JAX-WS server-side SOAPHandler that returns fault gets “Internal Error” on WebSphere v8

Question

I have a server-side JAX-WS SOAPHandler (on WebSphere v8) that in certain cases needs to respond to the client with a SOAP response that it has in a String variable

Answer 1

I had the same problem and was able to solve it by disabling the unified fault handling (it's not a bug, it's a feature!).

On the WAS Developer console

https:////ibm/console/login.do

do as described here (for WAS8):

Click Servers > Server Types. , and either WebSphere application servers > server_name or WebSphere proxy servers > server_name. Next, in the Server Infrastructure section, click Java and process management > Process definition , and select either Control, Servant, or Adjunct. Then click Java virtual machine > Custom properties.

There, add a new property webservices.unify.faults and set the value to false.