Spring Boot (ConfigServer) is restarting all the time

Question

we have a very simple Spring Boot Service (@EnableConfigServer) running behind a nginx proxy.

The service basically works, but it is restarting all the time (Context is closed and started continuously).

See the log files here: http://pastebin.com/GErCF5x6

The setup is basically just one Java Class and the two configs (bootstrap.properties as well as application.properties).

import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.EnableAutoConfiguration;
import org.springframework.cloud.config.server.EnableConfigServer;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

/**
 * Main Application, which starts the Spring Boot context
 */
@Configuration
@EnableAutoConfiguration
@EnableConfigServer
public class Application {

    @SuppressWarnings("PMD.SignatureDeclareThrowsException")
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        SpringApplication.run(Application.class, args);
    }
}

bootstrap.properties

spring.application.name = configserver
spring.cloud.config.enabled = false
encrypt.failOnError= false
encrypt.key= secret

application.properties

# HTTP Configuration
server.port = 8888

# Management Configuration
management.context-path=/manage

# SSH Based Git-Repository
[email protected]:xyz.git
spring.cloud.config.server.git.basedir = cache/config

security.user.name=ads
security.user.password={cipher}secret2
security.basic.realm=Config Server

Log-File

11:13:47.105 [qtp1131266554-101] INFO  o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Started application in 0.176 seconds (JVM running for 245.66)
11:13:47.105 [qtp1131266554-101] INFO  o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Closing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext@7709b120: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:47 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:47.690 [qtp1131266554-51] INFO  o.s.b.a.audit.listener.AuditListener - AuditEvent [timestamp=Wed Apr 08 11:13:47 UTC 2015, principal=ads, type=AUTHENTICATION_SUCCESS, data={details=org.springframework.security.web.authentication.WebAuthenticationDetails@ffffe21a: RemoteIpAddress: 10.10.100.207; SessionId: null}]
11:13:48.324 [qtp1131266554-19] INFO  o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Starting application on api01.prd.rbx.xxxx.com with PID 24204 (started by ads in /home/ads/config-server)
11:13:48.328 [qtp1131266554-19] INFO  o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Refreshing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext@473cffd3: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:48 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:48.332 [qtp1131266554-19] INFO  o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Started application in 0.092 seconds (JVM running for 246.887)
11:13:48.332 [qtp1131266554-19] INFO  o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Closing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext@473cffd3: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:48 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:48.612 [qtp1131266554-55] INFO  o.s.b.a.audit.listener.AuditListener - AuditEvent [timestamp=Wed Apr 08 11:13:48 UTC 2015, principal=ads, type=AUTHENTICATION_SUCCESS, data={details=org.springframework.security.web.authentication.WebAuthenticationDetails@ffffe21a: RemoteIpAddress: 10.10.100.207; SessionId: null}]
11:13:50.601 [qtp1131266554-77] INFO  o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Starting application on api01.prd.rbx.xxxx.com with PID 24204 (started by ads in /home/ads/config-server)
11:13:50.604 [qtp1131266554-77] INFO  o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Refreshing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext@44330486: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:50 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:50.607 [qtp1131266554-77] INFO  o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Started application in 0.088 seconds (JVM running for 249.162)
11:13:50.607 [qtp1131266554-77] INFO  o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Closing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext@44330486: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:50 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:51.831 [qtp1131266554-55] INFO  o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Starting application on api01.prd.rbx.xxxx.com with PID 24204 (started by ads in /home/ads/config-server)
11:13:51.834 [qtp1131266554-55] INFO  o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Refreshing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext@1843040d: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:51 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:51.840 [qtp1131266554-55] INFO  o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Started application in 0.094 seconds (JVM running for 250.395)

Any idea, how to solve the problem?

best, fritz

Answer 1

That's normal. It's not the application that is starting and stopping, it's just the mini-contexts that are used to create the config resources for remote clients. Completely harmless.

Answer 2

I found out the problem which I am facing here. Basically we have two remote services running on AWS and a configured Load Balanacer, which continously checks the /health endpoint. By invoking this method, the ConfigServerClient always calls our ConfigServer.

I don't understand why there is a HealthIndicator for the ConfigServer, is there a way to disable this HealthIndicator, as every request to this endpoint will query our config server again and again. Another disadvantage is, that the /health request is not responding as fast as possible anymore, which leads to timeouts in the Load Balancer (default 2s).