Problems connecting Pentaho Kettle/Spoon to Heroku PostgreSQL using SSL - postgresql

Question

I'm trying to connect spoon to a Heroku PostgreSQL instance using the JDBC driver that came with Spoon. Heroku requires SSL for it's stand alone PostgreSQL instances, which I have enabled.
I'm able to connect to the database using other client software using SSL so this seems to be specific to Java/JDBC. I don't know enough about Java to troubleshoot this so hoping someone out there has been though this before.
I get the following and rather verbose error message which mentions a SSLHandshakeException, but I'm not sure if this is the cause or a symptom of something else? Perhaps I need to specify SSL certificates in Java?
Error connecting to database [XXXX.com] : org.pentaho.di.core.exception.KettleDatabaseException:
Error occured while trying to connect to the database
Error connecting to database: (using class org.postgresql.Driver)
The connection attempt failed.
org.pentaho.di.core.exception.KettleDatabaseException:
Error occured while trying to connect to the database
Error connecting to database: (using class org.postgresql.Driver)
The connection attempt failed.
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.normalConnect(Database.java:374)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.connect(Database.java:323)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.connect(Database.java:285)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.connect(Database.java:275)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.DatabaseFactory.getConnectionTestReport(DatabaseFactory.java:76)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.DatabaseMeta.testConnection(DatabaseMeta.java:2455)
at org.pentaho.ui.database.event.DataHandler.testDatabaseConnection(DataHandler.java:511)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
at org.pentaho.ui.xul.impl.AbstractXulDomContainer.invoke(AbstractXulDomContainer.java:329)
at org.pentaho.ui.xul.impl.AbstractXulComponent.invoke(AbstractXulComponent.java:139)
at org.pentaho.ui.xul.impl.AbstractXulComponent.invoke(AbstractXulComponent.java:123)
at org.pentaho.ui.xul.swt.tags.SwtButton.access$500(SwtButton.java:26)
at org.pentaho.ui.xul.swt.tags.SwtButton$4.widgetSelected(SwtButton.java:119)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.TypedListener.handleEvent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.jface.window.Window.runEventLoop(Window.java:820)
at org.eclipse.jface.window.Window.open(Window.java:796)
at org.pentaho.ui.xul.swt.tags.SwtDialog.show(SwtDialog.java:378)
at org.pentaho.ui.xul.swt.tags.SwtDialog.show(SwtDialog.java:304)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.core.database.dialog.XulDatabaseDialog.open(XulDatabaseDialog.java:104)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.core.database.dialog.DatabaseDialog.open(DatabaseDialog.java:51)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.trans.step.BaseStepDialog$3.widgetSelected(BaseStepDialog.java:480)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.TypedListener.handleEvent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Unknown Source)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.trans.steps.tableoutput.TableOutputDialog.open(TableOutputDialog.java:916)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.spoon.delegates.SpoonStepsDelegate.editStep(SpoonStepsDelegate.java:126)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.spoon.Spoon.editStep(Spoon.java:7733)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.spoon.trans.TransGraph.editStep(TransGraph.java:2744)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.spoon.trans.TransGraph.mouseDoubleClick(TransGraph.java:693)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.TypedListener.handleEvent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Unknown Source)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Unknown Source)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.spoon.Spoon.readAndDispatch(Spoon.java:1169)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.spoon.Spoon.start(Spoon.java:6945)
at org.pentaho.di.ui.spoon.Spoon.main(Spoon.java:553)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
at org.pentaho.commons.launcher.Launcher.main(Launcher.java:134)
Caused by: org.pentaho.di.core.exception.KettleDatabaseException:
Error connecting to database: (using class org.postgresql.Driver)
The connection attempt failed.
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.connectUsingClass(Database.java:510)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.normalConnect(Database.java:358)
... 50 more
Caused by: org.postgresql.util.PSQLException: The connection attempt failed.
at org.postgresql.core.v3.ConnectionFactoryImpl.openConnectionImpl(ConnectionFactoryImpl.java:152)
at org.postgresql.core.ConnectionFactory.openConnection(ConnectionFactory.java:66)
at org.postgresql.jdbc2.AbstractJdbc2Connection.<init>(AbstractJdbc2Connection.java:125)
at org.postgresql.jdbc3.AbstractJdbc3Connection.<init>(AbstractJdbc3Connection.java:30)
at org.postgresql.jdbc3g.AbstractJdbc3gConnection.<init>(AbstractJdbc3gConnection.java:22)
at org.postgresql.jdbc4.AbstractJdbc4Connection.<init>(AbstractJdbc4Connection.java:32)
at org.postgresql.jdbc4.Jdbc4Connection.<init>(Jdbc4Connection.java:24)
at org.postgresql.Driver.makeConnection(Driver.java:393)
at org.postgresql.Driver.connect(Driver.java:267)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(Unknown Source)
at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(Unknown Source)
at org.pentaho.di.core.database.Database.connectUsingClass(Database.java:490)
... 51 more
Caused by: javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Alerts.getSSLException(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.fatal(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Handshaker.fatalSE(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Handshaker.fatalSE(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.ClientHandshaker.serverCertificate(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.ClientHandshaker.processMessage(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Handshaker.processLoop(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Handshaker.process_record(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.readRecord(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.performInitialHandshake(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.writeRecord(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.AppOutputStream.write(Unknown Source)
at java.io.BufferedOutputStream.flushBuffer(Unknown Source)
at java.io.BufferedOutputStream.flush(Unknown Source)
at org.postgresql.core.PGStream.flush(PGStream.java:523)
at org.postgresql.core.v3.ConnectionFactoryImpl.sendStartupPacket(ConnectionFactoryImpl.java:259)
at org.postgresql.core.v3.ConnectionFactoryImpl.openConnectionImpl(ConnectionFactoryImpl.java:105)
... 62 more
Caused by: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.doBuild(Unknown Source)
at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.engineValidate(Unknown Source)
at sun.security.validator.Validator.validate(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.validate(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkServerTrusted(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkServerTrusted(Unknown Source)
... 75 more
Caused by: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
at sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilder.engineBuild(Unknown Source)
at java.security.cert.CertPathBuilder.build(Unknown Source)
... 81 more
Hostname : XXXX.com
Port : 5432
Database name : XXXX

Answer 1

I found the issue. Simply passing
ssl = true
isn't enough for JDBC, you also need to install the correct root certificates in your Java keystore so that PgJDBC can verify the remote certificate.
If you don't want to configure the root certificate store you may instead pass:
ssl = true
sslfactory = org.postgresql.ssl.NonValidatingFactory
though doing so disables man-in-the-middle attack protection, so your SSL session no longer has reliable end-to-end security.
See the Heroku docs here:
http://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/connecting-to-relational-databases-on-heroku-with-java#connecting_to_a_dedicated_database_remotely
(Warning about SSL security added by Craig Ringer)

Answer 2

The basic problem seems to be the SSL handshake. Excerpt from your error messages:
Caused by: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed:
Caused by: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
This is not a PostgreSQL specific problem, it's a pure SSL thing. Using these error messages you can find quite some help on this site. Skimming through them this answer looks promising to me and it might guide you into the right direction:
https://stackoverflow.com/a/6908991/947357