Answered Server proccesses & port numbers

[Sowmya11]

Hi,

In our /etc/services file we have defined port numbers for the following Progress 8.3C version databases which use both GUI and CUI:
(1 - Main database, rest - supporting databases)

plive-srv 5200/tcp #live db
mfghelpus-srv 6513/tcp
guius-srv 6514/tcp
cfgus-srv 6515/tcp

Instead of taking port numbers assigned in the services file, their brokers are taking some random port numbers as given below:

plive-srv 20500
mfghelpus-srv 28953
guius-srv 29209
cfgus-srv 29465

Has anyone faced this before? Why are random port numbers being used?
and How do you think we can solve this?

We are facing weird issues with this database; please help.

Many Thanks,
Sowmya

 

[LarryD]

You need to look at the database startup settings, in particular the -S setting (which should be either a port number or the entry you made in the services file).

 

[dulecki]

Brokers don't assign those, people and scripts do. As Larry indicated, check your scripts to determine what they're being set to. Ideally they're using the service names, but they can use port numbers if they want. I have seen a shop where there were no service entries, just port numbers. That, IMHO, is waiting for disaster to strike.

Side note: at your version of Progress, don't use port numbers greater than 32767 (32k). There was an issue where those larger numbers weren't recognized.

Second side note: port numbers aren't really "assigned" in the services file. It's more like they're documented, akin to a DNS lookup. So check your services file to make sure the service names are only assigned once... stranger things can happen, and I'm not sure which one would win.

 

[TomBascom]

You should also read up on -minport and -maxport. The discussion above pertains to where the *login broker* can be found. The connections that it establishes between the clients and remote server processes will be on different ports. Those ports are "random" if you do not use -minport and -maxport to constrain them.