How can I make a ServletContextListener stop the Java EE application?

Question

I have a ServletContextListener which performs some database management functions when my Java EE application starts. This runs in my application before JPA and other pieces

Answer 1

In your listener, catch any exceptions and use servlet context attributes to store flags or other useful information about the error. You should probably also log something to indicate that the app is non-functional.

At this point, your options may be dictated by the architecture of your app. If all requests are handled by a single controller/dispatcher servlet, it might make sense to have its init method check the context attributes and throw an UnavailableException. Just be aware that the exception only applies to the specific servlet throwing it. This makes the approach less manageable if your app contains many servlets or allows direct access to other resources.

Another option would be to create a filter that intercepts every request, checks the context attributes and then throws an exception. Other variations are certainly possible.

Answer 2

If your ServletContextListener throws an exception, the webapp won't load correctly and the application server may block all subsequent request (and respond with a 500 error).

It isn't exactly preventing the application to start, nor stopping the application, but it prevents any further usage of the app and could be useful in your case.

After proper verification in the spec, this behaviour isn't mandatory in the specification. The server may (not must) return 500 errors. This solution has to be used carefully, therefore.

See this Answer for a quote from the Servlet spec.