Newly added client node generates NPE in action.admin.cluster.node.info

[drewr]

 [20:02:48,615][INFO ][cluster.service          ] [Kiber the Cruel] added {[Shooting Star][-5hzGrC9SiSlw3tJo4FEaQ][inet[/10.101.59.130:9300]]{client=true, data=false, publish_host=local},}, reason: zen-disco-receive(join from node[[Shooting Star][-5hzGrC9SiSlw3tJo4FEaQ][inet[/10.101.59.130:9300]]{client=true, data=false, publish_host=local}])
 [20:02:49,066][DEBUG][action.admin.cluster.node.info] [Kiber the Cruel] failed to execute on node [-5hzGrC9SiSlw3tJo4FEaQ]
 org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteTransportException: [Shooting Star][inet[/10.101.59.130:9300]][/cluster/nodes/info/node]
 Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
    at org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.NodeOperationResponse.writeTo(NodeOperationResponse.java:64)
    at org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.node.info.NodeInfo.writeTo(NodeInfo.java:200)
    at org.elasticsearch.transport.support.TransportStreams.buildResponse(TransportStreams.java:136)
    at org.elasticsearch.transport.netty.NettyTransportChannel.sendResponse(NettyTransportChannel.java:72)
    at org.elasticsearch.transport.netty.NettyTransportChannel.sendResponse(NettyTransportChannel.java:65)
    at org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.TransportNodesOperationAction$NodeTransportHandler.messageReceived(TransportNodesOperationAction.java:256)
    at org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.TransportNodesOperationAction$NodeTransportHandler.messageReceived(TransportNodesOperationAction.java:249)
    at org.elasticsearch.transport.netty.MessageChannelHandler$RequestHandler.run(MessageChannelHandler.java:238)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662)

[avar]

I've just encountered this issue as well. It looks like a race
condition in the transport code. I had it on 0.17.7 while upgrading
from 0.17.6:

[2011-09-20 10:26:27,823][DEBUG][action.admin.cluster.node.info] [search-02] failed to execute on node [R62UvRZBSGC62ISiKvYc2w]
org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteTransportException: [search-03][inet[/10.147.174.142:9300]][/cluster/nodes/info/node]
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
        at org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.NodeOperationResponse.writeTo(NodeOperationResponse.java:64)
        at org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.node.info.NodeInfo.writeTo(NodeInfo.java:215)
        at org.elasticsearch.transport.support.TransportStreams.buildResponse(TransportStreams.java:136)
        at org.elasticsearch.transport.netty.NettyTransportChannel.sendResponse(NettyTransportChannel.java:74)
        at org.elasticsearch.transport.netty.NettyTransportChannel.sendResponse(NettyTransportChannel.java:66)
        at org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.TransportNodesOperationAction$NodeTransportHandler.messageReceived(TransportNodesOperationAction.java:267)
        at org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.TransportNodesOperationAction$NodeTransportHandler.messageReceived(TransportNodesOperationAction.java:260)
        at org.elasticsearch.transport.netty.MessageChannelHandler$RequestHandler.run(MessageChannelHandler.java:238)
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
        at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)

Basically what happened was:

1. The node that emitted this error had already been upgraded to
   0.17.7 & was running fine
2. Another node (R62UvRZBSGC62ISiKvYc2w) running 0.17.6 was being
   restarted for an upgrade

Reading the code this happens here:

@Override public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
    node.writeTo(out);
}

Presumably node is NULL at this point since it's been checked
earlier for validity, but the node has since gone away.

[clintongormley]

This appears to have been fixed at some stage - Closing