Tested_Java_Release : "1.5.0-beta2
build/bundles : 1.5.0-beta2-b37/1.5.0-beta-b32d/latest PIT bundles
Tested_Java_Location :
/net/koori/onestop/jdk/1.5.0/latest/bundles
/net/sqesvr-nfs/global/nfs/deployment3/tiger/PIT_builds
Tested_Machine_Name : dnm-011/jitender
Tested O/S : winxp/win2k

Problem Description :
Deployment applications fails to launch if deployment.user.logdir and deployment.user.cachedir properties values contains some corrupted information. This is oly happening on windows while working fine on solaris and linux. In brief if while defining deployment.user.logdir user did some mistake then
-In case of Plug-in there won't be any trace on Java Console which remians empty with just one line of FileNotFoundException
- JAWS works fine. One can notice the default output getting printed on the Java console(jre information ,help and even user can go ahead and dump the system properties etc.)


If deployment.user.cachedir contains invalid values then
both the JAWS and plug-in application will fail to launch

 Below are the steps which is going to explain the scenarios tried in detail

1) Create a deployment.config file inside <dep_system_home> with following enteries
deployment.system.config=file:///D:/jitu/deployment.properties(location of system level deployment.properties file)
deployment.system.config.mandatory=true

2)Create deployment.properties file at location mentioned against property deployment.system.config inside the deployment.config file with following values
(make sure that deployment.properties inside the user level doesn't exist)
deployment.user.cachedir=D\:/jitu/deploymenttest/cache
deployment.user.logdir=D\:/jitu/deploymenttest/log
3) try to launch any applet or JAWS application, they will run successfully and all the traces and cached file will go into the above mentioned locations specified against the deployment.user.cachedir and deployment.user.logdir

4)Modify the same deployment.proerties file with following values with some spaces in it
deployment.user.logdir="D:/Documents and Settings/Administrator/deployLogs"
  
  - JAWS applications runs successfully without any problem and trace output will be there on the Java Console
  - Applet will get loaded fine but trace output won't be there at all on the Java console. Java console will only contain following exception and rest all is blank
    java.io.FileNotFoundException: "D:/Documents and Settings/Administrator/deployLogs"\plugin150.trace (The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect)

 Since JAWS application don't generate any trace by default so switch on the logging and tracing and then try to launch the JAWS applicatoin again. This time also the application will run fine but following exception will be thrown at the Java console in addition to default deployment output which is missing in case of Plug-in

Ignored exception: java.io.IOException: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect
java.io.IOException: Couldn't get lock for "D:/Documents and Settings/Administrator/deployLogs"\javaws.log
at java.util.logging.FileHandler.openFiles(Unknown Source)
at java.util.logging.FileHandler.<init>(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.deploy.util.LoggerTraceListener.<init>(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.Main.initTrace(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javaws.Main.main(Unknown Source)

5) Add following entry to deployment.proerties file
deployment.user.cachedir="D:/Documents and Settings/Administrator/deployCache"
None of the deployment applicatoin will get launced.
- JAWS will fail with the following error messages
An error occurred while launching/running the application.
Category: System Configuration
The current user does not have write access to the cache.
JNLPException[category: System Configuration : Exception: null : LaunchDesc: null ]
at com.sun.javaws.Main.main(Unknown Source)

- In case Plug-in user won't have any idea what went wrong

Now I did some investigation on this one and found out that the culprit here is the use of "". Remove the "" from the defined values and everything will start working fine. But it's a very common practice to use the "" while defining values with spaces in them, so there are chances that user can do this mistake..

Conside another scenario

1) Modify the deployment.properties file with following entry
deployment.user.logdir=D:/Documents and Settings/Administrator /deploytempfiles
deployment.user.cachedir=D:/Documents and Settings/Administrator /deploytempfiles
Notice that this time "" are not there but space has been introduced after "Adminsitrator". In this case also both the deployment application will fail to launch

So in case of such types of user mistakes
- can't we make our deployment applications to fallback to default values(properties has not been even locked)
- In case of invalid log location Like JAWS output should be thrown on Java Console as far as Plug-in is concerned