update from confluence server 7.13.4 to confluence datacenter 9.2,Confluence had failed to start,

[lulu]

25-Feb-2025 20:13:21.854 SEVERE [http-nio-9000-exec-2] org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.custom Exception Processing [ErrorPage[errorCode=500, location=/500page.jsp]] java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext.getBean(java.lang.Class)" because the return value of "com.atlassian.confluence.setup.SetupContext.get()" is null at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.ProfilingSiteMeshFilter.getPageDecoratorFactory(ProfilingSiteMeshFilter.java:85) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.ProfilingSiteMeshFilter.initDecoratorSelector(ProfilingSiteMeshFilter.java:75) at com.opensymphony.sitemesh.webapp.SiteMeshFilter.doFilter(SiteMeshFilter.java:62) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.ProfilingSiteMeshFilter.doFilter(ProfilingSiteMeshFilter.java:63) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.SecureAccessFilterChain.doFilter(SecureAccessFilterChain.java:47) at com.atlassian.plugin.servlet.filter.ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:50) at com.atlassian.plugin.servlet.filter.ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:44) at com.atlassian.johnson.plugin.servlet.filter.JohnsonServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(JohnsonServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:50) at com.atlassian.confluence.plugin.servlet.filter.ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:95) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.SecureAccessFilterChain.doFilter(SecureAccessFilterChain.java:47) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.security.NeoSecurityFilter.doFilter(NeoSecurityFilter.java:50) at javax.servlet.http.HttpFilter.doFilter(HttpFilter.java:53) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.SecureAccessFilterChain.doFilter(SecureAccessFilterChain.java:47) at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.filter.StrutsPrepareFilter.doFilter(StrutsPrepareFilter.java:122) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.struts.ConfluenceStrutsPrepareFilter.doFilter(ConfluenceStrutsPrepareFilter.java:47) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.SecureAccessFilterChain.doFilter(SecureAccessFilterChain.java:47) at com.atlassian.core.filters.ServletContextThreadLocalFilter.doFilter(ServletContextThreadLocalFilter.java:20) at com.atlassian.core.filters.AbstractHttpFilter.doFilter(AbstractHttpFilter.java:32) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.SecureAccessFilterChain.doFilter(SecureAccessFilterChain.java:47) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.SecureAccessFilter.runFilterChainWithNoAccessCheck(SecureAccessFilter.java:145) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.webapp.SecureAccessFilter.doFilter(SecureAccessFilter.java:84) at javax.servlet.http.HttpFilter.doFilter(HttpFilter.java:53) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at com.atlassian.confluence.web.filter.HttpSessionRegistrarFilter.doFilter(HttpSessionRegistrarFilter.java:52) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at com.atlassian.confluence.web.filter.ConfluenceSecurityFilter.doFilter(ConfluenceSecurityFilter.java:29) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at com.atlassian.seraph.filter.BaseLoginFilter.doFilter(BaseLoginFilter.java:148) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at com.atlassian.plugin.servlet.filter.ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:50) at com.atlassian.plugin.servlet.filter.ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:44) at com.atlassian.johnson.plugin.servlet.filter.JohnsonServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(JohnsonServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:50) at com.atlassian.confluence.plugin.servlet.filter.ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:95) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at com.atlassian.plugin.servlet.filter.ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:50) at com.atlassian.plugin.servlet.filter.ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:44) at com.atlassian.johnson.plugin.servlet.filter.JohnsonServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(JohnsonServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:50) at com.atlassian.confluence.plugin.servlet.filter.ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.doFilter(ServletFilterModuleContainerFilter.java:95) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at com.atlassian.confluence.impl.servlet.HibernateGetConnectionFilter.doFilter(HibernateGetConnectionFilter.java:48) at com.atlassian.core.filters.AbstractHttpFilter.doFilter(AbstractHttpFilter.java:32) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at com.atlassian.confluence.util.RequestCacheThreadLocalFilter.doFilter(RequestCacheThreadLocalFilter.java:70) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at com.atlassian.confluence.web.filter.ZipkinTracingFilter.doFilter(ZipkinTracingFilter.java:53) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at com.atlassian.confluence.web.filter.DebugFilter.doFilter(DebugFilter.java:65) at com.atlassian.core.filters.AbstractHttpFilter.doFilter(AbstractHttpFilter.java:32) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.invoke(ApplicationDispatcher.java:642) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.processRequest(ApplicationDispatcher.java:418) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.doForward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:348) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.forward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:285) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.custom(StandardHostValve.java:395) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.status(StandardHostValve.java:223) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.throwable(StandardHostValve.java:300) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:164) at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:93) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:74) at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:346) at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.service(Http11Processor.java:396) at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProcessorLight.process(AbstractProcessorLight.java:63) at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$ConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:937) at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(NioEndpoint.java:1791) at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.SocketProcessorBase.run(SocketProcessorBase.java:52) at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1190) at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:659) at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:63) at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1583)

[Artem Chatlikov]

We also have a ticket open with Atlassian support, no solution found yet. Having CATALINA_OPTS="-Datlassian.secret.service.state=disabled"  allows the confluence to be started back up after update but it just tells Confluence to ignore the checks so it's not a real solution.

Update fails in same way both from 8.9.7 and 9.0.3. Update 8.9.7 -> 9.0.3 was fine but that is because the secret service was introduced in 9.1.

[Jaiwardhan Puri]

.

[John Funk]

Hi Lulu - Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

I suggest you should go ahead and open a support ticket with Atlassian. 

https://support.atlassian.com/contact/#/

[Juraj Drahoš]

We are getting same error after upgrading Confluence DC from version 8.5.19 to 9.2.2. Have you managed to find a solution?

[Jaiwardhan Puri]

Did someone find a solution to this?  I'm stuck with exactly the same issue.

[John Funk]

Did you put in a support ticket? 

[D_Ante B]

Stuck with the same issue from version 8.5.6-9.2.2. Any resolution?

[Juraj Drahoš]

Root cause were passwords in our case - in 7.X/8.X versions of Confluence stores them as plain text in confluence.cfg.xml, this changes from 9.1.X version as mentioned here:

After an upgrade, or during a zero-downtime upgrade (ZDU), we'll encrypt system secret values in confluence.cfg.xml replacing them with the placeholder: {ATL_SECURED}.

This replacement failed for some reason in our instance, only working workaround for me was to remove configurations containing passwords and force Confluence to store them again in correct format.

[D_Ante B]

Coincidentally I just found out this was our issue as well.

[Jaiwardhan Puri]

@John Funk  Yes have raised a case with support. Haven't gotten much ahead with them yet. Have rolled back our non-prod environment to the previous version and going to get on a call with support today to run the upgrade with them. Hopefully we get our answer today  

[Jaiwardhan Puri]

So, the issue definitely lies with the password encryption introduced in version 9. As a workaround the following line can be added in the setenv.sh to bypass that. After adding that the upgraded instance launches fine.

CATALINA_OPTS="-Datlassian.secret.service.state=disabled ${CATALINA_OPTS}"

Still don't know the root cause. Awaiting reply from Atlassian support. 

@Juraj Drahoš  Can you please provide more detail on the steps you took to solve this?

[John Funk]

Thanks for the update!

[Paul Agirbas]

@Jaiwardhan Puri have you found a solution with the Atlassian Support?

we upgraded on Confluence 9.2.3 and have the same issue.

BR