Changing the default server port numbers

During installation, the CMS and the WCS are set up to use default port numbers. The default CMS port number is 6400, and the default WCS port number is 6401. These ports fall within the range of ports reserved by Crystal Decisions, Inc. (6400 to 6410). Thus, Crystal Enterprise communication on these ports should not conflict with third-party applications that you have in place. (Although unlikely, it is possible that your custom applications use these ports. If so, you can change the default CMS and WCS ports.)

The Web Component Adapter (which replaces the WCS on UNIX, and on Windows installations of Crystal Enterprise that use the Java SDK) is not a server. However, you can configure its listening port by changing the connection.listeningPort context parameter in web.xml. (See Configuring the Web Component Adapter for details.)

When started and enabled, each of the other Crystal Enterprise servers dynamically binds to an available port (higher than 1024), registers with this port on the CMS, and then listens for Crystal Enterprise requests. If necessary, you can instruct each server component to listen on a specific port (rather than dynamically selecting any available port). Also, when the WCS receives a request from the Web Connector (on port 6401, by default), the WCS dynamically selects a second port for all subsequent communication. You will likely need to specify this second WCS port explicitly (with -requestPort) if you are working with firewalls. (For more information on working with firewalls see Working with Firewalls.)

On Windows, you view and modify server command lines with the CCM. The Command field appears on each server's Properties tab. On UNIX, you view and modify server command lines (also referred to as launch strings) in the ccm.config file, which is installed in the crystal directory.

This table summarizes the command-line options as they relate to port usage for specific server types. (See Server Command Lines for additional usage details.)

Option	CMS	WCS	Other Servers
-port	Specifies the primary Crystal Enterprise port on which the CMS listens for requests from all other servers. The default is 6400.	Specifies the port on which the WCS listens for web requests from the Web Connector. The default is 6401.	Used only in multihomed environments or for certain NAT firewall environments. In both cases, specify -port interface only. (-port number has no meaning for these servers).
-requestPort	Specifies the secondary port that the CMS uses for identifying other servers and for registering with itself and/or a cluster. Selected dynamically if unspecified.	Specifies the port on which the WCS listens for replies from the CMS and the other servers. The WCS registers this port with the CMS. Selected dynamically if unspecified.	Specifies the port on which the server listens for Crystal Enterprise requests. The server registers this port with the CMS. Selected dynamically if unspecified.
-ns	n/a	Specifies the CMS that the WCS will register with.	Specifies the CMS that the server will register with.

Before modifying any port numbers, consider the following:

• If you change the default CMS port number, you must change the -ns option in every other server's command line, to ensure that each server connects to the appropriate port of the CMS. (The -ns option stands for "nameserver." The CMS functions as the nameserver in Crystal Enterprise, because it maintains a list that includes the host name and port number of each server that is started, enabled, and thus available to accept Crystal Enterprise requests.) If you are using the WCA (as you will if you have a UNIX installation of Crystal Enterprise, or a Windows installation that uses the Java SDK), you must also set the name and port number of the CMS with the connection.cms context parameter in web.xml. See Configuring the Web Component Adapter for details.
• If you change the default WCS port number, you must make corresponding changes to the mapping that allows the Web Connector to communicate with the WCS. For information about configuring your Web Connector and any of your web server configuration files, see Crystal Enterprise Installation Guide.
• If you are working with multihomed machines or in certain NAT firewall configurations, you may wish to specify -port interface:number for the WCS or CMS and -port interface for the other servers. For details, see Configuring Crystal Enterprise on a multihomed machine or Configuring for Network Address Translation.
• On Windows, the CCM displays default port numbers on each server's Configuration tab. This displayed port corresponds to the -port option. For server's other than the CMS and the WCS, this default port is not actually in use (each server registers its -requestPort number with the CMS instead).

To change the default CMS port for Crystal Enterprise servers

1. Use the CCM (on Windows) or ccm.sh (on UNIX) to stop all the Crystal Enterprise servers.
2. Add (or modify) the following option in the CMS command line:

   -port number

   Replace number with the port that you want the CMS to listen on. (The default port is 6400.)

3. Add (or modify) the following option in the command line of all of the remaining non-CMS Crystal Enterprise servers:

   -ns hostname:number

   Replace hostname with the host name of the machine that is running the CMS. The host name must resolve to a valid IP address within your network. Replace number with the port that the CMS is listening on.

4. Start and enable all the Crystal Enterprise servers.

   The CMS begins listening on the port specified by number, and the non-CMS servers broadcast to that port when attempting to register with the CMS.

If you are using the WCA (as you will if you have a UNIX installation of Crystal Enterprise, or a Windows installation that uses the Java SDK), you must also set the name and port number of the CMS with the connection.cms context parameter in web.xml. See Configuring the Web Component Adapter for details.

To change the default WCS port

1. Use the CCM to stop all the Crystal Enterprise servers.
2. Add (or modify) the following option in the WCS command line:

   -port number

   Replace number with the port that you want the WCS to listen on. (The default port is 6401.)

3. Reconfigure the Web Connector so that it forwards Crystal Enterprise requests to the WCS host on the new port specified by number.

   For details, see Crystal Enterprise Installation Guide.

To change the port a server registers with the CMS

1. Use the CCM (on Windows) or ccm.sh (on UNIX) to stop the server.
2. Add (or modify) the following option in the server's command line:

   -requestPort number

   Replace number with the port that you want the server to listen on.

3. Start and enable the server.

The server binds to the new port specified by number. It then registers with the CMS and begins listening for Crystal Enterprise requests on the new port.

By default, each server registers itself with the CMS by IP address, rather than by name. This typically provides the most reliable behavior. If you need each server to register with the CMS by fully qualified domain name instead, use the -requestPort option in conjunction with -port interface (where interface is the server's fully qualified domain name). Having the servers register by name can be useful if a NAT firewall resides between the server and the CMS. For more information, see Configuring for Network Address Translation.

You may also need to specify -port interface when Crystal Enterprise is running on a multihomed machine.

Related topics

• Firewall types
• Configuring for packet filtering