A NullPointerException is being thrown when a ejb-local-ref is specified on web.xml and only "description", "ejb-ref-name" and "ejb-link" are filled for the reference.

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web.xml fragment
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<ejb-local-ref>
<description>ejb/AbrtBean/local</description>
<ejb-ref-name>ejb/AbrtBean/local</ejb-ref-name>
<ejb-link>AbrtBean</ejb-link>
</ejb-local-ref>

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SessionBean fragment
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@Stateless(name="AbrtBean")
@Name("abrtBean")
public class AbrtBean implements AbrtLocal, AbrtRemote {

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Stacktrace for the issue:
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15:26:20,483 ERROR [AbstractKernelController] Error installing to PostClassLoade
r: name=vfszip:/C:/workspaces/drools/project/ear/target/ear-1.0.ear/ state=Class
Loader mode=Manual requiredState=PostClassLoader
org.jboss.deployers.spi.DeploymentException: java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.jboss.deployment.MappedReferenceMetaDataResolverDeployer.internal
Deploy(MappedReferenceMetaDataResolverDeployer.java:174)
at org.jboss.deployers.spi.deployer.helpers.AbstractRealDeployer.deploy(
AbstractRealDeployer.java:50)
at org.jboss.deployers.plugins.deployers.DeployerWrapper.deploy(Deployer
Wrapper.java:171)
at org.jboss.deployers.plugins.deployers.DeployersImpl.doDeploy(Deployer
sImpl.java:1439)
at org.jboss.deployers.plugins.deployers.DeployersImpl.doInstallParentLa
st(DeployersImpl.java:1299)
at org.jboss.deployers.plugins.deployers.DeployersImpl.doInstallParentLa
st(DeployersImpl.java:1248)
at org.jboss.deployers.plugins.deployers.DeployersImpl.install(Deployers
Impl.java:1100)
at org.jboss.dependency.plugins.AbstractControllerContext.install(Abstra
ctControllerContext.java:348)
at org.jboss.dependency.plugins.AbstractController.install(AbstractContr
oller.java:1631)
at org.jboss.dependency.plugins.AbstractController.incrementState(Abstra
ctController.java:934)
at org.jboss.dependency.plugins.AbstractController.resolveContexts(Abstr
actController.java:1082)
at org.jboss.dependency.plugins.AbstractController.resolveContexts(Abstr
actController.java:984)
at org.jboss.dependency.plugins.AbstractController.change(AbstractContro
ller.java:822)
at org.jboss.dependency.plugins.AbstractController.change(AbstractContro
ller.java:553)
at org.jboss.deployers.plugins.deployers.DeployersImpl.process(Deployers
Impl.java:781)
at org.jboss.deployers.plugins.main.MainDeployerImpl.process(MainDeploye
rImpl.java:702)
at org.jboss.deployment.MainDeployer.deploy(MainDeployer.java:830)
at org.jboss.deployment.MainDeployer.redeploy(MainDeployer.java:604)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.
java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAcces
sorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at org.jboss.mx.interceptor.ReflectedDispatcher.invoke(ReflectedDispatch
er.java:157)
at org.jboss.mx.server.Invocation.dispatch(Invocation.java:96)
at org.jboss.mx.server.Invocation.invoke(Invocation.java:88)
at org.jboss.mx.server.AbstractMBeanInvoker.invoke(AbstractMBeanInvoker.
java:264)
at org.jboss.mx.server.MBeanServerImpl.invoke(MBeanServerImpl.java:668)
at org.jboss.jmx.adaptor.control.Server.invokeOpByName(Server.java:258)
at org.jboss.jmx.adaptor.html.HtmlAdaptorServlet$4.run(HtmlAdaptorServle
t.java:391)
at org.jboss.jmx.adaptor.html.HtmlAdaptorServlet$4.run(HtmlAdaptorServle
t.java:388)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at org.jboss.jmx.adaptor.html.HtmlAdaptorServlet.invokeOpByName(HtmlAdap
torServlet.java:387)
at org.jboss.jmx.adaptor.html.HtmlAdaptorServlet.invokeOpByName(HtmlAdap
torServlet.java:312)
at org.jboss.jmx.adaptor.html.HtmlAdaptorServlet.processRequest(HtmlAdap
torServlet.java:106)
at org.jboss.jmx.adaptor.html.HtmlAdaptorServlet.doGet(HtmlAdaptorServle
t.java:81)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:617)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:717)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(Appl
icationFilterChain.java:290)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationF
ilterChain.java:206)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.filters.ReplyHeaderFilter.doFilter(ReplyHeaderFi
lter.java:96)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(Appl
icationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationF
ilterChain.java:206)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperV
alve.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextV
alve.java:191)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.SecurityAssociationValve.invoke(Securit
yAssociationValve.java:190)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.JaccContextValve.invoke(JaccContextValv
e.java:92)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.proce
ss(SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.java:126)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.security.SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.invok
e(SecurityContextEstablishmentValve.java:70)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.j
ava:127)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.j
ava:102)
at org.jboss.web.tomcat.service.jca.CachedConnectionValve.invoke(CachedC
onnectionValve.java:158)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineVal
ve.java:109)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.jav
a:330)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java
:829)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.proce
ss(Http11Protocol.java:598)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:44
7)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.jboss.deployment.MappedReferenceMetaDataResolverDeployer.resolveE
jbLocalRefs(MappedReferenceMetaDataResolverDeployer.java:906)
at org.jboss.deployment.MappedReferenceMetaDataResolverDeployer.resolve(
MappedReferenceMetaDataResolverDeployer.java:743)
at org.jboss.deployment.MappedReferenceMetaDataResolverDeployer.internal
Deploy(MappedReferenceMetaDataResolverDeployer.java:170)
... 56 more
15:26:21,483 WARN [MainDeployer] Failed to deploy: file:/C:/workspaces/drools/p
roject/ear/target/ear-1.0.ear

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Seam JNDI pattern (not so relevant for the bug report)
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jndi-pattern="java:comp/env/ejb/#

/local"