Server Administration

In this section:

Setup

Overview of tasks

How ATCSMon works in a client/server environment

1. When a client tries to connect to ATCSMon, a TCP request is sent to port 4800 on the server computer. (Other ports are common, like 4799 or 4801)
2. The server computer replies with a number greater than 1024.
3. The client then attempts a UDP connection on that port. E.g. if the server replied 1089, the UDP connection would initiate on port 1089.
4. This can be verified in the Servers Connected window.
5. ATCS packet data is then sent over that UDP port. Also, special Keep Alive messages are sent periodically in cases where there is little ATCS traffic. This is done to keep traffic-based port forwarding active.

Configuring ATCSMon as a server

1. Configure > Options > Data Source.
2. Ensure Server Mode Listener is checked, and verify the port number listed, default is 4800.
3. Remove any server entries listed below that, if any remain from previous remote listening sessions.
4. Set the option for Deny server access. While this seems counter-intuitive, you are really saying "deny nothing" since you have no entries in the box above that.
5. Recommended option, in the notes field add Base=30000,30 which specifies a UDP port range starting at 30000 and allowing 30 concurrent connections. You may change these values however you want. By specifying the UDP port range this facilitates specification of port forwarding in home routers for the UDP traffic.
6. If you have a second server instance running (for an BCP or additional railroad, etc), make sure your port numbers and ranges don't overlap. So the second one could be TCP Server Mode Listener 4801 and UDP Base=30030,30.

Enable and configure firewall on server PC

Unless you know what you're doing with the software firewall, just disable it entirely, at least until you know the rest of the server setup works. If you re-enable it, you'll want to test again and poke holes in it as needed.

Server PC network/IP address considerations

1. Consider assigning a static IP address to the server PC. If you leave it as DHCP/Autoconfigure, there's some chance the IP may change someday, breaking the port forwarding you'll be doing on your broadband router. From a cmd prompt, type ipconfig /all to see the IP, Mask, Gateway, and DNS Servers that DHCP assigned to you. Configure your network card TCP/IP information using the information you gleaned, except the IP you use, should be outside the DHCP range your router is assigning. Your router config should tell you the range it's assigning. If the range is 192.168.1.50 through .150, pick something like .151 so you don't get stepped on. A subnet useable range is normally safe from .2 to .253, less the DHCP scope range.
2. Record your server PC IP address and gateway, which you'll need when configuring your router. From a cmd prompt, type ipconfig to see these.

Enable port forwarding on broadband router or firewall

The idea here is to poke pinholes in the router so that when someone connects to your public (internet) IP using the port number you specify, that request gets forwarded to the private (internal) IP of your ATCS Monitor server. This exposes only the small required range of ports at your PC, so it's really adequately secure for a typical home setup.

1. You can normally get to the configuration page by web browsing to http:// and logging in.
2. Make a forwarding entry for the TCP port number you chose when you set up the Server Mode Listener port above, and forward that to the IP address of your server PC. In the example above, you'd forward 4800 or if the entry requires a range, it's from 4800 to 4800. You do NOT need to specify TCP and UDP...just TCP.
3. Make a forwarding entry for the UDP port range you chose when you set up the UDP range above, and forward that to the IP address of your server PC. In the example above, the entry would range from port 30000 (Base) to port 30029 (which is 30 ports, inclusive).
4. If you have a second server instance running (for an BCP or additional railroad, etc), make sure your port numbers and ranges don't overlap. So the second one in the example could be TCP 4801 and UDP 30030 to 30059 forwarded to the same server PC IP address. Alternately, you can just combine the group, if contiguous, so TCP 4800 to 4801 and UDP 30000 to 30059. See?
5. If you experience trouble, go back and verify the ATCS Monitor setup you did above, and verify the PC software firewall such as Windows Firewall is disabled. If still you have issues, you could try to use a setting on some routers called "DMZ" just for testing. Don't leave this set, as it exposes all ports on the server PC, a relatively unsecure method of operating a server.

Dynamic DNS Clients

You'll probably want to install a Dynamic DNS client which runs on the server, and updates a Dynamic DNS registry with your home router's IP address.

http://www.dyndns.org/

Maintenance and Administration

Logging Connections

Providing Layouts and MCP's for users

Please export and ZIP your MCPs (.mdb), layout (.lay), and preferrably a profile (.ini) including the server connection and proper layout selection. Upload the ZIP file to the appropriate subdivision.

The group generally supports the concept of a territory manager for an "official" custodian of each territory, usually by subdivision. If there is no ZIP file already in place, it's a safe bet that you can be the custodian. If there's already one uploaded, please contact the person who uploaded it to coordinate. Nothing says you can't upload yours as an alternate, but please list it as such in the description.

Listing Your Server

Please list your server in the Yahoo Groups Database area, so we know where to find you! You'll see the Servers database there and you'll know what to do.

Providing Data outside of ATCS Monitor

Real Time Display

FTP Image Capture

Comments/Questions

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-- BrianSwan - 29 Oct 2006