Cannot start server. Server instance is not configured

Question

While trying to setup the tomcat server for my project I get the following error: Please see the full stack trace below:

java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.springsource.tcserver.serviceability.deploy.TcContainerDeployer
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:202)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:190)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:306)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:247)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.ObjectCreateRule.begin(ObjectCreateRule.java:205)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Rule.begin(Rule.java:153)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.startElement(Digester.java:1356)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.startElement(AbstractSAXParser.java:501)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractXMLDocumentParser.emptyElement(AbstractXMLDocumentParser.java:179)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:1343)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDriver.next(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:2755)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:648)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:511)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:808)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:737)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XMLParser.parse(XMLParser.java:119)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(AbstractSAXParser.java:1205)
at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(SAXParserImpl.java:522)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.parse(Digester.java:1642)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.load(Catalina.java:510)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.load(Catalina.java:548)
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.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.load(Bootstrap.java:261)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:413)

Jun 5, 2013 12:23:21 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina load
WARNING: Catalina.start using conf/server.xml: 
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.springsource.tcserver.serviceability.deploy.TcContainerDeployer
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.createSAXException(Digester.java:2806)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.createSAXException(Digester.java:2832)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.startElement(Digester.java:1359)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.startElement(AbstractSAXParser.java:501)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractXMLDocumentParser.emptyElement(AbstractXMLDocumentParser.java:179)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:1343)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDriver.next(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:2755)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:648)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:511)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:808)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:737)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XMLParser.parse(XMLParser.java:119)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(AbstractSAXParser.java:1205)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(SAXParserImpl.java:522)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.parse(Digester.java:1642)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.load(Catalina.java:510)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.load(Catalina.java:548)
    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.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.load(Bootstrap.java:261)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:413)
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.springsource.tcserver.serviceability.deploy.TcContainerDeployer
    at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:202)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:190)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:306)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:247)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.ObjectCreateRule.begin(ObjectCreateRule.java:205)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Rule.begin(Rule.java:153)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.startElement(Digester.java:1356)
    ... 20 more
Jun 5, 2013 12:23:21 PM org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester startElement
SEVERE: Begin event threw exception
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.springsource.tcserver.serviceability.deploy.TcContainerDeployer
    at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:202)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:190)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:306)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:247)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.ObjectCreateRule.begin(ObjectCreateRule.java:205)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Rule.begin(Rule.java:153)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.startElement(Digester.java:1356)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.startElement(AbstractSAXParser.java:501)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractXMLDocumentParser.emptyElement(AbstractXMLDocumentParser.java:179)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:1343)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDriver.next(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:2755)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:648)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:511)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:808)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:737)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XMLParser.parse(XMLParser.java:119)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(AbstractSAXParser.java:1205)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(SAXParserImpl.java:522)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.parse(Digester.java:1642)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.load(Catalina.java:510)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:568)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.start(Bootstrap.java:289)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:414)
Jun 5, 2013 12:23:21 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina load
WARNING: Catalina.start using conf/server.xml: 
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.springsource.tcserver.serviceability.deploy.TcContainerDeployer
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.createSAXException(Digester.java:2806)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.createSAXException(Digester.java:2832)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.startElement(Digester.java:1359)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.startElement(AbstractSAXParser.java:501)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractXMLDocumentParser.emptyElement(AbstractXMLDocumentParser.java:179)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:1343)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDriver.next(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:2755)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:648)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:511)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:808)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:737)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XMLParser.parse(XMLParser.java:119)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(AbstractSAXParser.java:1205)
    at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(SAXParserImpl.java:522)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.parse(Digester.java:1642)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.load(Catalina.java:510)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:568)
    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.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.start(Bootstrap.java:289)
    at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:414)
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.springsource.tcserver.serviceability.deploy.TcContainerDeployer
    at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:202)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:190)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:306)
    at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:247)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.ObjectCreateRule.begin(ObjectCreateRule.java:205)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Rule.begin(Rule.java:153)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.digester.Digester.startElement(Digester.java:1356)
    ... 20 more
Jun 5, 2013 12:23:21 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina start
SEVERE: Cannot start server. Server instance is not configured.

What could be the possible error? In my server configuration I am using "Use Tomcat installation". I had to replace the server.xml, context.xml, portal-ext.properties, catalina.xml to match my project specifications; to use the jdbc resources etc. It is after this change that I find this error...

Answer 1

The exception is class not found. Find the library that has this class.

Ensure that you put all required libraries (*.jar) in WEB-INF/lib folder.