SUMMARY
This article addresses how to resolve the error “BP Agent is not listening.
ISSUE
When a backup appliance attempts a backup, a connection is first attempted to the client server on port 1743. The connection makes a request to the agent to take a backup of the client server. The agent then determines a data port which data will be transferred, which will be port 1745 by default.
When a connection cannot be made the error “BP Agent is not listening will occur.
RESOLUTION
Typically, when a backup appliance cannot connect to the agent software there are four troubleshooting steps that should be taken.
1. First, check Windows Services to verify that the BP Agent service is running.
2. Verify that the Window firewall is either disabled or is allowing ports 1743 and 1745. It can be beneficial to temporarily disable the firewall for testing. Also, check for a DMZ or any other network device that may be blocking access.
3. Stop the BP Agent service and then run the command netstat –abn | find “:1743” to determine if port 1743 is in use by another application. If the port is in use, the application using the port must be stopped or the client must be rebooted to free this port.
4. Run the command netstat –abn | find “:1745” to determine if port 1745 is in use by another application. As a work around, the \PCBP\master.ini can be adjusted to use a dynamic data port. This is done by changing the line “data=1745” to “data=1744”.
5. Finally if you still cannot connect, this may be an indication of winsock corruption. To reset your winsock connection, see MS KB 811259.
You can also use this MS article to reserve ports 1743 and 1745 and prevent this from occurring in the future. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812873
Windows network command line utilities
Third-Party Sources
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811259
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812873
CAUSE
The root cause of a connection failure could be either network-related (such as a DMZ or firewall blocking access) or it could be due to the agent software’s inability to open the ports required.
NOTES
For more detailed information on backup failures and performance issues see Unitrends KB 5062 - Backup Failures and Performance Issues