Troubleshooting CA Client Automation Port Issues Using Microsoft PortQueryUI

Products

• CA Client Automation

Issue/Introduction

How to utilize the Microsoft PortQryUI utility to test connections on CA Client Automation ports?

Frequently administrators come across issues of failed jobs, failed deployments of agents and DTS Communication failure but do not have a good way within ITCM to determine the cause of the issue. This is especially true when firewalls and switches are involved.

Support generally asks the following questions to start troubleshooting these types of issues. 

1. Are you able to resolve the target hostname and IP address:

ping -a <IP address>

ping -a <short hostname>

ping -a <FQDN>

2. Check DNS entries for host and use tracert to determine network path

3. Use a host entry in the Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Ensure that you bind the correct IP address hostname combinations in this file see technical document # TEC494920. 

If the above works, try camping using the syntax below:

camping <ip address>

camping <short hostname>

camping <FQDN>

caf ping <IP address>

caf ping <short hostname>

caf ping <FQDN>

 

Usually, within CA Client automation we advise to try a smaller cam packet size or add IP forwarding in the CAM configuration file - cam.cfg, as needed.

See technical article:

How to find the correct CAM fragment size in your environment and re-configure CAM to use that value?

However, sometimes it is hard to determine what could be causing an issue with passing of TCP/UDP packets and requires more trouble shooting and this is where Microsoft’s PortQryUI comes into play.  This is a graphical utility from Microsoft that allows you to verify connectivity between two hosts (both UDP and TCP).

Environment

CA Client Automation - All Versions

Resolution

- Download and install Microsoft PortQryUI

- Run portqueryui.exe

- This bring up the graphical interface as below where the destination can be tested using the IP address or the Hostname.

Use the option manual input query ports

Choose the desired protocol TCP or UDP depending on the port you are querying

You will see the result as shown below using port 4728 TCP as an example.

For more details on the use of PortQueryUI utility see this Microsoft Document:

PortQry

NOTE: There is a command line version of this utility as well. 

 

For a listing of all ports used by CA Client Automation, please refer the link below:

Ports Used by the Agent