IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Create processes in IBM Process Designer > Modeling processes > Building services > Building a Decision service > Testing a Decision service

Exception messages in Decision service testing

You can review exception messages that result from Decision service testing. The exceptions provide information that is helpful when you are troubleshooting Decision service execution errors.

When troubleshooting Decision service errors, the following information applies to the exception messages:

• When a rule component is running, exception messages include the Decision service name and step name.
• Exceptions in a rule condition cannot be traced to a specific rule.
• Exceptions in a rule action can be traced to a specific rule.

• The rule name includes a number part that corresponds to the order of the rules in the BAL rules component, such as 1, 2, 3, or 4. If there are numerous rules in a BAL rules component, this number helps you track down the location of the error.

Example of a null exception

If a variable value cannot be resolved, this problem results in a null exception, as shown in the following example:

ilog.rules.res.session.IlrRuleServiceException: ilog.rules.res.session.IlrSessionException: An error occurred while the rule session was invoked.:
ilog.rules.res.session.IlrSessionException: An error occurred while the rule session was invoked.
ilog.rules.res.util.IlrRemoteException: Ruleset execution error
ilog.rules.res.util.IlrRemoteException: null
    at call to 'mainRuleflow flow task body'
    at call to 'execute'
ilog.rules.res.util.IlrRemoteException

    at ilog.rules.res.session.IlrRuleService.executeRuleset(IlrRuleService.java:124)
    at com.ibm.rules.sdk.samples.documentrules.ResultsTab$4.widgetSelected(ResultsTab.java:206)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.TypedListener.handleEvent(TypedListener.java:234)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(EventTable.java:84)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.sendEvent(Display.java:3776)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1367)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1390)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1375)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.notifyListeners(Widget.java:1187)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Display.java:3622)
    at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3277)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runEventLoop(Workbench.java:2629)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.runUI(Workbench.java:2593)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.access$4(Workbench.java:2427)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench$7.run(Workbench.java:670)
    at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:332)
    at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWorkbench(Workbench.java:663)
    at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(PlatformUI.java:149)
    at com.ibm.rules.sdk.samples.documentrules.Application.start(Application.java:38)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.EclipseAppHandle.run(EclipseAppHandle.java:196)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.runApplication(EclipseAppLauncher.java:110)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.start(EclipseAppLauncher.java:79)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:369)
    at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:179)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:619)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:574)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1407)
    at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.main(Main.java:1383)
Caused by: ilog.rules.res.session.IlrSessionException: An error occurred while the rule session was invoked.:
ilog.rules.res.session.IlrSessionException: An error occurred while the rule session was invoked.
ilog.rules.res.util.IlrRemoteException: Ruleset execution error
ilog.rules.res.util.IlrRemoteException: null
    at call to 'mainRuleflow flow task body'
    at call to 'execute'
ilog.rules.res.util.IlrRemoteException

Unsupported variable type

If you author a rule that uses an unsupported variable type, an exception message similar to the following example is displayed:

An error occurred in simpleTypeTestService service, at rule 1 in step SimpleTypeRuleStep. 
Detail message: Ruleset /b_c54531e1028c40a185bf1115183a3420/1.0/_bd1ea7af45d14fa9afcea38113db2c35_8cf262cc674e4561bce84c00820bc88e/1.0 parsing failed 'IRL/rule_1.irl', line 8: 
  error: incompatible values involved in assignments
com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksException: 
  An error occurred in simpleTypeTestService service, at rule 1 in step SimpleTypeRuleStep. 
  Detail message: Ruleset /b_c54531e1028c40a185bf1115183a3420/1.0/_bd1ea7af45d14fa9afcea38113db2c35_8cf262cc674e4561bce84c00820bc88e/1.0 parsing failed 'IRL/rule_1.irl', line 8: 
   error: incompatible values involved in assignments
     at com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksException.asTeamWorksException(TeamWorksException.java:129)
     at com.lombardisoftware.core.RegexExceptionRewriter.rewrite(RegexExceptionRewriter.java:76)
     at com.lombardisoftware.core.ExceptionHandler.returnProcessedException(ExceptionHandler.java:310)

Uninitialized variable produces a NullPointerException

Use an uninitialized variable in a BPEL process can result in various exception errors. In IBM BPM, all private or complex variables and all lists (arrays) must be initialized before you use them in a business process definition or Decision service.

If you do not initialize a private or complex variable or list, you may receive runtime errors, such as the following example, or notice that the Coach controls to which the variables are bound do not behave as expected. For more information about errors produced by uninitialized variables, refer to the related topic "Uninitialized variable or NullPointerException in a Java snippet."

An error occurred in NotificationRules service, at rule 1 in step AlertRuleStep. 
Detail message: Object CustomerName not found at run time during execution. Make sure the object has been initialized.
	at com.lombardisoftware.core.TeamWorksException.asTeamWorksException(TeamWorksException.java:129)
	at com.lombardisoftware.core.RegexExceptionRewriter.rewrite(RegexExceptionRewriter.java:76)
	at com.lombardisoftware.core.ExceptionHandler.returnProcessedException(ExceptionHandler.java:310)
	at com.lombardisoftware.servlet.ControllerServlet.doError(ControllerServlet.java:152)
	at com.lombardisoftware.servlet.ControllerServlet.doCommon(ControllerServlet.java:417)
	at com.lombardisoftware.servlet.ControllerServlet.doPost(ControllerServlet.java:134)
	at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:738)
	at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:831)

Testing a Decision service

Related reference:
Uninitialized variable or NullPointerException in a Java snippet