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Daniel Nashed

Configure an addtional Notes port on a server

Daniel Nashed – 10 May 2025 15:51:34

The previous blog post was more dealing with the background about having a second Notes TCP/IP port.
This post focuses to setup a new Notes port end to end using the DNUG Lab environment as an example.


The server I am configuring has two separate IP addresses on two different network cards.
But the same procedure would also work with IP addresses in the same network.


Some of the settings have to be specified via notes.ini directly.
Other settings can be configured in the UI, but result in notes.ini settings.


In my example I am using a public (159.69.82.118) and a private IP address (10.0.0.3).


The ports notes.ini setting can be managed with the port configuration in admin client - similar to how you configure your local Notes client port.

The dialog is a bit hidden in the admin client.


Open the admin client and switch to the "Configuration" tab


In the menu select "Configuration -> Server -> Setup ports ..."


Image:Configure an addtional Notes port on a server

After configuring the port the Notes.ini settings "ports" will contain two ports:


ports=TCPIP,TCPIP-LOCAL


Each port gets basic settings set automatically using the dialog.

The first line contains the settings for the port. The last part of it are option bits containing port compression and encryption settings.

The second line contains the connection timeout also specified in the UI.



TCPIP=TCP, 0, 15, 0,,45088

TCPIP_TcpConnectTimeout=0,30


TCPIP-LOCAL=TCP,0,15,0,,45056

TCPIP-LOCAL_TcpConnectTimeout=0,30



Complete Notes port settings for hosting multiple ports


Because both ports by default use port 1352, you now have to bind each port to a specific IP address.
In this case we are assigning the public IP to the standard "TCPIP" port and the local IP to Port "TCPIP-LOCAL".


The prefix for all those parameters is always the port name you selected.

It's a bit confusing because the standard port itself is named "TCPIP" as well.


TCPIP_TcpIpAddress=0,159.69.82.118

TCPIP-LOCAL_TcpIpAddress=0,10.0.0.3



Specify the port used for internet protocols


Once you have another port you want to make sure Internet traffic is send thru the external port by specifying the following notes.ini parameters.


SMTPNotesPort=TCPIP

POP3NotesPort=TCPIP

LDAPNotesPort=TCPIP

IMAPNotesPort=TCPIP



Set the cluster port


In a cluster environment you should also set the default port for cluster traffic to our new local port.


Server_Cluster_Default_Port=TCPIP-LOCAL



Check and complete port settings in server document


The server document contains a list of ports.

The driver will be filled by AdminP. But the other settings need to be completed manually.


Each port should map to a Notes named network (NNN), which should be the same for the same type of port for all servers connected very close to each other -- for example in the same LAN or cluster.

Servers in the same NNN see each other and can route mail without connection documents.


But usually I would recommend creating connection documents for each server to be in full control.



Image:Configure an addtional Notes port on a server



Start/restart ports or better restart server


Restarting a port to bind it only to one IP is tricky.

You can stop and restart ports. But usually it is easier to restart your server.



Check port availability


First  run "
show port TCPIP-LOCAL".

If the port is not yet started try to start it manually:


start port TCPIP-LOCAL


Once the port is enabled on multiple servers, you can trace the connection.

The extended syntax uses the port delimiter "!!!"

The full path to a database is
port!!!server!!db.nsf

Ports are usually omitted and the server chooses the right port or only has one port.
But this syntax also works when tracing connection


trace TCPIP-LOCAL!!!linus.lab.dnug.eu/dnug-lab




Connection documents


Connection documents contain the port to use for the connection. Usually you see "TCPIP" in those connection documents when only one port is available.

Now you can switch connection document to the new local port to use the local connection between servers.



Image:Configure an addtional Notes port on a server

TCP/IP Settings for IPv6


Running IPv6 introduces additional challenges and would be for another blog post.

But here is the basic information for IPv6, which can also assigned to separate ports.

With one Notes port you would only need to enable IPv6. But with multiple ports you will also need to bind the IP to separate ports.


https://help.hcl-software.com/domino/14.0.0/admin/plan_examplesofusingnotesinivariableswithipv6_c.html


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