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Workspace Db2 for z/OS
Created by Guest
Created on Feb 15, 2022

Removal of ephemeral port use for sysplex/dvipa monitoring from Db2 DDF

In addition to the ports configured in BSDS (INADDR_ANY), Db2 DDF opens an additional ephemeral TCPIP port. It binds to the DVIPA address and requests an ephemeral port be assigned, the number is randomly chosen from a pool by TCPIP.
This feature is used by Db2 for monitoring and getting notified that TCPIP left the sysplex or the dvipa got deleted. This port is not configurable and Db2 does not accept any connections to this port.

BUT: security tools and vulnerability scanners stumble across this open ephemeral port. It is unknown and cannot be whitelisted or similar, as every restart of the Db2 member assigns a new port number.
So the TCPIP view of a Db2 member does not look consistent and somewhat unpredictable.
TSO Command "
netstat conn server" also shows the additional listen port for Db2's DIST address space.


This IDEA is about evaluating the removal of the ephemeral port use for sysplex/dvipa monitoring because since the Db2 apar (PI79102, PI79095) was released, newer releases of TCPIP now contain the functionality to notify Db2 when it leaves the sysplex.
So these new funcionality of TCPIP should be used by Db2 instead of opening the additional ephemeral port.


This was suggested by Db2 development in IBM support case TS008301257.

Needed By Not sure -- Just thought it was cool