[s-xml-rpc-devel] [PATCH] Interoperability issue with WS-XMLRPC

[Daniel Janus]

Hello,

I'm using the current asdf-installable version of S-XML-RPC with SBCL
1.0.15 (hand-compiled from source on an i686) and have been trying to
connect with its client API to various XML-RPC servers.  It has been
mostly working, with only an exception of one server.

The server in question is an enterprise Java EE 5 application, written
using Apache WS-XMLRPC library (version 3.1 to be more precise) and
deployed on a cluster consisting of two Glassfish enterprise server
instances, both running on Ubuntu 6.06.1.  

The problem manifests itself in XML-RPC-CALL -- it bails out with an
error "no response from server".  I tried another XML-RPC stack (the one
that comes with Python) and I had no problems with making the same
request to the same server.

I did some preliminary investigation and found a workaround to the
problem.  It seems that building up the whole XML-RPC request
beforehand, then sending it all at once (rather than FORMATting the HTTP
headers to the TCP stream one-by-one) fixes the problem.  This is what
the attached patch does.  I enclose it just in case someone else runs
into the same problem; it works for me, on the downside, it probably
causes the library to do more consing, although I did not check that
empirically.

Strangely enough, the problem does not seem to occur with an
installation of the very same Java application on a single
(non-clustered) Glassfish running on newer versions of Ubuntu.
Clearly, more detailed investigation is required.  As soon as I have
time for that, I will attempt to reproduce the behaviour on various
setups and using various Lisps (I have access to Allegro 8.1), to see
where the problem really lies.  I hope for attaining a true fix instead
of a workaround.  I will send a followup as soon as I have more detailed
information.

Best,
-- 
Daniel Janus <daniel at sentivision.com>
Senior Software Engineer, SENTIVISION
Mb: +48.501180396 | Ph: +48.226400860
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