How can we determine if we have good network connectivity to our Oracle B2C Service site?
Environment:
Network Connectivity
Resolution:
As a web-delivered product, Oracle B2C Service requires a constant high speed Internet connection to function properly. Sporadic product errors across multiple workstations can be attributed to connectivity problems between your location and the Oracle B2C Service data center hosting your site.
First, verify connectivity from an affected workstation by using the Ping command.
- From the start menu, select Run, and type cmd and click OK. This opens a command prompt window.
- At the prompt type ping <yoursitename>.custhelp.com -l 800 -n 100. This command will send 100, 800-byte pings to the Oracle B2C Service servers. The response times should be consistent and there should be no dropped packets.
For example, pinging rightnow.custhelp.com [216.136.229.11] with 800 bytes of data could give the following results:
Command: ping rightnow.custhelp.com -l 800 -n 100
Reply from 216.136.229.11: bytes=800 time=220ms TTL=246
Reply from 216.136.229.11: bytes=800 time=208ms TTL=246
Reply from 216.136.229.11: bytes=800 time=213ms TTL=246
.
.
.
Ping statistics for 216.136.229.11:
Packets: Sent = 100, Received = 100, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 184ms, Maximum = 281ms, Average = 223ms
Note: Some networks are configured not to allow ping traffic and will block ping results. If this is the case, engage your IT department to run these connectivity tests from a network location where ping traffic can pass.
Ping results: Any large variance in response times or dropped packets should be investigated by the IT department as a sign of connectivity problems. If the same behavior is not evident from the edge of your network, the issue is most likely local to your network and must be remedied by your IT resources.
Refer to the Oracle B2C Service Infrastructure Requirements for guidance on network device configuration. This is available in Answer ID 31: Oracle B2C Service Infrastructure Requirements.
If the ping results are the same from the edge of your network, it will be necessary to investigate the issue with Oracle B2C Service and your Internet carrier.
Troubleshooting external connectivity problems: Begin by performing multiple traceroutes to <yoursite>.custhelp.com. Five to ten traceroutes should be provided when submitting an incident to Oracle B2C Service in order to accurately portray any poor network behavior.
Microsoft KB article 314868 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314868/EN-US/ explains how to use the tracert tool. Much of this is automated by the Workstation and Network Data Collector. For downloading and instructions for the data collector, refer to Answer ID 2412: Workstation and Network Data Collector.
At this point it is often beneficial to analyze your available Internet bandwidth and utilization to ensure that your bandwidth is not over-utilized. Over-utilization is evidenced by dropped packets or highly variable response times. MRTG or other internal systems can be used to measure bandwidth consumption. Your Internet Provider may also be able to provide this data.
Ping and traceroute tests are basic test that should be completed when network issues are suspected. Adequate performance of other Internet applications does not rule out connectivity problems. Once these problems are identified at the edge of your network and outside of any intermediate devices such as proxy servers and firewalls, it is important to engage Oracle B2C Service and your provider to ensure the issue is resolved.
