GeoServer SLD File Issue – How to Fix GeoServer Cannot Find Named Layer in External SLD File

Question

This is a follow-up to Geoserver cannot find style in external SLD file.

I have an external SLD file (dynamically created by and ASP) which starts as follows

<StyledLayerDescriptor xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/sld" xmlns:ogc="http://www.opengis.net/ogc" xmlns:gml="http://www.opengis.net/gml" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="1.0.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.opengis.net/sld http://schemas.opengis.net/sld/1.0.0/StyledLayerDescriptor.xsd">
<NamedLayer>
    <Name>Local:PandMetScore</Name>
        <UserStyle>
            <Title>default</Title>
            <Abstract>polygonen voor PandMetScore</Abstract>
            <FeatureTypeStyle>
                <Rule>
                    <Name>1 t/m 3.5</Name>
                    <Title>Lager dan of gelijk aan 3.5</Title>
                    <Abstract/>
                    <ogc:Filter>
                        <ogc:PropertyIsLessThanOrEqualTo>
                            <ogc:PropertyName>Gemiddeld</ogc:PropertyName>
                            <ogc:Literal>3.5</ogc:Literal>
                        </ogc:PropertyIsLessThanOrEqualTo>
                    </ogc:Filter>
                    <PolygonSymbolizer>
                        <Fill>
                            <CssParameter name="fill">#F00000</CssParameter>
                            <CssParameter name="fill-opacity">1</CssParameter>
                        </Fill>
                        <Stroke>
                            <CssParameter name="stroke">#FFFFFF</CssParameter>
                            <CssParameter name="stroke-width">0</CssParameter>
                        </Stroke>
                    </PolygonSymbolizer>
                </Rule>

I try to perform a GetMap request for a WMS tile layer using this SLD file with http://localhost:8080/geoserver/Local/wms?SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.3.0&REQUEST=GetMap&FORMAT=image%2Fpng&TRANSPARENT=true&SLD=http%3A%2F%2Fgprvapp.localtest.me%2FHome%2FGetSld%2FPandMetScore%2FGemiddeld&WIDTH=256&HEIGHT=256&CRS=EPSG%3A28992&BBOX=136936.64%2C456548.79999999993%2C137366.72%2C456978.87999999995

I do this with OpenLayers 3, the layer is created with

var tileWms = new ol.source.TileWMS({
            url: geoserverWms,
            params: {
                'TRANSPARENT': true,
                'FORMAT': "image/png",
                'SLD': sldUrl,
                'CQL_FILTER': cqlFilter
            },
            serverType: "geoserver"
        });

sldUrl is off course defined as you can see in the GetMap request.

But Geoserver seems to be unable to find the layer, I get this error message:

    Request: getServiceInfo
2017-02-10 09:42:24,921 DEBUG [org.geoserver.ows] - Getting layers and styles from reomte SLD
2017-02-10 09:42:24,926 DEBUG [org.vfny.geoserver.requests] - First 4 bytes of XML doc are : 3C ('<') 3F ('?') 78 ('x') 6D ('m')
2017-02-10 09:42:24,926 DEBUG [org.vfny.geoserver.requests] - Charset detection phase 1. Inferred encoding: UTF-8
2017-02-10 09:42:24,927 DEBUG [org.vfny.geoserver.requests] - Charset detection phase 2. Charset in XML declaration is `UTF-8`.
2017-02-10 09:42:24,928 DEBUG [org.vfny.geoserver.requests] - Trying to create reader basing on existing charset information: `UTF-8`.
2017-02-10 09:42:24,935 WARN [org.geoserver.ows] - Exception while getting SLD.
org.geoserver.platform.ServiceException: Unknown layer: PandMetScore 
    at org.geoserver.wms.map.GetMapKvpRequestReader.processStandaloneSld(GetMapKvpRequestReader.java:850)
    at org.geoserver.wms.map.GetMapKvpRequestReader.processSld(GetMapKvpRequestReader.java:689)
    at org.geoserver.wms.map.GetMapKvpRequestReader.read(GetMapKvpRequestReader.java:343)
    at org.geoserver.wms.map.GetMapKvpRequestReader.read(GetMapKvpRequestReader.java:85)
    at org.geoserver.ows.Dispatcher.parseRequestKVP(Dispatcher.java:1498)
    at org.geoserver.ows.Dispatcher.dispatch(Dispatcher.java:673)
    at org.geoserver.ows.Dispatcher.handleRequestInternal(Dispatcher.java:258)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.AbstractController.handleRequest(AbstractController.java:147)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.SimpleControllerHandlerAdapter.handle(SimpleControllerHandlerAdapter.java:50)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:959)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:893)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:968)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:859)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:622)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:844)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:729)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:292)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:52)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.apache.catalina.filters.CorsFilter.handleNonCORS(CorsFilter.java:436)
    at org.apache.catalina.filters.CorsFilter.doFilter(CorsFilter.java:177)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.geoserver.filters.ThreadLocalsCleanupFilter.doFilter(ThreadLocalsCleanupFilter.java:28)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.geoserver.filters.SpringDelegatingFilter$Chain.doFilter(SpringDelegatingFilter.java:75)
    at org.geoserver.wms.animate.AnimatorFilter.doFilter(AnimatorFilter.java:71)
    at org.geoserver.filters.SpringDelegatingFilter$Chain.doFilter(SpringDelegatingFilter.java:71)
    at org.geoserver.filters.SpringDelegatingFilter.doFilter(SpringDelegatingFilter.java:46)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.geoserver.platform.AdvancedDispatchFilter.doFilter(AdvancedDispatchFilter.java:50)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:316)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:69)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:126)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:90)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:73)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:92)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:330)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:69)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:114)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:73)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:92)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:330)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerAnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(GeoServerAnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:54)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:330)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:69)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.www.BasicAuthenticationFilter.doFilterInternal(BasicAuthenticationFilter.java:158)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:107)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:73)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:92)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerBasicAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(GeoServerBasicAuthenticationFilter.java:84)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:330)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:69)
    at org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:91)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerSecurityContextPersistenceFilter$1.doFilter(GeoServerSecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:53)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:73)
    at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:92)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:330)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilterInternal(FilterChainProxy.java:213)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:176)
    at org.geoserver.security.GeoServerSecurityFilterChainProxy.doFilter(GeoServerSecurityFilterChainProxy.java:152)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:346)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:262)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.geoserver.filters.LoggingFilter.doFilter(LoggingFilter.java:87)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.geoserver.filters.GZIPFilter.doFilter(GZIPFilter.java:42)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.geoserver.filters.SessionDebugFilter.doFilter(SessionDebugFilter.java:48)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.geoserver.filters.FlushSafeFilter.doFilter(FlushSafeFilter.java:44)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:121)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:107)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:212)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:106)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:502)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:141)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:79)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.AbstractAccessLogValve.invoke(AbstractAccessLogValve.java:616)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:88)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:522)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.AbstractHttp11Processor.process(AbstractHttp11Processor.java:1095)
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$AbstractConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:672)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.AprEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(AprEndpoint.java:2500)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.AprEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(AprEndpoint.java:2489)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:61)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

I also get this error when I do not set the environment name in front of the layername as PandMetScore instead of Local:PandMetScore.

The layer Title is PandMetScore, the layer name is Local:PandMetScore in the Geoserver.

Running Geoserver 2.10.1 on Tomcat 8.0.32

Answer 1

I've confirmed the general machinery works by running the following request on my local GeoServer instance:

http://localhost:8080/geoserver/wms?bbox=-130,24,-66,50&Format=image/png&request=GetMap&width=550&height=250&srs=EPSG:4326&SLD=http://localhost/illinois.sld

where the style is:

<StyledLayerDescriptor version="1.0.0">
<NamedLayer>
    <Name>topp:states</Name>
    <UserStyle>
      <Name>UserSelection</Name>
      <FeatureTypeStyle>
        <Rule>
          <Filter xmlns:gml="http://www.opengis.net/gml">
            <PropertyIsEqualTo>
              <PropertyName>STATE_NAME</PropertyName>
              <Literal>Illinois</Literal>
            </PropertyIsEqualTo>
          </Filter>
          <PolygonSymbolizer>
            <Fill>
              <CssParameter name="fill">#FF0000</CssParameter>
            </Fill>
          </PolygonSymbolizer>
        </Rule>
        <Rule>
          <LineSymbolizer>
            <Stroke />
          </LineSymbolizer>
        </Rule>
      </FeatureTypeStyle>
    </UserStyle>
  </NamedLayer>
</StyledLayerDescriptor>

Now, tried to find why it does not work for you by looking at the code. By that stack trace I can figure that:

• The SLD got parsed correctly
• The name of the layer has been picked up also correctly
• GeoServer cannot really find that layer when doing the lookup in the catalog

Possible ideas for it:

• A simple typo in the layer name (names are case sensitive, for example)
• A security rule preventing the anonymous user from accessing that layer (in the default HIDE mode GeoServer will claim the layer is not there, not that you're not authorized to get it, in case of doubt switch to MIXED mode and you'll get an authentication challenge)
• Possibly a bug that's manifesting on your particular setup (if this is the case, best switch to the GeoServer users mailing list, stackexchange is not a good place for extended conversations)