I have a problem with reconnection when SingleConnectionFactory (CachingConnectionFactory) is used. I think it is a similar (or same?) problem reported in #23058 issue.

From all sources, which I have (logs, heap dump ...), it seems that problem is caused due missing Exception Listener on connection (ActiveMQConnection), which is stored on SingleConnectionFactory.

I have following environment: - Apache ActiveMQ Broker 5.16.2 - failover:(tcp://localhost:61616)?maxReconnectAttempts=5 - SingleConnectionFactory (CachingConnectionFactory) - setReconnectOnException(true)

Logs
  • it is visible that "resetting the underlying JMS Connection" on CachingConnectionFactory is invoked
  • but suddenly these logs are no longer present and only logs from DefaultMessageListenerContainer are present
  • I know that it is not recommended to use DMLC with CachingConnectionFactory, but please stay with me for a moment (because I think the problem is in SingleConnectionFactory)
2022-09-06T05:16:06.024+00:00 {ActiveMQ Connection Executor: unconnected} [CachingConnectionFactory] [INFO] Encountered a JMSException - resetting the underlying JMS Connection
...
2022-09-06T05:18:37.210+00:00 {ActiveMQ Connection Executor: unconnected} [CachingConnectionFactory] [INFO] Encountered a JMSException - resetting the underlying JMS Connection
...
2022-09-06T05:21:08.254+00:00 {ActiveMQ Connection Executor: unconnected} [CachingConnectionFactory] [INFO] Encountered a JMSException - resetting the underlying JMS Connection
...
2022-09-06T05:23:39.319+00:00 {ActiveMQ Connection Executor: unconnected} [CachingConnectionFactory] [INFO] Encountered a JMSException - resetting the underlying JMS Connection
...
2022-09-06T05:26:15.367+00:00 {ActiveMQ Connection Executor: unconnected} [CachingConnectionFactory] [INFO] Encountered a JMSException - resetting the underlying JMS Connection
...
2022-09-06T05:26:25.498+00:00 {taskExecutor-151} [DefaultMessageListenerContainer] [ERROR] Could not refresh JMS Connection for destination '...' - retrying using FixedBackOff{interval=5000, currentAttempts=1, maxAttempts=unlimited}. Cause: The JMS connection has failed: ...cluster.local
2022-09-06T05:26:30.499+00:00 {taskExecutor-151} [DefaultMessageListenerContainer] [ERROR] Could not refresh JMS Connection for destination '...' - retrying using FixedBackOff{interval=5000, currentAttempts=2, maxAttempts=unlimited}. Cause: The JMS 
...
2022-09-06T05:46:30.559+00:00 {taskExecutor-142} [DefaultMessageListenerContainer] [ERROR] Could not refresh JMS Connection for destination '...' - retrying using FixedBackOff{interval=5000, currentAttempts=242, maxAttempts=unlimited}. Cause: The JMS connection has failed: ...cluster.local
2022-09-06T05:46:35.559+00:00 {taskExecutor-151} [DefaultMessageListenerContainer] [ERROR] Could not refresh JMS Connection for destination '...' - retrying using FixedBackOff{interval=5000, currentAttempts=243, maxAttempts=unlimited}. Cause: The JMS connection has failed: ...cluster.local
...
HeapDump
  • I see only one CachingConnectionFactory
  • I see SingleConnectionFactory$AggregatedExceptionListener in aggregatedExceptionListener
  • I see ActiveMQConnection under connection field
    • I see that exceptionListener (on ActiveMQConnection) is null (ExceptionListener is missing - but this exception listener must be present to invoke reset of underlying JMS Connection stored on SingleConnectionFactory)
    • I see that transportFailed (on ActiveMQConnection) is true (it is a probably a reason why ExceptionListener is missing, see bellow)
    • I see that firstFailureError (on ActiveMQConnection) is java.net.UnknownHostException (but type of the failure is not too important)
Debugger
  • I am able to simulate the problem in debugger
  • It is enough to "delay" thread, which invokes SingleConnectionFactory.initConnection()
  • after new connection is created
  • but before connection is prepared, where exception listener is established
Code (SingleConnectionFactory.initConnection())
public void initConnection() throws JMSException {
    if (getTargetConnectionFactory() == null) {
        throw new IllegalStateException(
                "'targetConnectionFactory' is required for lazily initializing a Connection");
    }
    synchronized (this.connectionMonitor) {
        if (this.connection != null) {
            closeConnection(this.connection);
        }
        this.connection = doCreateConnection();
        prepareConnection(this.connection);
        if (this.startedCount > 0) {
            this.connection.start();
        }
        if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
            logger.debug("Established shared JMS Connection: " + this.connection);
        }
    }
}
Why ExceptionListener on JMS Connection stored on SingleConnectionFactory is missing?
  • please suppose following situation
  • the new connection is created successfully (this.connection = doCreateConnection();)
  • but some of subsequent methods (in my case prepareConnection(this.connection)) throws JMSException
  • we get new connection (stored on SingleConnectionFactory), but without JMS Exception Listener
  • this finally caused, that SingleConnectionFactory.resetConnection() is never invoked and "invalid" connection stays stored on SingleConnectionFactory (till restart or "manual" invocation of SingleConnectionFactory.resetConnection())

I know it is (nearly) impossible to get this situation, because setup of exception listener (in prepareConnection(Connection)) should be (nearly) always done before invocation of ActiveMQConnection.onException(IOException) method, which sets transportFailed and firstFailureError, which finally caused that ActiveMQConnection.setExceptionListener(ExceptionListener) (invoked in prepareConnection(this.connection)) throws ConnectionFailedException, but I see this state in application heap dump (I am sorry).

My proposal is to change SingleConnectionFactory.initConnection() in a way, when new connection is created and configured/prepared in method local field and when all is ok, then assign it to instance connection field. Something like this:

public void initConnection() throws JMSException {
    ...
    synchronized (this.connectionMonitor) {
        if (this.connection != null) {
            closeConnection(this.connection);
        }
        Connection con = doCreateConnection();
        try {
            prepareConnection(con);
            this.connection = con;
        }
        catch (JMSException ex) {
            try {
                 con.close();
            }
            catch(Throwable th) {
                logger.warn("Could not close new (but not used as shared) JMS Connection", th);
            }
            throw ex;
        }
        if (this.startedCount > 0) {
            this.connection.start();
        }
        ...
    }
}

Comment From: simonbasle

Superseded by gh-29116