title: JDBC -- java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Could not initialize class com.mysql.jdbc.Connection
body: <p>I have the following code that's trying to establish a connection to a remote database.  It's throwing an exception, and I can't figure out why.</p>
  
  <pre><code>    import java.util.List;
      import java.util.ArrayList;
      import java.sql.Connection;
      import java.sql.DriverManager;
      import java.sql.Statement;
      import java.sql.ResultSet;
  
      import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
      import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
      import javax.servlet.http.HttpSession;
  
      import com.model.Bulletin;
  
      Connection connection = getConnection();
      Statement statement = connection.createStatement();
  
      private Connection getConnection() {
          Connection conn = null;
          String url = "jdbc:mysql://address/cpc";
          String userName = "user";
          String password = "password"; // Don't worry, that's not the real password.
          try {
              Class.forName("com.mysql.jdbc.Driver");
              conn = DriverManager.getConnection(url, userName, password);
          } catch (Exception e) {
              return null;
          }
  
          return conn;
      }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Can anyone explain to me why I'm getting this exception?</p>
  
  <pre><code>Uncaught exception from servlet
  java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
      at com.google.appengine.runtime.Request.process-6673c09727e16cea(Request.java)
      at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
      at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
      at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:43)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invokeAction(DefaultActionInvocation.java:453)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invokeActionOnly(DefaultActionInvocation.java:292)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:255)
      at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.debugging.DebuggingInterceptor.intercept(DebuggingInterceptor.java:256)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.DefaultWorkflowInterceptor.doIntercept(DefaultWorkflowInterceptor.java:176)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.validator.ValidationInterceptor.doIntercept(ValidationInterceptor.java:265)
      at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.validation.AnnotationValidationInterceptor.doIntercept(AnnotationValidationInterceptor.java:68)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ConversionErrorInterceptor.intercept(ConversionErrorInterceptor.java:138)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ParametersInterceptor.doIntercept(ParametersInterceptor.java:211)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ParametersInterceptor.doIntercept(ParametersInterceptor.java:211)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.StaticParametersInterceptor.intercept(StaticParametersInterceptor.java:190)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.MultiselectInterceptor.intercept(MultiselectInterceptor.java:75)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.CheckboxInterceptor.intercept(CheckboxInterceptor.java:90)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.FileUploadInterceptor.intercept(FileUploadInterceptor.java:243)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ModelDrivenInterceptor.intercept(ModelDrivenInterceptor.java:100)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ScopedModelDrivenInterceptor.intercept(ScopedModelDrivenInterceptor.java:141)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ChainingInterceptor.intercept(ChainingInterceptor.java:145)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.PrepareInterceptor.doIntercept(PrepareInterceptor.java:171)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.MethodFilterInterceptor.intercept(MethodFilterInterceptor.java:98)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.I18nInterceptor.intercept(I18nInterceptor.java:176)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at org.apache.struts2.interceptor.ServletConfigInterceptor.intercept(ServletConfigInterceptor.java:164)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.AliasInterceptor.intercept(AliasInterceptor.java:192)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.interceptor.ExceptionMappingInterceptor.intercept(ExceptionMappingInterceptor.java:187)
      at com.opensymphony.xwork2.DefaultActionInvocation.invoke(DefaultActionInvocation.java:249)
      at org.apache.struts2.impl.StrutsActionProxy.execute(StrutsActionProxy.java:54)
      at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher.serviceAction(Dispatcher.java:510)
      at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.ExecuteOperations.executeAction(ExecuteOperations.java:77)
      at org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter.doFilter(StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter.java:91)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler$CachedChain.doFilter(ServletHandler.java:1157)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler$CachedChain.doFilter(ServletHandler.java:1157)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler$CachedChain.doFilter(ServletHandler.java:1157)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler$CachedChain.doFilter(ServletHandler.java:1157)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler.handle(ServletHandler.java:388)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.security.SecurityHandler.handle(SecurityHandler.java:216)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.servlet.SessionHandler.handle(SessionHandler.java:182)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.handler.ContextHandler.handle(ContextHandler.java:765)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.webapp.WebAppContext.handle(WebAppContext.java:418)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.handler.HandlerWrapper.handle(HandlerWrapper.java:152)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.Server.handle(Server.java:326)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.HttpConnection.handleRequest(HttpConnection.java:542)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.HttpConnection$RequestHandler.headerComplete(HttpConnection.java:923)
      at org.mortbay.jetty.HttpConnection.handle(HttpConnection.java:404)
      at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.runInContext(TraceContext.java:449)
      at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable$1.run(TraceContext.java:455)
      at com.google.tracing.TraceContext.runInContext(TraceContext.java:695)
      at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContextNoUnref(TraceContext.java:333)
      at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$AbstractTraceContextCallback.runInInheritedContext(TraceContext.java:325)
      at com.google.tracing.TraceContext$TraceContextRunnable.run(TraceContext.java:453)
      at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:679)
  Caused by: java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
      at com.mysql.jdbc.NonRegisteringDriver.connect(NonRegisteringDriver.java:283)
      at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:620)
      at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:200)
      at com.dao.BulletinDAO.getConnection(BulletinDAO.java:231)
      at com.dao.BulletinDAO.getApprovedBulletins(BulletinDAO.java:134)
      at com.action.GetApprovedBulletins.execute(GetApprovedBulletins.java:45)
      ... 74 more
  Caused by: java.security.AccessControlException: access denied (java.lang.RuntimePermission modifyThreadGroup)
      at java.security.AccessControlContext.checkPermission(AccessControlContext.java:355)
      at java.security.AccessController.checkPermission(AccessController.java:567)
      at java.lang.SecurityManager.checkPermission(SecurityManager.java:549)
      at java.lang.ThreadGroup.checkAccess(ThreadGroup.java:315)
      at java.lang.Thread.init(Thread.java:353)
      at java.lang.Thread.&lt;init&gt;(Thread.java:437)
      at java.util.TimerThread.&lt;init&gt;(Timer.java:478)
      at java.util.Timer.&lt;init&gt;(Timer.java:100)
      at java.util.Timer.&lt;init&gt;(Timer.java:146)...(length 8258)
  </code></pre>