title: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: HttpServletRequest
body: <p>I just got tomcat 7.0.27. I have kept the time to start tomcat 45sec. Also it was running fine with older version on tomcat. 
  but running it I get the following error :</p>
  
  <pre><code>SEVERE: A child container failed during start
  java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].StandardContext[/VotingApp]]
      at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerGet(FutureTask.java:222)
      at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.get(FutureTask.java:83)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:1128)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.startInternal(StandardHost.java:782)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1566)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1556)
      at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(FutureTask.java:303)
      at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:138)
      at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
      at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
      at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
  Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost].StandardContext[/VotingApp]]
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154)
      ... 7 more
  Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: HttpServletRequest
      at java.lang.Class.getDeclaredMethods0(Native Method)
      at java.lang.Class.privateGetDeclaredMethods(Class.java:2427)
      at java.lang.Class.getDeclaredMethods(Class.java:1791)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.WebAnnotationSet.getDeclaredMethods(WebAnnotationSet.java:470)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.WebAnnotationSet.loadMethodsAnnotation(WebAnnotationSet.java:275)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.WebAnnotationSet.loadApplicationServletAnnotations(WebAnnotationSet.java:137)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.WebAnnotationSet.loadApplicationAnnotations(WebAnnotationSet.java:66)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.applicationAnnotationsConfig(ContextConfig.java:381)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.configureStart(ContextConfig.java:858)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.ContextConfig.lifecycleEvent(ContextConfig.java:345)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleSupport.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleSupport.java:119)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.fireLifecycleEvent(LifecycleBase.java:90)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5161)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
      ... 7 more
  Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: HttpServletRequest
      at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadClass(WebappClassLoader.java:1711)
      at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadClass(WebappClassLoader.java:1556)
      ... 21 more
  May 11, 2012 10:09:21 AM org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase startInternal
  SEVERE: A child container failed during start
  java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost]]
      at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerGet(FutureTask.java:222)
      at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.get(FutureTask.java:83)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:1128)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine.startInternal(StandardEngine.java:302)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService.startInternal(StandardService.java:443)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardServer.startInternal(StandardServer.java:732)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:675)
      at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
      at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
      at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.start(Bootstrap.java:322)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:450)
  Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina].StandardHost[localhost]]
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1566)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase$StartChild.call(ContainerBase.java:1556)
      at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask$Sync.innerRun(FutureTask.java:303)
      at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:138)
      at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:886)
      at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:908)
      at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
  Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: A child container failed during start
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:1136)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.startInternal(StandardHost.java:782)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
      ... 7 more
  May 11, 2012 10:09:21 AM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina start
  SEVERE: Catalina.start: 
  org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardServer[8005]]
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina.start(Catalina.java:675)
      at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
      at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
      at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.start(Bootstrap.java:322)
      at org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap.main(Bootstrap.java:450)
  Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardService[Catalina]]
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardServer.startInternal(StandardServer.java:732)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
      ... 7 more
  Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: Failed to start component [StandardEngine[Catalina]]
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:154)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardService.startInternal(StandardService.java:443)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
      ... 9 more
  Caused by: org.apache.catalina.LifecycleException: A child container failed during start
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.startInternal(ContainerBase.java:1136)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngine.startInternal(StandardEngine.java:302)
      at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
      ... 11 more
  May 11, 2012 10:09:21 AM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina start
  INFO: Server startup in 561 ms
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>How do I resolve the error. I have looked into some similar posts but did not find it useful.</p>