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From: sfp@APLPY.ARPA (Steven Parr)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: closing half-open connections
Message-ID: <8709291530.AA13517@aplpy.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 29-Sep-87 11:30:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: aplpy.8709291530.AA13517
Posted: Tue Sep 29 11:30:50 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Sep-87 07:19:19 EDT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: world
Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Hi,

We are having problems with tcp connections getting hung in the LAST_ACK state.
I believe the fault lies with the software at the other end of the connection
and so we are in the process of getting an update of that software.  However
purchasing takes time and in the mean time, we keep re-transmitting a FIN
every second or two until the next reboot.

So my question is this:

Does anyone know of a way to force closed a half-open connection such as this?

Seems to me that you should be able to change the state to FIN_ACK_2 or
TIME_WAIT and the connection should go ahead and close itself on the next
expiration of the timer.  Has anyone tried anything like this?  Any suggestions
on how to go about it?  (Looks like adb may be useful, but I know almost nothing
about it.)

If it matters, we have a Pyramid running release 3.1 (without source).

Thanks in advance,
-Steve Parr

sfp@aplpy.arpa