<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>dispatcherServlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/*</url-pattern> </servlet-mapping>
ALL requests being made to your web app will be directed to the DispatcherServlet. This includes requests like /tasklist/, /tasklist/some-thing.html, /tasklist/WEB-INF/views/index.jsp.
Because of this, when your controller returns a view that points to a .jsp, instead of allowing your server container to service the request, the DispatcherServlet jumps in and starts looking for a controller that can service this request, it doesn't find any and hence the 404.
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>dispatcherServlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/</url-pattern> </servlet-mapping>
Notice the missing *. This tells the container that any request that does not have a path info in it (urls without a .xxx at the end), should be sent to the DispatcherServlet. With this configuration, when a xxx.jsp request is received, the DispatcherServlet s not consulted, and your servlet container's default servlet will service the request and present the jsp as expected.