file upload from windows working to one linux server, but not another

I have 3 linux servers running with Ubuntu. All have JBoss 1.5.0 and Java 1.6. All have the save file structures, users, and permissions.

The following code breaks on item.getInputStream:

      private String processFile(DiskFileItem item) {

            File tempDir = null;
            ResourceBundle rBundle = null;
            
            try {
                  rBundle = ResourceBundle.getBundle(SPREADSHEET_PROPERTIES_FILE_NAME);
                  tempDir = new File(rBundle.getString(FILE_DIR));
            } catch (MissingResourceException mre) {
                  log.warning("in missing resource sxception");
                  rBundle = new MyResources();
                  tempDir = new File(rBundle.getString(FILE_DIR));
            }
            boolean ret = tempDir.mkdirs();
            if (!ret) {
                  log.warning("failed to create directories for "+tempDir.getPath());
            }
            fileName = item.getName().toLowerCase();
            log.info("fileName from item (client) = "+fileName);
            String separator = FORWARD_SLASH;
            if (fileName.indexOf(separator) != (-1))
                  fileName = fileName.substring(fileName.lastIndexOf(separator) + 1);
            separator = DOUBLE_BACK_SLASH;
            if (fileName.indexOf(separator) != (-1))
                  fileName = fileName.substring(fileName.lastIndexOf(separator) + 1);

            String newFileName = SERVER_FILE_PREFIX + new Date().getTime() + fileName;
            //String newFileName = SERVER_FILE_PREFIX + "_" + fileName;
            File newFile = null;
            try {// tempDir.getPath() + File.separator +
                  String fname = tempDir.getPath() + File.separator + newFileName;
                  log.info("filename = " + fname);
                  newFile = new File(fname);
                  newFile.setExecutable(true,false);
                  newFile.setReadable(true,false);
                  newFile.setWritable(true,false);
                  
              if (DevTestProdConstants.DEV_PROD_TEST.equals(DevTestProdConstants.LOCAL))
                    FileUtils.copyFile(new File(item.getName()), newFile);
              else {
                    newFile.createNewFile();
                    //item.write(newFile);
                BufferedInputStream in = new BufferedInputStream(
                        item.getInputStream());
                BufferedOutputStream    out = new BufferedOutputStream(
                            new FileOutputStream(newFile));
                IOUtils.copy(in, out);
                in.close();
                out.close();
                    newFile.setReadable(true, false);
                    log.info("is readable="+newFile.canRead());
                    log.info(newFile.getPath() + (newFile.exists() ? " does " : " does NOT ") + " exist");
              }

                  if (c_or_m)
                        saveFile(fileName, newFile.getPath());
                  else
                        updateFile(fileName, newFile.getPath());

                  long id = -1;
                  id = parseFile(newFile);
                  if (id < 0) {
                        workbookId = id;
                  }
//watchWindow("processFile","627");

            } catch (Exception e) {
                  log.warning("Error ingesting spreadsheet file! File: "
                              + newFile.getPath() + "; Error: " + e);
                  String stack = getStackTrace(e);
                  log.warning(stack);
                  workbookId = -1;
            }
            return newFile.getPath();

with the following trace:

2011-05-16 15:32:05,097 INFO  [STDOUT] (http-10.20.5.61-8880-4) INFO    [gov.nrel.nbc.spreadsheet.server.SpreadSheetUploadServiceImpl.processFile()] fileName from item (client) = us_city_wages.xls
2011-05-16 15:32:05,097 INFO  [STDOUT] (http-10.20.52011-05-16 15:32:05,098 INFO  [STDOUT] (http-10.20.5.61-8880-4) WARNING [gov.nrel.nbc.spreadsheet.server.SpreadSheetUploadServiceImpl.processFile()] Error ingesting spreadsheet file! File: /usr/local/NREL_ARCHIVE/NBC/SPREADSHEET/spreadsheet1305581525097us_city_wages.xls; Error: java.io.FileNotFoundException: /usr/local/NREL_ARCHIVE/NBC/SPREADSHEET/tmp/upload_1fde2b39_12ff9cbcac0__7fb7_00000011.tmp (No such file or directory)
2011-05-16 15:32:05,098 INFO  [STDOUT] (http-10.20.5.61-8880-4) WARNING [gov.nrel.nbc.spreadsheet.server.SpreadSheetUploadServiceImpl.processFile()] java.io.FileNotFoundException: /usr/local/NREL_ARCHIVE/NBC/SPREADSHEET/tmp/upload_1fde2b39_12ff9cbcac0__7fb7_00000011.tmp (No such file or directory)
      at java.io.FileInputStream.open(Native Method)
      at java.io.FileInputStream.<init>(FileInputStream.java:106)
      at org.apache.commons.fileupload.disk.DiskFileItem.getInputStream(DiskFileItem.java:230)
      at gov.nrel.nbc.spreadsheet.server.SpreadSheetUploadServiceImpl.processFile(SpreadSheetUploadServiceImpl.java:865)
      at gov.nrel.nbc.spreadsheet.server.SpreadSheetUploadServiceImpl.doPost(SpreadSheetUploadServiceImpl.java:255)

etc.....

The problem looks like the commons.fileupload.DiskFileItem.write is trying to create a temporary file with a unique GUID in the filename. The directory that it is trying to create the file in is totally open (777) and owned by the process user (jboss).

Any clues would be very much appreciated.