Copy fails with "ERROR: connect() returned -1, errno = 146 Connection refused at <path>" (48061)

Copy table or append table fails with the following message in the sync log:

"ERROR: connect() returned -1, errno = 146 Connection refused at <path>"

The following example shows the error message as it occurred when running copy but it also applies to append.

A. Copy is launched to sync a table:

sp_ctrl (irvsupu16:5438)> copy user.table1

  copy started; job id 8

B. The target table did not get sync'd up. Command "copy status" shows the following:

sp_ctrl (irvsupu16:5438)> copy status

Job ID   : 8
Host     : irvsupu16
Started  : 31-OCT-08 16:31:51
Job Type : Copy
Status   : Failed - Launcher not started on target, use "start launcher"

ID     Tablename                            Total Rows %Comp Status     Status T
ime Total Time
------ ------------------------------------ ---------- ----- ---------- --------
--- ----------
1      "USER"."TABLE1"                              6       Failed            
N/A       0:02

C. Sync log shows the following:

Fri Oct 31/16:31:52.391:: SYNC SERVER START: pid = 12189
.
.
Fri Oct 31/16:31:59.772:: Connected to Oracle, 2 OCI connections open
Fri Oct 31/16:31:59.780:: NLS_LANG = AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1
Fri Oct 31/16:31:59.783:: NLS_NCHAR_CHARACTERSET = AL16UTF16
Fri Oct 31/16:32:00.097:: ERROR: connect() returned -1, errno = 146 Connection refused at sync/sys/net/sync_tcp_client.cpp:77
Fri Oct 31/16:32:00.357:: ERROR: Connection to server failed at sync/sys/net/syn
c_tcp_client.cpp:133
Fri Oct 31/16:32:00.357:: ERROR: Cannot connect to target launcher at 10.1.0.156
:2501 at sync/svr/sync_launch_messager.cpp:62
Fri Oct 31/16:32:00.363:: ERROR: Launcher communcation failed at sync/svr/sync_s
erver.cpp:106 at sync/svr/sync_server.cpp:159
Fri Oct 31/16:32:00.468:: Logged off from Oracle, 1 OCI connections open<

The Launcher process was not started, or firewall prevented the copy to be successful.

1. In case of the omission of the step of starting the launcher, then start the launcher on target and rerun the "copy table" command:

For example:

sp_ctrl (irvsupu15:5438)> start launcher

   Launcher started using port 2501

The "copy status" shows that it finished successfully:

sp_ctrl (irvsupu16:5438)> copy status

Job ID   : 9
Host     : server
Started  : 31-OCT-08 16:48:27
Job Type : Copy
Status   : Done

ID     Tablename                            Total Rows %Comp Status     Status T
ime Total Time
------ ------------------------------------ ---------- ----- ---------- --------
--- ----------
1      "USER"."TABLE1"                              6   100 Done              
N/A       0:21

The log of the copy further corroborates this:

Fri Oct 31/16:48:27.915:: SYNC SERVER START: pid = 14067

Fri Oct 31/16:48:53.877:: 003: Export process complete, signalling client
Fri Oct 31/16:48:54.023:: 003: Sending end of transmission message
Fri Oct 31/16:48:55.742:: 003: Got client status OK_DONE: exp_rows = 6(100%) imp
_rows = 6(100%)
Fri Oct 31/16:48:55.802:: 003: Export process returned status: 0
Fri Oct 31/16:48:56.362:: Got client status OK, DONE
Fri Oct 31/16:48:56.362:: Waiting for threads to finish
Fri Oct 31/16:48:56.363:: Export thread 3 completed successfully

2. If the issue is due to firewall, then open the port 2501 for the copy to succeed. If the network administrators want another port to be designated for this purpose, then set the following parameter so that copy uses that port:

sp_ctrl> set param SP_OSY_PORT <port #>

The parameter is dynamic and does not require any process to be restarted. The copy can then be run again.

If there is a firewall preventing the copy server to launch the client process on target, similar error will be reported, especially the errno = 146, which would indicate a connection problem between source and target.

The solution applies to Shareplex 6.0 and up since the "copy table" or "append table" was issued in Shareplex 6.0.