Why does Spring Boot generate a 401 error when running on OpenLiberty, but produce a 403 error when running on embedded Tomcat?

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There could be several reasons why Spring Boot generates a 401 error when running on OpenLiberty and a 403 error when running on embedded Tomcat.

One possibility is that OpenLiberty and embedded Tomcat have different default security configurations. The 401 error indicates that the user is not authenticated, while the 403 error suggests that the user is authenticated but does not have sufficient privileges to access the requested resource. Spring Boot may be using different authentication mechanisms or roles depending on the server it is running on, which could lead to these different error codes.

Another potential factor is the way Spring Boot interacts with the server's APIs and configuration files. Different servers may have different APIs for managing security settings, and Spring Boot may need to adjust its behavior accordingly. Moreover, the server configuration files themselves might have different syntax or semantics, which could affect how Spring Boot interprets them.

Ultimately, the cause of the error will depend on the specific implementation of Spring Boot, the server environment it is running on, and the security settings and configuration files that are in place. Troubleshooting these issues can involve a range of techniques, including examining logs, debugging code, and consulting documentation for both Spring Boot and the server in question.