3.2.4 from 3.2.0, we are ending up facing an error thrown for few requests(no particular mapping) to our servers. I could not infer much from the stacktrace of these errors either. These are logged via the @ControllerAdvice with the very first line of code as:

logger.error("Something went wrong while making a request to places!", throwable);

The immediate stack trace is as follows:

Something went wrong while making a request to places!
org.springframework.web.context.request.async.AsyncRequestNotUsableException: ServletOutputStream failed to write: java.io.IOException: Broken pipe
    at org.springframework.web.context.request.async.StandardServletAsyncWebRequest$LifecycleHttpServletResponse.handleIOException(StandardServletAsyncWebRequest.java:320) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.context.request.async.StandardServletAsyncWebRequest$LifecycleServletOutputStream.write(StandardServletAsyncWebRequest.java:378) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.util.StreamUtils$NonClosingOutputStream.write(StreamUtils.java:264) ~[spring-core-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.core.json.UTF8JsonGenerator._flushBuffer(UTF8JsonGenerator.java:2203) ~[jackson-core-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.core.json.UTF8JsonGenerator.writeString(UTF8JsonGenerator.java:521) ~[jackson-core-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.StringSerializer.serialize(StringSerializer.java:41) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.MapSerializer.serializeFieldsUsing(MapSerializer.java:905) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.MapSerializer.serializeWithoutTypeInfo(MapSerializer.java:762) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.MapSerializer.serialize(MapSerializer.java:720) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.MapSerializer.serialize(MapSerializer.java:35) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.BeanPropertyWriter.serializeAsField(BeanPropertyWriter.java:732) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.BeanSerializerBase.serializeFields(BeanSerializerBase.java:772) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.BeanSerializer.serialize(BeanSerializer.java:178) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.impl.IndexedListSerializer.serializeContents(IndexedListSerializer.java:119) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.impl.IndexedListSerializer.serialize(IndexedListSerializer.java:79) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.impl.IndexedListSerializer.serialize(IndexedListSerializer.java:18) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.BeanPropertyWriter.serializeAsField(BeanPropertyWriter.java:732) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.BeanSerializerBase.serializeFields(BeanSerializerBase.java:772) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.BeanSerializer.serialize(BeanSerializer.java:178) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.CollectionSerializer.serializeContents(CollectionSerializer.java:145) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.CollectionSerializer.serialize(CollectionSerializer.java:107) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.std.CollectionSerializer.serialize(CollectionSerializer.java:25) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.DefaultSerializerProvider._serialize(DefaultSerializerProvider.java:479) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ser.DefaultSerializerProvider.serializeValue(DefaultSerializerProvider.java:399) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectWriter$Prefetch.serialize(ObjectWriter.java:1568) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectWriter.writeValue(ObjectWriter.java:1061) ~[jackson-databind-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at org.springframework.http.converter.json.AbstractJackson2HttpMessageConverter.writeInternal(AbstractJackson2HttpMessageConverter.java:483) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.http.converter.AbstractGenericHttpMessageConverter.write(AbstractGenericHttpMessageConverter.java:114) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.AbstractMessageConverterMethodProcessor.writeWithMessageConverters(AbstractMessageConverterMethodProcessor.java:297) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessor.handleReturnValue(RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessor.java:190) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.method.support.HandlerMethodReturnValueHandlerComposite.handleReturnValue(HandlerMethodReturnValueHandlerComposite.java:78) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java:136) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.invokeHandlerMethod(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:925) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.handleInternal(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:830) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]

followed up with the cause as:

Suppressed: org.springframework.web.context.request.async.AsyncRequestNotUsableException: Response not usable after response errors.
    at org.springframework.web.context.request.async.StandardServletAsyncWebRequest$LifecycleHttpServletResponse.obtainLockAndCheckState(StandardServletAsyncWebRequest.java:314) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.context.request.async.StandardServletAsyncWebRequest$LifecycleServletOutputStream.write(StandardServletAsyncWebRequest.java:373) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.util.StreamUtils$NonClosingOutputStream.write(StreamUtils.java:264) ~[spring-core-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.core.json.UTF8JsonGenerator._flushBuffer(UTF8JsonGenerator.java:2203) ~[jackson-core-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at com.fasterxml.jackson.core.json.UTF8JsonGenerator.close(UTF8JsonGenerator.java:1227) ~[jackson-core-2.15.4.jar!/:2.15.4]
    at org.springframework.http.converter.json.AbstractJackson2HttpMessageConverter.writeInternal(AbstractJackson2HttpMessageConverter.java:452) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.http.converter.AbstractGenericHttpMessageConverter.write(AbstractGenericHttpMessageConverter.java:114) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.AbstractMessageConverterMethodProcessor.writeWithMessageConverters(AbstractMessageConverterMethodProcessor.java:297) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessor.handleReturnValue(RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessor.java:190) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.method.support.HandlerMethodReturnValueHandlerComposite.handleReturnValue(HandlerMethodReturnValueHandlerComposite.java:78) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java:136) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.invokeHandlerMethod(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:925) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.handleInternal(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:830) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.handle(AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.java:87) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:1089) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:979) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:1014) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:903) ~[spring-webmvc-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
...
Caused by: org.apache.catalina.connector.ClientAbortException: java.io.IOException: Broken pipe
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.OutputBuffer.realWriteBytes(OutputBuffer.java:344) ~[tomcat-embed-core-10.1.19.jar!/:?]
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.OutputBuffer.flushByteBuffer(OutputBuffer.java:773) ~[tomcat-embed-core-10.1.19.jar!/:?]
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.OutputBuffer.append(OutputBuffer.java:676) ~[tomcat-embed-core-10.1.19.jar!/:?]
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.OutputBuffer.writeBytes(OutputBuffer.java:379) ~[tomcat-embed-core-10.1.19.jar!/:?]
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.OutputBuffer.write(OutputBuffer.java:357) ~[tomcat-embed-core-10.1.19.jar!/:?]
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteOutputStream.write(CoyoteOutputStream.java:97) ~[tomcat-embed-core-10.1.19.jar!/:?]
    at org.springframework.web.context.request.async.StandardServletAsyncWebRequest$LifecycleServletOutputStream.write(StandardServletAsyncWebRequest.java:375) ~[spring-web-6.1.5.jar!/:6.1.5]
    ... 82 more

Not able to relate much to any change from the release note for 3.2.4 either. Restoring the version to 3.2.0 resolves the issue for now.

What I am curious to understand first is what is the actual cause of the issue? Then follow it up with a possible fix with updated versions itself.

---

Update: As asked, sharing the primary dependencies of the application:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
    <!--https://stackoverflow.com/questions/74781733/vulnerable-dependency-mavenorg-yamlsnakeyaml-->
    <exclusions>
        <exclusion>
            <groupId>org.yaml</groupId>
            <artifactId>snakeyaml</artifactId>
        </exclusion>
        <exclusion>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-logging</artifactId>
        </exclusion>
    </exclusions>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-data-elasticsearch</artifactId>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.kafka</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-kafka</artifactId>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-cache</artifactId>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.github.ben-manes.caffeine</groupId>
    <artifactId>caffeine</artifactId>
</dependency>

<!--logging and validators-->
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-log4j2</artifactId>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-validation</artifactId>
</dependency>

Update 2: Upgraded to spring-boot:3.2.5, but the error persists with the latest release too.

Answer 1

As you experience this exception for a few requests only this could be caused by a timeout. Probably the default setting has been changed. Try switching the request timeout off. If it helps then you can adjust it to a reasonable value.

spring.mvc.async.request-timeout=-1