TCP/IP Timeout configuration 1

[MoreFeo]

Hi, we've got some problems with some connections to Oracle.
One of our apps opens several connections to an Oracle server, the problem is that after some inactivity period (every night) the connections have given timeout and we need to restart some of the app modules.
What we're doing now is to restart the modules, but we would like to try to increase the timeouts, so it doesn't close the connections.

We're not sure if the timeout is due to TCP/IP port timeout or to Oracle, but I've been asked if I can increase the TCP/IP timeouts.

Do you know if there is a way to configure TCP/IP inactivity timeout from AIX?
Our box is AIX 5.3 ML04.

Thanks.

 

[RMGBELGIUM]

This is oracle closing connections to its database,alter parameters in listener.ora ( CONNECT_TIMEOUT_LISTENER )

rgds,

R.

 

[MoreFeo]

Checked with the Oracle guy. He says this parameter is not set, so it's not Oracle closing.
I've also been said that changing the TCP/IP timeout from AIX can make the system a bit unstable, or at least we can have some weird issues. This seems logical to me, but I'm not sure. What do you think?

Thanks

 

[khalidaaa]

IMHO This has to do with Oracle parameters not AIX!

http://oracle.ittoolbox.com/groups/...onnection-timeout-at-oracleserver-side-307923

http://dba.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=4231

Regards,
Khalid

 

[MoreFeo]

Checked with the Oracle guy, and all Oracle timeouts are set to unlimited.

I've found how to change TCP timeout in AIX, but it says you may affect other process:

The defaults for TCP Timeouts are:
AIX: 75 seconds
Solaris: 180 Seconds
NT: 9 Seconds

To view:
# /usr/sbin/no -o tcp_keepinit
The output should be something like:
tcp_keepinit = 150

To set:
# /usr/sbin/no -d tcp_keepinit 100

These timeout values can be configured, however great care should be taken when changing these settings. When altering operating system parameters, you may be affecting other processes which may result in unintended consequences.

So I'm looking if there is a way to set the timeout only for a user or for a shell.

 

[Chapter11]

IMHO, if the app needs to maintain its connection, it needs to heartbeat. Even if you alter AIX, network equipment is going to do exactly the same thing, and if you alter *everything* in the physical path, you end up having a network with a lot of settings that deviate from the norm, and the norms exist for good reasons.

Making connections last an unlimited amount of time essentially means that Oracle, AIX, and everything else no longer has a way of knowing if the app has crashed, and eventually something will run out of memory for tracking active (but idle forever) connections.

 

[kierong]

You may need to look at APAR IY89429, this is a fix to bos.net.tcp.client which broke some time after ML3 and is still in error in ML5. The APAR will upgrade the bos.net.tcp.client to 5.3.0.54. This fixed problems we had with timeouts/keepalive issues to Sybase and UDB databases.

 

[MoreFeo]

Hi Kierong, thanks for the APAR info. It looks like what we need.
The problem is that in the IBM's download page, it says:

The fixes selected cannot be received without upgrading to a newer Technology Level

I'd like to stay at 5.3 ML04 for the moment, so I'd like to know if you've tried to install only hte bos.net.tcp.client without having to upgrade the ML.

Thanks

 

[kierong]

We had gone to ML5 and that was our only problem. We were able to install only the APAR. Download it and preview the install, if it doesn't ask for prereq's you should be ok.

 

[MoreFeo]

Thanks