2701615 - SAP does not start: "HttpModParseFile: syntax error in line" in dev_icm trace file

After making changes in the file icm_filter_rules.txt (or any other file with modification rules, related to the parameter "icm/HTTP/mod_X") and restarting the SAP instance, the instance fails to start with the following similar errors.

******* dev_jstart log (if the system is based on SAP NetWeaver Java)

(...)
LOG => Process icm stopped (pid 8900).
ERROR => Emergency shutdown: 1 node failed to start. [sfxxinst.hpp 1061]
ERROR => Node icm: failed with exit code 0 [sfxxinst.hpp 1072]
LOG => Instance state is "Stopping the processes" (STOPPING @ 0, INACTIVE).
LOG => Run level 3 completed.
LOG => Instance state is "All processes stopped" (STOPPED @ 0, INACTIVE).
dynamic quotas disabled.
init, created: pipes=4000 buffers=2718 reserved=815 quota=10%, buffer size=65536, total size MB=170
ERROR => FcaInit: already initialized [fcaxxcomm.c 956]
ERROR => EvtRmMgt: Evt Mgt Table not init'd [evtnt.c 255]
ERROR => ShmDelete: Invalid shared memory Key=62. [shmnt.c 753]
ERROR => ShmCleanup: ShmDelete failed for Key:62. [shmnt.c 872]
ERROR => ShmCleanup(62) failed 1 [mpixx.c 4609]
LOG => exiting (exitcode 0, retcode 0).
(...)

******* dev_disp (if the system is based on ABAP)

(...)
*** DP_FATAL_ERROR => Internet Communication manager could not be started - I better exit now

*** DISPATCHER EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN ***
(...)

******* dev_icm (in both cases)

(...)
Adding HttpModHandler: PREFIX=/,FILE=D:\usr\sap\[SID]\SYS\global/security/data/icm_filter_rules.txt

ERROR => HttpModCondSetFlags: illegal option: QSA [http_rewrite 6970]
ERROR => HttpModParseFile: syntax error in line X: > (...line with invalid syntax here...)< [http_rewrite 5592]
ERROR => FATAL: HttpModHandlerInit: Error processing rule file D:\usr\sap\[SID]\SYS\global/security/data/icm_filter_rules.txt: syntax error in line X: >(...line with invalid syntax here...)
ERROR => HttpISubHandlerAdd: init_func of HttpModHandler failed (701) [http_hdl.c 480]
ERROR => HttpParseAndAddSubHandler: HttpSubHandlerAdd failed for PREFIX=/,FILE=D:\usr\sap\[SID]\SYS\global/security/data/icm_filter_rules.txt(rc=0) [http_plg.c 9559]
ERROR => HttpPlugInInit: initialization of modification subhandler failed -> cannot continue [http_plg.c 1502]
ERROR => IcmAddServiceInfo: PlugInInit failed (rc=701 [icxxserv.c 3370]
ERROR => IcmAddService: IcmAddServiceInfo failed (rc=701) [icxxserv.c 1127]
(...)

The SAP Web Dispatcher can also fail to start with trace entries similar to the "dev_icm" lines above.

• SAP NetWeaver ABAP or Java based system
• SAP ABAP Platform based system
• SAP Web Dispatcher

changes, profiles, startup, syntax, icm , KBA , BC-CST-IC , Internet Communication Manager , BC-JAS-COR , Enterprise Runtime, Core J2EE Framework , BC-CST , Client/Server Technology , BC-JAS-SF , Startup Framework , Problem