java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: HttpServletRequest
servlets, tomcat7
Solution
Your web app has servlet container specific libraries like `servlet-api.jar` file in its `/WEB-INF/lib`. This is not right. Remove them all. The `/WEB-INF/lib` should contain only the libraries specific to the Web app, not to the servlet container. The servlet container (like Tomcat) is the one who should already provide the servlet container specific libraries. If you supply libraries from an arbitrary servlet container of a different make/version, you'll run into this kind of problems, as your web app wouldn't be able to run on a servlet container of a different make/version than those libraries originated from.
This is a pretty common starter's mistake when they encounter compile-time errors, as they haven't set up their IDE project right. See also How do I import the javax.servlet API in my Eclipse project?
Problem
I just got tomcat 7.0.27. I have kept the time to start tomcat 45sec. Also it was running fine with older version on tomcat. but running it I get the following error : ``` SEVERE: A child container failed during start java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].StandardContext[/VotingApp]] at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerGet(FutureTask.java:222) at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.get(FutureTask.java:83) at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:1128) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.startInternal(StandardHost.java:782) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150) at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1566) at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1556) at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(FutureTask.java:303) at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:138) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680) Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].StandardContext[/VotingApp]] at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154) ... 7 more Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: HttpServletRequest at java.lang.Class.getDeclaredMethods0(Native Method) at java.lang.Class.privateGetDeclaredMethods(Class.java:2427) at java.lang.Class.getDeclaredMethods(Class.java:1791) at org.apache.catalina.startup.WebAnnotationSet.getDeclaredMethods(WebAnnotationSet.java:470) at org.apache.catalina.startup.WebAnnotationSet.loadMethodsAnnotation(WebAnnotationSet.java:275) at org.apache.catalina.startup.WebAnnotationSet.loadApplicationServletAnnotations(WebAnnotationSet.java:137) at org.apache.catalina.startup.WebAnnotationSet.loadApplicationAnnotations(WebAnnotationSet.java:66) at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.applicationAnnotationsConfig(ContextConfig.java:381) at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.configureStart(ContextConfig.java:858) at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.lifecycleEvent(ContextConfig.java:345) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleSupport.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleSupport.java:119) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleBase.java:90) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5161) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150) ... 7 more Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: HttpServletRequest at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadClass(WebappClassLoader.java:1711) at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadClass(WebappClassLoader.java:1556) ... 21 more May 11, 2012 10:09:21 AM org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase startInternal SEVERE: A child container failed during start java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost]] at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerGet(FutureTask.java:222) at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.get(FutureTask.java:83) at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:1128) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine.startInternal(StandardEngine.java:302) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService.startInternal(StandardService.java:443) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardServer.startInternal(StandardServer.java:732) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150) at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:675) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597) at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.start(Bootstrap.java:322) at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:450) Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost]] at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154) at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1566) at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1556) at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(FutureTask.java:303) at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:138) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680) Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: A child container failed during start at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:1136) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.startInternal(StandardHost.java:782) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150) ... 7 more May 11, 2012 10:09:21 AM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina start SEVERE: Catalina.start: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardServer[8005]] at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154) at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:675) 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:322) at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:450) Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardService[Catalina]] at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardServer.startInternal(StandardServer.java:732) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150) ... 7 more Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina]] at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService.startInternal(StandardService.java:443) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150) ... 9 more Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: A child container failed during start at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:1136) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine.startInternal(StandardEngine.java:302) at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150) ... 11 more May 11, 2012 10:09:21 AM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina start INFO: Server startup in 561 ms ``` How do I resolve the error. I have looked into some similar posts but did not find it useful.