Sitecore JSS and NodeIvocationException

While working on a Sitecore JSS site, we began experiencing an odd exception. This site would sometimes render properly and sometimes show the following exception.

Exception: Sitecore.JavaScriptServices.ViewEngine.NodeServices.HostingModels.NodeInvocationException
Message: Cannot find module 'C:\home\site\wwwroot\dist\SampleSite'
Error: Cannot find module 'C:\home\site\wwwroot\dist\SampleSite'
at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:547:15)
at Function.Module._load (module.js:474:25)
at Module.require (module.js:596:17)
at require (internal/module.js:11:18)
at C:\local\Temp\hequklou.3b4:113:33
at IncomingMessage. (C:\local\Temp\hequklou.3b4:138:41)
at emitNone (events.js:106:13)
at IncomingMessage.emit (events.js:208:7)
at endReadableNT (_stream_readable.js:1064:12)
at _combinedTickCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:138:11)
Source: Sitecore.JavaScriptServices.ViewEngine.NodeServices
at Sitecore.JavaScriptServices.ViewEngine.NodeServices.HostingModels.Http.HttpNodeInstance.InvokeExport[T](NodeInvocationInfo invocationInfo)
at Sitecore.JavaScriptServices.ViewEngine.NodeServices.HostingModels.OutOfProcessNodeInstance.InvokeExport[T](String moduleName, String exportNameOrNull, Object[] args)
at Sitecore.JavaScriptServices.ViewEngine.NodeServices.DefaultNodeServices.InvokeExportWithPossibleRetry[T](String moduleName, String exportedFunctionName, Object[] args, Boolean allowRetry)
at Sitecore.JavaScriptServices.ViewEngine.NodeServices.DefaultNodeServices.InvokeExport[T](String moduleName, String exportedFunctionName, Object[] args)
at Sitecore.JavaScriptServices.ViewEngine.Node.NodeRenderEngine.Invoke[T](String moduleName, String functionName, Object[] functionArgs)
at Sitecore.JavaScriptServices.ViewEngine.Presentation.JssRenderer.PerformRender(TextWriter writer, IRenderEngine renderEngine, String moduleName, String functionName, Object[] functionArgs)
at Sitecore.JavaScriptServices.ViewEngine.Presentation.JssRenderer.Render(TextWriter writer)
at Sitecore.Mvc.Pipelines.Response.RenderRendering.ExecuteRenderer.Render(Renderer renderer, TextWriter writer, RenderRenderingArgs args)
at Sitecore.Mvc.Pipelines.Response.RenderRendering.ExecuteRenderer.Process(RenderRenderingArgs args)
at (Object , Object )
at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args)
at Sitecore.Pipelines.DefaultCorePipelineManager.Run(String pipelineName, PipelineArgs args, String pipelineDomain, Boolean failIfNotExists)
at Sitecore.Pipelines.DefaultCorePipelineManager.Run(String pipelineName, PipelineArgs args, String pipelineDomain)
at Sitecore.Mvc.Pipelines.PipelineService.RunPipeline[TArgs](String pipelineName, TArgs args)
at Sitecore.Mvc.Presentation.RenderingView.Render(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer)
at System.Web.Mvc.ViewResultBase.ExecuteResult(ControllerContext context)
at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultFilterRecursive(IList1 filters, Int32 filterIndex, ResultExecutingContext preContext, ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult) at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultFilterRecursive(IList1 filters, Int32 filterIndex, ResultExecutingContext preContext, ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult)
at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultFilterRecursive(IList1 filters, Int32 filterIndex, ResultExecutingContext preContext, ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult) at System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultWithFilters(ControllerContext controllerContext, IList1 filters, ActionResult actionResult)
at System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.<>c__DisplayClass3_1.b__5(IAsyncResult asyncResult)

The resolution

It turns out that this is a bug in Sitecore that is now being tracked and will be corrected in a future JSS releaes. There is a workaround however.

You will need to remove the relation of the “Server Bundle” and “Server side rendering function name” fields of the “/sitecore/content/Sites/SampleSite/Settings” item with values from the __Standard Values item

Here are the steps:

1. Change the value of the “Server Bundle” field (e.g. server.bundle1) and “Server side rendering function name” field (e.g. renderView1) and save the item.
2. Revert the values of the item: set the value of the “Server Bundle” field to “server.bundle” and the value of the “Server side rendering function name” field to “renderView”.
3. Publish the “/sitecore/content/Sites/SampleSite/Settings” item.