I think I've found the problem but don't know how to fix it.
Using asadmin get *, I've been able to find an anomality.
The applications are being listed as being deployed on the individual nodeagents (of the cluster), as opposed to the cluster itself.
ie:
In SJSAS 9.1, the get command reveals my app deployed to "appserv910" and "appserv911" which are instances in the cluster "clientTest":
appserv910.application-ref.blah.disable-timeout-in-minutes = 30
appserv910.application-ref.blah.enabled = true
appserv910.application-ref.blah.lb-enabled = false
appserv910.application-ref.blah.ref = blah
appserv910.application-ref.blah.virtual-servers =
appserv910.applications.j2ee-application.blah.availability-enabled = true
appserv910.applications.j2ee-application.blah.description =
appserv910.applications.j2ee-application.blah.directory-deployed = false
appserv910.applications.j2ee-application.blah.enabled = true
appserv910.applications.j2ee-application.blah.java-web-start-enabled = true
appserv910.applications.j2ee-application.blah.libraries =
appserv910.applications.j2ee-application.blah.location = ${com.sun.aas.instanceRoot}/applications/j2ee-apps/blah
appserv910.applications.j2ee-application.blah.name = blah
appserv910.applications.j2ee-application.blah.object-type = user
appserv911.application-ref.blah.disable-timeout-in-minutes = 30
appserv911.application-ref.blah.enabled = true
appserv911.application-ref.blah.lb-enabled = false
appserv911.application-ref.blah.ref = blah
appserv911.application-ref.blah.virtual-servers =
appserv911.applications.j2ee-application.blah.availability-enabled = true
appserv911.applications.j2ee-application.blah.description =
appserv911.applications.j2ee-application.blah.directory-deployed = false
appserv911.applications.j2ee-application.blah.enabled = true
appserv911.applications.j2ee-application.blah.java-web-start-enabled = true
appserv911.applications.j2ee-application.blah.libraries =
appserv911.applications.j2ee-application.blah.location = ${com.sun.aas.instanceRoot}/applications/j2ee-apps/blah
appserv911.applications.j2ee-application.blah.name = blah
appserv911.applications.j2ee-application.blah.object-type = user
whereas in version 8.2EE (and I thought 9.1 prior to U2 patch 3) they list as belong to the cluster "clientTest":
clientTest.applications.web-module.blah.availability-enabled = true
clientTest.applications.web-module.blah.context-root = /apps-qantas/agweb/v54e/clientTest/qantasholidays
clientTest.applications.web-module.blah.description =
clientTest.applications.web-module.blah.directory-deployed = false
clientTest.applications.web-module.blah.enabled = true
clientTest.applications.web-module.blah.location = ${com.sun.aas.instanceRoot}/applications/j2ee-modules/blah
clientTest.applications.web-module.blah.name = blah
clientTest.applications.web-module.blah.object-type = user
So it kinda makes sense that the appserver can't undeploy it if its listed on the instances appsser910 and appserv911 - however the application was never deployed there directly - it was deployed to the cluster "clientTest" - to which these instances belong.
So I'm a bit stumped as to how to fix this - because it looks like a bug.
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