Spring Boot (ConfigServer) is restarting all the time - nginx

Question

we have a very simple Spring Boot Service (#EnableConfigServer) running behind a nginx proxy.
The service basically works, but it is restarting all the time (Context is closed and started continuously).
See the log files here: http://pastebin.com/GErCF5x6
The setup is basically just one Java Class and the two configs (bootstrap.properties as well as application.properties).
import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.EnableAutoConfiguration;
import org.springframework.cloud.config.server.EnableConfigServer;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
/**
* Main Application, which starts the Spring Boot context
*/
#Configuration
#EnableAutoConfiguration
#EnableConfigServer
public class Application {
#SuppressWarnings("PMD.SignatureDeclareThrowsException")
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
SpringApplication.run(Application.class, args);
}
}
bootstrap.properties
spring.application.name = configserver
spring.cloud.config.enabled = false
encrypt.failOnError= false
encrypt.key= secret
application.properties
# HTTP Configuration
server.port = 8888
# Management Configuration
management.context-path=/manage
# SSH Based Git-Repository
spring.cloud.config.server.git.uri=git#bitbucket.org:xyz.git
spring.cloud.config.server.git.basedir = cache/config
security.user.name=ads
security.user.password={cipher}secret2
security.basic.realm=Config Server
Log-File
11:13:47.105 [qtp1131266554-101] INFO o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Started application in 0.176 seconds (JVM running for 245.66)
11:13:47.105 [qtp1131266554-101] INFO o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Closing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#7709b120: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:47 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:47.690 [qtp1131266554-51] INFO o.s.b.a.audit.listener.AuditListener - AuditEvent [timestamp=Wed Apr 08 11:13:47 UTC 2015, principal=ads, type=AUTHENTICATION_SUCCESS, data={details=org.springframework.security.web.authentication.WebAuthenticationDetails#ffffe21a: RemoteIpAddress: 10.10.100.207; SessionId: null}]
11:13:48.324 [qtp1131266554-19] INFO o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Starting application on api01.prd.rbx.xxxx.com with PID 24204 (started by ads in /home/ads/config-server)
11:13:48.328 [qtp1131266554-19] INFO o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Refreshing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#473cffd3: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:48 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:48.332 [qtp1131266554-19] INFO o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Started application in 0.092 seconds (JVM running for 246.887)
11:13:48.332 [qtp1131266554-19] INFO o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Closing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#473cffd3: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:48 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:48.612 [qtp1131266554-55] INFO o.s.b.a.audit.listener.AuditListener - AuditEvent [timestamp=Wed Apr 08 11:13:48 UTC 2015, principal=ads, type=AUTHENTICATION_SUCCESS, data={details=org.springframework.security.web.authentication.WebAuthenticationDetails#ffffe21a: RemoteIpAddress: 10.10.100.207; SessionId: null}]
11:13:50.601 [qtp1131266554-77] INFO o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Starting application on api01.prd.rbx.xxxx.com with PID 24204 (started by ads in /home/ads/config-server)
11:13:50.604 [qtp1131266554-77] INFO o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Refreshing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#44330486: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:50 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:50.607 [qtp1131266554-77] INFO o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Started application in 0.088 seconds (JVM running for 249.162)
11:13:50.607 [qtp1131266554-77] INFO o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Closing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#44330486: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:50 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:51.831 [qtp1131266554-55] INFO o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Starting application on api01.prd.rbx.xxxx.com with PID 24204 (started by ads in /home/ads/config-server)
11:13:51.834 [qtp1131266554-55] INFO o.s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext - Refreshing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#1843040d: startup date [Wed Apr 08 11:13:51 UTC 2015]; root of context hierarchy
11:13:51.840 [qtp1131266554-55] INFO o.s.boot.SpringApplication - Started application in 0.094 seconds (JVM running for 250.395)
Any idea, how to solve the problem?
best,
fritz

Answer 1

That's normal. It's not the application that is starting and stopping, it's just the mini-contexts that are used to create the config resources for remote clients. Completely harmless.

Answer 2

I found out the problem which I am facing here. Basically we have two remote services running on AWS and a configured Load Balanacer, which continously checks the /health endpoint. By invoking this method, the ConfigServerClient always calls our ConfigServer.
I don't understand why there is a HealthIndicator for the ConfigServer, is there a way to disable this HealthIndicator, as every request to this endpoint will query our config server again and again. Another disadvantage is, that the /health request is not responding as fast as possible anymore, which leads to timeouts in the Load Balancer (default 2s).

Answer 3

So, config server isn't restarting. It uses a new Spring Application Context and loads the files it grabbed from git into a new context and the formats the values to send back to the client. Below are the logs from my config server for one client connection. The logs just looks confusing like it is restarting.
2015-04-08 12:22:52.206 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-1] o.s.b.a.audit.listener.AuditListener : AuditEvent [timestamp=Wed Apr 08 12:22:52 EDT 2015, principal=user, type=AUTHENTICATION_SUCCESS, data={details=org.springframework.security.web.authentication.WebAuthenticationDetails#957e: RemoteIpAddress: 127.0.0.1; SessionId: null}]
2015-04-08 12:22:52.944 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-2] o.s.b.a.audit.listener.AuditListener : AuditEvent [timestamp=Wed Apr 08 12:22:52 EDT 2015, principal=user, type=AUTHENTICATION_SUCCESS, data={details=org.springframework.security.web.authentication.WebAuthenticationDetails#957e: RemoteIpAddress: 127.0.0.1; SessionId: null}]
2015-04-08 12:22:53.490 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-1] o.s.boot.SpringApplication : Starting application on sgibb-mbp.local with PID 85076 (started by sgibb in /Users/sgibb/workspace/spring/spring-cloud-samples/configserver)
2015-04-08 12:22:53.494 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-1] s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext : Refreshing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#571e4b84: startup date [Wed Apr 08 12:22:53 EDT 2015]; root of context hierarchy
2015-04-08 12:22:53.497 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-1] f.a.AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor : JSR-330 'javax.inject.Inject' annotation found and supported for autowiring
2015-04-08 12:22:53.498 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-1] o.s.boot.SpringApplication : Started application in 0.151 seconds (JVM running for 23.747)
2015-04-08 12:22:53.499 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-1] o.s.c.c.s.NativeEnvironmentRepository : Adding property source: file:/Users/sgibb/workspace/spring/spring-cloud-samples/configserver/target/config/foo.properties
2015-04-08 12:22:53.500 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-1] o.s.c.c.s.NativeEnvironmentRepository : Adding property source: file:/Users/sgibb/workspace/spring/spring-cloud-samples/configserver/target/config/application.yml
2015-04-08 12:22:53.500 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-1] s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext : Closing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#571e4b84: startup date [Wed Apr 08 12:22:53 EDT 2015]; root of context hierarchy
2015-04-08 12:22:54.090 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-2] o.s.boot.SpringApplication : Starting application on sgibb-mbp.local with PID 85076 (started by sgibb in /Users/sgibb/workspace/spring/spring-cloud-samples/configserver)
2015-04-08 12:22:54.096 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-2] s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext : Refreshing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#416d044c: startup date [Wed Apr 08 12:22:54 EDT 2015]; root of context hierarchy
2015-04-08 12:22:54.098 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-2] f.a.AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor : JSR-330 'javax.inject.Inject' annotation found and supported for autowiring
2015-04-08 12:22:54.099 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-2] o.s.boot.SpringApplication : Started application in 0.433 seconds (JVM running for 24.348)
2015-04-08 12:22:54.099 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-2] o.s.c.c.s.NativeEnvironmentRepository : Adding property source: file:/Users/sgibb/workspace/spring/spring-cloud-samples/configserver/target/config/foo.properties
2015-04-08 12:22:54.099 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-2] o.s.c.c.s.NativeEnvironmentRepository : Adding property source: file:/Users/sgibb/workspace/spring/spring-cloud-samples/configserver/target/config/application.yml
2015-04-08 12:22:54.099 INFO 85076 --- [nio-8888-exec-2] s.c.a.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext : Closing org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext#416d044c: startup date [Wed Apr 08 12:22:54 EDT 2015]; root of context hierarchy