There are many manufacturers of network equipment and firewalls. In order for the Management by Statistics software to properly operate on your network your network equipment and firewalls need to be correctly set up.

A firewall is a device or software which restricts communications to and from a computer or network. If a firewall is not properly configured it can and will block communication from occurring. If the Management by Statistics software is installed on a network where the data is shared with multiple computers on a network, then there must be communications allowed. The specific communications which are required are listed below.

The correct configuration of your equipment is your responsibility. Mastertech support personnel are not trained in each of models of network equipment being built and sold.

INCORRECT FIREWALL SETTINGS WILL PREVENT CONNECTION TO THE DATABASE! The way to determine if your firewall is incorrectly set is to disable the firewall and try to connect, using the correct password. Once connection is established with the firewall disabled, you can re-enable the firewall and correctly configure it.

Required Communications for Database Server

The database server runs software called SQL Server, which is manufactured by Microsoft. Multiple copies of SQL Server can be installed on a computer and these different copies are distinquished by their name, which is called an Instance Name. The Management by Statistics uses the instance name "MBSDATAEXPRESS" by default, but you can use any SQL Server 2005 or later. Management by Statistics is shipped with SQL Server 2008.

Your network equipment and firewalls must allow communications to SQL Server and most network professionals are experienced in configuring their equipment to work with SQL Server.

SQL Server, when started, begins listening on a TCP port. The port number can be fixed or established dynamically when SQL Server starts.

1. Fixed Port Number: A fixed port number can be set for an instance of SQL Server. This is done by running the SQL Server Configuration Manager. See the image below for how to run this program.
   
   
   
   As shown in the image below, select "Protocols for MBSDATAEXPRESS". Right click on "TCP/IP" and click on the "Properties" menu item. This will display the window shown below.
   
   
   
   Next, click on the "IP Addresses" tab.
   
   Scroll down to the last section where "IPAll" is written. To set a fixed port number, enter the number for "TCP Port" and blank out the "TCP Dynamic Ports". In the example above, port 1086 has been entered.
   
   Click "Ok" to save the setting.
   
   Next you will need to restart this instance of SQL Server.
   
   To restart an instance of SQL Server, select "SQL Server Services" on the left hand side of the window.
   
   Next right click on "SQL Server (MBSDATAEXPRESS)", then click the restart menu item.
   
   
   
   
2. Dynamic Port: This is the default setting used for the Management by Statistics. This is done to make connecting to SQL Server easier for the typical user. However, dynamically specified ports can change at the next restart of the computer and this configuration may not work with all firewalls.
   
   To use dynamic ports open the "SQL Server Configuration Manager" as described above in Fixed Ports, but instead of entering a number in "TCP Port", enter "0" into the Dynamic TCP Ports option and set "TCP Port" to blank. The setting would look like this:
   
   Click "Ok" and restart the instance of SQL Server as described above.
   
   
   
   NOTE: Using dynamic ports requires the "SQL Browser" service also being running on the server. By default, this service is automatically started when the server starts.