Update on SPR CSCT836HFL – LotusScript and Java functions can return “The collection has become invalid”

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IBM published this TN about the issue.

Scenarios known to lead to the issue

(1) You have a busy application with many users updating, adding and/or deleting documents in it. While that is happening, an agent is running and using the same view(s) to retrieve data. The agent will start to do its job and then get a message that the view is no longer current. It will back out, ask for a view refresh, and then try again. Since the application is very busy with many people, as soon as the agent moves forward again, the view is again no longer current. This loop will repeat at most 10 times, after which the error “The collection has become invalid” will be returned.

(2) You have an application accessed via HTTP, where many HTTP users are executing an agent that is calling GetDocumentByKey or GetAllDocumentsByKey, and these agents (HTTP users) are also creating, updating and/or deleting documents. If they are all in the same view, then things can back up and the loop might run 10 times and fail with the error. Replication moving data into the application at the same time could serve to make things worse.

(3) You have an application that is busy for reasons other than many users working in it. While that is happening, an agent is running and using the same view(s) to retrieve data. The agent will start to do its job and then get a message that the view is no longer current. It will back out, ask for a view refresh, and then try again. Since the application is very busy with things changing the state of the documents, as soon as the agent moves forward again, the view is again no longer current. This loop will repeat at most 10 times, after which the error “The collection has become invalid” will be returned.

We believe firmly that these scenarios actually are not common to properly resourced Domino servers.  

Our commitment & plans

We are committed to delivering a high-quality, comprehensive solution.

  • To minimize regression risk, we are carefully coding, testing, and discussing customer application use cases.
  • In the beginning of May, we will deliver a test fix for validation to pre-selected customers.
  • Upon achieving two weeks of successful test and validation, we will reclassify the test fix to a hotfix for delivery to more customers and inclusion in fix packs.
  • A permanent fix will be available in upcoming 8.5.1 Fix Pack 3 (late May 2010), 7.0.4 Fix Pack 2 (late May 2010), 8.0.2 Fix Pack 6 (July 2010) and in the 8.5.2 release, due to ship later this year.

Note: The preferred and recommended way to resolve defects in your Notes/Domino environment is to stay current with the latest maintenance releases and fix packs, both which undergo formal test cycles to ensure quality.  Hotfixes are effective when you experience business critical defects that cannot wait for the next maintenance release or fix pack.  However before requesting any hotfix, please take into consideration that they receive less test and deployment, and thus they inherently carry more risk.

Specifically regarding SPR CSCT836HF, if you are not running scenarios like the ones described above, then you’ll have no need for the hotfix.  Additionally, if you are running those scenarios, but have no evidence of the error “The collection has become invalid”, then you’ll have no need for the hotfix.