This article applies to the following products:
- Messageware EPG 2019
- Messageware EPG 2016
- Messageware EPG 2013
SYMPTOM
When EPG Web Management is installed on an IIS-based server and the Windows Firewall is enabled the communication between the EPG Web Management and the SQL Server Database is blocked. Users are Unable to access EPG Web Management (EPG Admin, Reports, Tarpit)
- Error message on EPG Admin and Tarpit
-
- Error message on EPG Reports:
SOLUTION
To resolve the behavior, grant access to the SQL server to connect unrestricted.
Solution overview:
- The following ports will be defined in the SQL server configuration manager
- TCP dynamic port
- UDP static port 1434
- Create Two inbound rules in the Windows firewall to allow the communication of the SQL ports
- Verify the communication to EPG Web Management
Before proceeding with the solution make sure you have:
- Domain admin access to be able to create/delete firewall rules on the SQL server.
- Sysadmin access to SSMS
- Verified which SQL Server instance is being used by EPG:
- Go to SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio)
- Locate under which SQL Server instance is the EPG Database created, verifying the correct SQL server.
- Go to SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio)
Step 1: To find what ports are being used by the SQL server to listen the inbound requests
- On the SQL server, navigate to SQL Server Configuration Manager
- Select the drop-down next on SQL Server Network Configuration and expand
- Select Protocols for the SQL server.
- Select the one which is being used for the EPG. (In this example it is MSSQLSERVER2019)
- Right-click on TCP/IP and select Properties
- Click on IP Addresses tab and scroll down to section IPAll
- The first port is the TCP Dynamic Port
- By default, the SQL server uses the TCP dynamic ports. In this example it is 49846.
- TCP dynamic ports will change anytime the SQL Server services are restarted.
- To avoid this, a TCP static port must be configured
- The SQL Server Database will listen on TCP port 1433 due to it being a known standard for SQL server port, this is used by most organizations but can be configured to enhance security
- You can find more about configuring ports: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/configure-windows/configure-a-server-to-listen-on-a-specific-tcp-port?view=sql-server-ver15
To configure the static TCP port 1433
- On the same TCP/IP properties window > IPAII > TCP Port
- Specify port 1433 in TCP Port
- if TCP Dynamic port is configured, remove the value
- When complete, click ok
- Navigate to Windows Services in the SQL server
- Restart the SQL Server of your instance
- The second port is the fixed static UDP port 1434, this is the default port used by the SQL Server Browser Service
- To find out more about the ports you can check the following Microsoft article:
Step 2: Add 2 inbound rules (TCP port 1433 and UDP port 1434) to the Windows firewall to allow communication from these ports.
- On the SQL server navigate to Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall
- Click on Advanced Settings
Create new Firewall rule
- Now click on Inbound Rules and click New Rule
- In the new Inbound Rule Wizard:
- Select Port and click Next
- Select TCP and select Specify local ports, type in the port number
-
- Click Next
- Select Allow the Connection and click Next
- Select Domain and click Next
- Give the inbound rule a name and click Finish
- Create secondary inbound rule from the beginning of “Create New Firewall” rule section for UDP port 1434
- Once the rules have been created, navigate to the server where EPG Web Management is installed and connect to each component (EPG-Admin, EPG-Tarpit and EPG-Reports)
- Verify EPG-Admin connectivity
- Verify EPG-Tarpit connection
- Verify EPG-Reports connection
- Open any report, verifying EPG-Reports functionality
keywords: SQL server Firewall