Explaining of 2 successful exception cases (for TCP traces) using Foreign Ports on a SmartTrace

Products

• CMDB for z/OS
• NetSpy Network Performance
• NetMaster Network Automation
• SOLVE
• NetMaster Network Management for SNA
• NetMaster Network Management for TCP/IP
• NetMaster File Transfer Management

Issue/Introduction

Upon request of a SmartTrace, PT command, of a TCP/IP stack, placing a port on field Foreign Ports, having fields Foreign Host, Local Host, and Local Ports a value or not, Foreign Ports is not respected for packet filtering,

as the trace result shows other packets with other ports that have not been specified.

Environment

Release: SLOPFC00200-12.1-NetMaster-File Transfer Management
Component:

Resolution

On the SmartTrace help screen, Foreign Ports applies to both TCP and UDP, and not only to UDP, as follows:

 

Foreign Ports is the port name or number used by the remote endpoint in a TCP/UDP connection. The

following formats are supported:

 

• The explicit specification of a well-known port
  name that is designated by the Internet Assigned
  Numbers Authority (For example, Port 21 is FTP )
  
  
• A range of port number (0-65535)
  
  
• A comma-delimited list of either or both

 

There are 2 exceptions where Foreign Ports for TCP is recognized:

Exception 1:
Foreign Ports for TCP is recognized if the "Create Multiple TCP Connection Trace?" is set to YES.

Exception 2:
"PT" traces initiated via the connection list panels (/CONN*) uses the Foreign Ports because connection lists are based on whatever values are found on the connection list entry.