Network requirements for Management Console and Access Server

If your network uses a firewall or other security mechanism that requires static ports for communication, then you must specify the ports that other computers can use to communicate with Access Server services.

Management Console

Management Console requires a valid TCP/IP network so that it can communicate with the replication engines.

Access Server

After installing Access Server, you must configure static ports if you are using a firewall or other security mechanisms that requires fixed ports.

If your network uses a firewall or other security mechanism that requires static ports for communication, then you must specify the ports that other computers can use to communicate with Access Server services.

Each instance of client, where the client is Management Console or CHCCLP, requires the following number of ports:

  • Two input and output ports to Access Server.
  • One input and output port for each datastore (regardless of whether or not you connect to the datastore).

To calculate this set of ports from all clients, use the following formula:

(number of clients * 2) + (number of clients * number of datastores)

Each datastore that any of your clients connect to through Access Server, requires the following number of ports:

  • One input and output port per instance of client.
  • Two input and output ports per datastore (shared across all client instances).

To calculate the set of ports from Access Server, use the following formula:

(number of clients * number of datastores) + (number of datastores * 2)

Therefore, the complete set of ports to open is shown in the following formula: 

local_port_count = (number of clients * 2) + (number of clients * number of datastores) + (number of clients * number of datastores) + (number of datastores * 2)

All connections are initiated from Management Console to Access Server, and Access Server to the datastores. You must configure your routers and firewalls to allow communication through the configured ports. For more information, contact your network administrator.

Note: In addition to a network firewall, you might have personal firewall software installed and enabled on client machines that may need to be configured to allow Management Console to connect to Access Server.

Example: calculating ports required

To help determine the number of ports required, take a scenario where there are ten concurrent clients and three datastores. To calculate the number of ports to open using the following formula: 

local_port_count = (number of clients * 2) + (number of clients * number of datastores) + (number of clients * number of datastores) + (number of datastores * 2)

The number of port required will be the total of the following calculation: 10 * 2 + 10 * 3 + 10 * 3 + 3 * 2 = 86

You will require 86 ports.