Need Assistance Debugging why sqljdbc4 SQLServerDriver class is not being found.

I have hit a brick wall and I need some suggestions. I have installed the sqljdbc4 driver in my application's /WEB-INF/lib directory and I still receive the error:


Caused by: org.springframework.jdbc.CannotGetJdbcConnectionEx ception: Could not get JDBC Connection; nested exception is java.sql.SQLException: com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver
at org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.DataSourceUtil s.getConnection(DataSourceUtils.java:80)
at org.springframework.jdbc.core.JdbcTemplate.execute (JdbcTemplate.java:331)
at org.jasig.portal.utils.JdbcUtils.doesTableExist(Jd bcUtils.java:73) at org.jasig.portal.jgroups.protocols.JdbcPingDao.isR eady(JdbcPingDao.java:271) at org.jasig.portal.jgroups.protocols.JdbcPingDao.pur geOtherAddresses(JdbcPingDao.java:239) at org.jasig.portal.jgroups.protocols.DAO_PING.handle View(DAO_PING.java:147)
at org.jasig.portal.jgroups.protocols.DAO_PING.down(D AO_PING.java:120)
at org.jgroups.protocols.MERGE2.down(MERGE2.java:153)
at org.jgroups.protocols.FD_SOCK.down(FD_SOCK.java:35 3)
at org.jgroups.protocols.FD.down(FD.java:263)
at org.jgroups.protocols.VERIFY_SUSPECT.down(VERIFY_S USPECT.java:80) at org.jgroups.protocols.BARRIER.down(BARRIER.java:94 ) at org.jgroups.protocols.ENCRYPT.down(ENCRYPT.java:87 1)
at org.jgroups.protocols.pbcast.NAKACK2.down(NAKACK2. java:534) at org.jgroups.protocols.UNICAST.down(UNICAST.java:50 6)
at org.jgroups.protocols.pbcast.STABLE.down(STABLE.ja va:308)
at org.jgroups.protocols.AUTH.down(AUTH.java:180)
at org.jgroups.protocols.pbcast.GMS.installView(GMS.j ava:637)
at org.jgroups.protocols.pbcast.GMS.installView(GMS.j ava:556)
at org.jgroups.protocols.pbcast.ClientGmsImpl.becomeS ingletonMember(ClientGmsImpl.java:334)
at org.jgroups.protocols.pbcast.ClientGmsImpl.joinInt ernal(ClientGmsImpl.java:88)
at org.jgroups.protocols.pbcast.ClientGmsImpl.join(Cl ientGmsImpl.java:37)
at org.jgroups.protocols.pbcast.GMS.down(GMS.java:938 )
at org.jgroups.protocols.FlowControl.down(FlowControl .java:351)
at org.jgroups.protocols.FlowControl.down(FlowControl .java:351)
at org.jgroups.protocols.FRAG2.down(FRAG2.java:147)
at org.jgroups.protocols.pbcast.STATE_TRANSFER.down(S TATE_TRANSFER.java:238)
at org.jgroups.stack.ProtocolStack.down(ProtocolStack .java:1025)
at org.jgroups.JChannel.down(JChannel.java:722)
at org.jgroups.JChannel._connect(JChannel.java:536)
... 55 more
Caused by: java.sql.SQLException: com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.PooledConnection.conne ctUsingDriver(PooledConnection.java:254)
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.PooledConnection.conne ct(PooledConnection.java:182)
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.ConnectionPool.createC onnection(ConnectionPool.java:702)
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.ConnectionPool.borrowC onnection(ConnectionPool.java:634)
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.ConnectionPool.init(Co nnectionPool.java:488)
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.ConnectionPool.<init>( ConnectionPool.java:144)
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.DataSourceProxy.pCreat ePool(DataSourceProxy.java:116)
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.DataSourceProxy.create Pool(DataSourceProxy.java:103)
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.DataSourceProxy.getCon nection(DataSourceProxy.java:127)
at org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.DataSourceUtil s.doGetConnection(DataSourceUtils.java:111)
at org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.DataSourceUtil s.getConnection(DataSourceUtils.java:77)
... 84 more
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver
at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadC lass(WebappClassLoader.java:1680)
at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoader.loadC lass(WebappClassLoader.java:1526)
at java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method)
at java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:247)
at org.apache.tomcat.jdbc.pool.PooledConnection.conne ctUsingDriver(PooledConnection.java:246)
... 94 more


I have tested the driver in another application's /WEB-INF/lib directory and tested it worked using a simple script, a database connection was successfully made.

I am now wondering if the open-source project that I am using may have some apis and/or tools that may have some incompatibility issues with this driver. Here are some of the relative apis that I think may be triggering the issue:


SQL Server 2008
Apache Tomcat 6.0.35
Java 1.6.0_25
Maven 3.0.4
Hibernate 4.1.9.Final
Spring 3.1.4.RELEASE
Commons dbcp 1.4
Commons pool 1.6

Thanks in advance