Spring Data Rest Hateoas Resources object empty when consuming with Feign client in client service

Question

I recently tried to replicate the Spring cloud example from this video and this github repo using Spring Boot 1.4.1 and Spring Cloud Camden SR1 and ran into an issue. When the client service calls the producer service using a Feign client the deserialized resource has no content or links.

After digger further it looks like the issue has to do with the MappingJackson2HttpMessageConverter and it's Jackson ObjectMapper. When I looked at the HttpMessageConverters used by the feign client's SpringDecoder I see 2 MappingJackson2HttpMessageConverters but neither of the converter's ObjectMappers have the Jackson2HalModule registered.

Spring Data Rest Reservation Service Application class:

@EnableDiscoveryClient
@SpringBootApplication
public class ReservationServiceApplication {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(ReservationServiceApplication.class, args);
    }
}

Reservation class:

@Entity
public class Reservation extends BaseEntity {
    private String reservationName;

    public Reservation(String reservationName) {
        this.reservationName = reservationName;
    }

    protected Reservation() {}

    public String getReservationName() {
        return reservationName;
    }
}

The BaseEntity class has the ID and version.

ReservationRepository class:

@RepositoryRestResource
public interface ReservationRepository extends CrudRepository<Reservation, Integer> {
}

Reservation Service pom.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <groupId>com.example</groupId>
    <artifactId>reservation-service</artifactId>
    <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <packaging>jar</packaging>

    <name>reservation-service</name>
    <description>CRUD Service for Reservations</description>

    <parent>
        <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
        <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
        <version>1.4.1.RELEASE</version>
        <relativePath /> <!-- lookup parent from repository -->
    </parent>

    <properties>
        <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
        <project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding>
        <java.version>1.8</java.version>
        <jackson.version>2.8.4</jackson.version>
    </properties>

    <dependencyManagement>
        <dependencies>
            <dependency>
                <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-cloud-dependencies</artifactId>
                <version>Camden.SR1</version>
                <type>pom</type>
                <scope>import</scope>
            </dependency>
        </dependencies>
    </dependencyManagement>

    <dependencies>
        <!-- Spring Dependencies -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-actuator</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-sleuth</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-zipkin</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-data-rest</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-hateoas</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-data-jpa</artifactId>
            <exclusions>
                <exclusion>
                    <artifactId>tomcat-jdbc</artifactId>
                    <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
                </exclusion>
            </exclusions>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-logging</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-config</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-eureka</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Jackson Dependencies -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-core</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-annotations</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-datatype-jsr310</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-datatype-jdk8</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.module</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-module-parameter-names</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Other Dependencies -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>javax.inject</groupId>
            <artifactId>javax.inject</artifactId>
            <version>1</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
            <artifactId>commons-lang3</artifactId>
            <version>3.4</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
            <artifactId>commons-collections4</artifactId>
            <version>4.1</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.flywaydb</groupId>
            <artifactId>flyway-core</artifactId>
            <version>4.0.3</version>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.h2database</groupId>
            <artifactId>h2</artifactId>
            <scope>runtime</scope>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.zaxxer</groupId>
            <artifactId>HikariCP</artifactId>
            <version>2.5.0</version>
            <scope>runtime</scope>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.hibernate</groupId>
            <artifactId>hibernate-java8</artifactId>
            <version>5.0.9.Final</version>
            <scope>runtime</scope>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-devtools</artifactId>
            <optional>true</optional>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
</project>

Reservation Client Application class:

@EnableFeignClients
@EnableDiscoveryClient
@SpringBootApplication
public class ReservationClientApplication {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(ReservationClientApplication.class, args);
    }
}

Reservation Client Feign Client class:

@FeignClient("reservation-service")
public interface ReservationServiceClient {
    @RequestMapping(method = RequestMethod.GET, value = "reservations")
    Resources<Reservation> getReservations();
}

Reservation Client ReservationApiGateway controller class:

@RestController
@RequestMapping("reservations")
public class ReservationApiGateway {
    private final ReservationServiceClient client;

    public ReservationApiGateway(ReservationServiceClient client) {
        this.client = client;
    }

    @GetMapping
    public Collection<Reservation> reservations() {
        return client.getReservations().getContent();
    }
}

Reservation Client pom.xml

http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd"> 4.0.0

    <groupId>com.example</groupId>
    <artifactId>reservation-client</artifactId>
    <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <packaging>jar</packaging>

    <name>reservation-client</name>
    <description>Example reservation client</description>

    <parent>
        <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
        <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
        <version>1.4.1.RELEASE</version>
        <relativePath /> <!-- lookup parent from repository -->
    </parent>

    <properties>
        <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
        <project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding>
        <java.version>1.8</java.version>
        <jackson.version>2.8.4</jackson.version>
    </properties>

    <dependencyManagement>
        <dependencies>
            <dependency>
                <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-cloud-dependencies</artifactId>
                <version>Camden.SR1</version>
                <type>pom</type>
                <scope>import</scope>
            </dependency>
        </dependencies>
    </dependencyManagement>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-actuator</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-config</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-eureka</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-sleuth</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-zipkin</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-devtools</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-hateoas</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-feign</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-zuul</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Jackson Dependencies -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-core</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-annotations</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-datatype-jsr310</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-datatype-jdk8</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.module</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-module-parameter-names</artifactId>
            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Other Dependencies -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
            <artifactId>commons-lang3</artifactId>
            <version>3.4</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
            <artifactId>commons-collections4</artifactId>
            <version>4.1</version>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
</project>

When I hit the /reservations endpoint on the client I get an empty JSON array back ([]). When I enabled FULL logging on the feign client I see the correct reservations from the reservation service.

Lastly, I tried adding:

@EnableHypermediaSupport(type=EnableHypermediaSupport.HypermediaType.HAL)

To the Reservation Client application class. This caused the reservation Resources to be deserialized and returned correctly by the client. Unfortunately, I have some other classes I was trying that have Java 8 LocalDateTime fields which need the Java 8 Jackson module registered on the ObjectMapper but when I looked at the ObjectMapper being used the only module registered was the Jackson2HalModule.

I would really appreciate any advise as to if I am doing this incorrectly or if a bug exists. Thanks!

Answer 1

After more digging I was able to solve the issue. The client app needed the spring-data-rest dependency to properly set up the message converters. Unfortunately this seems a bit counter-intuitive considering the client app has no need for spring data repositories.