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Published Jul. 2, 2025

Unable to create IDP in SAML configuration with error “java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.NullPointerException”

Written By

Aaron Wang

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Issue

  • Unable to create IDP in SAML configuration with error “java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.NullPointerException”
2021-01-08 18:31:29.437 DEBUG [default task-193][SamlAdminPortlet:74] java.lang.NullPointerException
java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.NullPointerException
 at com.liferay.portlet.expando.model.impl.ExpandoBridgeImpl.getAttributeType(ExpandoBridgeImpl.java:334)
 at com.liferay.portal.util.PortalImpl.getExpandoBridgeAttributes(PortalImpl.java:2214)
 at com.liferay.portal.util.PortalImpl.getExpandoBridgeAttributes(PortalImpl.java:2238)
 at com.liferay.portal.kernel.util.PortalUtil.getExpandoBridgeAttributes(PortalUtil.java:936)
 at com.liferay.portal.kernel.service.ServiceContextFactory.getInstance(ServiceContextFactory.java:510)

Environment

  • Liferay DXP 7.1
  • Liferay DXP Quarterly Release

Resolution

  • The root cause for this error is that the default keepAliveURL related records are missing in the expandocolumn table. For reference: the default keepAliveURLrecord should look like this in the database 
35101 20099 34002 keepAliveURL 15 keepAliveURL 
35102 20099 34005 keepAliveURL 15 keepAliveURL
  • The issue can be resolved by redeploying SAML lpkg or jars. The missing records will be added back after redeploying SAML lpkg.

Steps in DXP Quarterly Release:

  1. Shut down the server
  2. Delete the currently installed SAML jar file from [Liferay_Home]/osgi/portal
  3. Delete the Liferay cache folder: [Liferay_Home]/osgi/state
  4. Restart the server
  5. Redeploy the SAML jars

 

Steps in DXP 7.1:

  1. Shut down the server
  2. Delete the currently installed SAML LPKG file from [Liferay_Home]/osgi/marketplace
  3. Delete the [Liferay_Home]/osgi/state folder, clean the [Liferay_Home]/work folder
  4. Start the server
  5. Redeploy SAML LPKG
  6. When the information like The portal instance needs to be restarted to complete the installation of file:/D:/Bundles/liferay-dxp-tomcat-7.1.10-ga1-20180703090613030/liferay-dxp-7.1.10-ga1/osgi/marketplace/Liferay%20Connector%20to%20SAML%202.0%20-%20API.lpkg can be observed in the log, restart the server to see if the record can be generated
  • If you are in a clustered environment, please check if SAML is properly deployed on each node. 

Steps for clustered DXP 7.1 environment:

  1. Shut down all cluster nodes
  2. Delete the current installed SAML LPKG file from [Liferay_Home]/osgi/marketplace on both nodes
  3. Delete the [Liferay_Home]/osgi/state folder, clean the [Liferay_Home]/work folder on both nodes
  4. Start node 1 and deploy SAML LPKG again
  5. When the information likeThe portal instance needs to be restarted to complete the installation of file:/D:/Bundles/liferay-dxp-tomcat-7.1.10-ga1-20180703090613030/liferay-dxp-7.1.10-ga1/osgi/marketplace/Liferay%20Connector%20to%20SAML%202.0%20-%20API.lpkg can be observed in the log, restart node 1
  6. After node 1 is started correctly, check the database and see if the records exists in expandocolumn table
  7. Keep node 1 open, and repeat the above step 4-5 on the rest of the nodes.
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