Cannot communicate with a docker container from other host machine via discovery server

[ipa-rwu]

Senaior description

The diagram below is my current setting.

• The docker container for running a talker
  ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker
  XML configuration file for talker in container

  <profiles xmlns="http://www.eprosima.com/XMLSchemas/fastRTPS_Profiles">
      <participant profile_name="UDP server talker" is_default_profile="true">
          <rtps>
  
              <useBuiltinTransports>true</useBuiltinTransports>
              <!-- Set SERVER's GUID prefix: third number of prefix is server id -->
              <prefix>44.53.00.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41</prefix>
              <builtin>
                  <discovery_config>
                      <!-- Set this participant as SERVER -->
                      <discoveryProtocol>SERVER</discoveryProtocol>
                  </discovery_config>
  
                  <!-- Set up its own discovery server -->
                  <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                      <locator>
                          <udpv4>
                              <address>talker</address>
                              <port>56543</port>
                          </udpv4>
                      </locator>
                  </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
              </builtin>
          </rtps>
      </participant>
  </profiles>

• The docker container for running a listener
  ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp listener
  XML configuration file

  <profiles xmlns="http://www.eprosima.com/XMLSchemas/fastRTPS_Profiles">
      <participant profile_name="UDP server listener" is_default_profile="true">
          <rtps>
              <useBuiltinTransports>true</useBuiltinTransports>
              <!-- Set SERVER's GUID prefix: third number of prefix is server id -->
              <prefix>44.53.01.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41</prefix>
              <builtin>
  
                  <discovery_config>
                      <!-- Set this participant as SERVER -->
                      <discoveryProtocol>SERVER</discoveryProtocol>
  
                      <!--
                              Set remote servers that this server will connect to
                               configuration:
                                  - Prefix
                                  - PDP listening locator
                          -->
                      <discoveryServersList>
                          <!-- connect to discovery server in container talker-->
                          <RemoteServer prefix="44.53.00.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41">
                              <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                                  <locator>
                                      <udpv4>
                                          <address>talker</address>
                                          <port>56543</port>
                                      </udpv4>
                                  </locator>
                              </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                          </RemoteServer>
                          <!-- remote server on other machine -->
                          <RemoteServer prefix="44.52.00.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41">
                              <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                                  <locator>
                                      <udpv4>
                                          <address>192.168.0.213</address>
                                          <port>56543</port>
                                      </udpv4>
                                  </locator>
                              </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                          </RemoteServer>
                      </discoveryServersList>
                      <clientAnnouncementPeriod>
                          <!-- change default to 250 ms -->
                          <nanosec>250000000</nanosec>
                      </clientAnnouncementPeriod>
                  </discovery_config>
  
                  <!-- Set up its own discovery server -->
                  <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                      <locator>
                          <udpv4>
                              <address>listener</address>
                              <port>56543</port>
                          </udpv4>
                      </locator>
                  </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
              </builtin>
          </rtps>
      </participant>
  </profiles>

• the host where containers are running
  it runs FASTRTPS_DEFAULT_PROFILES_FILE=host_server.xml ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp listener
  XML configuration file for

  <dds>
      <profiles xmlns="http://www.eprosima.com/XMLSchemas/fastRTPS_Profiles">
          <participant profile_name="same_host_profile" is_default_profile="true">
              <rtps>
                  <prefix>44.53.02.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41</prefix>
                  <builtin>
                      <discovery_config>
                          <discoveryProtocol>SERVER</discoveryProtocol>
                          <discoveryServersList>
                              <!-- RemoteServer of server on other machine -->
                              <RemoteServer prefix="44.52.00.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41">
                                  <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                                      <locator>
                                          <udpv4>
                                              <address>192.168.0.213</address>
                                              <port>56543</port>
                                          </udpv4>
                                      </locator>
                                  </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                              </RemoteServer>
                              <!-- RemoteServer of container talker -->
                              <RemoteServer prefix="44.53.00.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41">
                                  <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                                      <locator>
                                          <udpv4>
                                              <address>172.18.0.2</address>
                                              <port>56543</port>
                                          </udpv4>
                                      </locator>
                                  </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                              </RemoteServer>
                          </discoveryServersList>
                      </discovery_config>
  
                      <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                          <locator>
                              <udpv4>
                                  <address>192.168.0.108</address>
                                  <port>56544</port>
                              </udpv4>
                          </locator>
                      </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                  </builtin>
              </rtps>
          </participant>
      </profiles>
  </dds>

• The host on the other laptop:
  it runs FASTRTPS_DEFAULT_PROFILES_FILE=other_host_server.xml ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker
  XML configuration file

  <dds>
      <profiles xmlns="http://www.eprosima.com/XMLSchemas/fastRTPS_Profiles">
  
          <participant profile_name="other_machine_profile" is_default_profile="true">
              <rtps>
                  <prefix>44.52.00.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41</prefix>
                  <builtin>
                      <discovery_config>
                          <discoveryProtocol>SERVER</discoveryProtocol>
                          <discoveryServersList>
                              <!-- RemoteServer of other host -->
                              <RemoteServer prefix="44.53.02.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41">
                                  <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                                      <locator>
                                          <udpv4>
                                              <address>192.168.0.108</address>
                                              <port>56544</port>
                                          </udpv4>
                                      </locator>
                                  </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                              </RemoteServer>
                              <!-- RemoteServer of listener -->
                              <RemoteServer prefix="44.53.01.5f.45.50.52.4f.53.49.4d.41">
                                  <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                                      <locator>
                                          <udpv4>
                                              <address>192.168.0.108</address>
                                              <port>56541</port>
                                          </udpv4>
                                      </locator>
                                  </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                              </RemoteServer>
                          </discoveryServersList>
                      </discovery_config>
  
                      <metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                          <locator>
                              <udpv4>
                                  <address>192.168.0.213</address>
                                  <port>56543</port>
                              </udpv4>
                          </locator>
                      </metatrafficUnicastLocatorList>
                  </builtin>
  
              </rtps>
          </participant>
      </profiles>
  </dds>

Expected behavior

I expect the listener running in a docker container can get messages from a talker running on the other machine

Current behavior

The host machine where containers are running can get messages from the other machine and the docker container where the talker is running.

• Issue 1: sometimes I can only get "INFO_TS, DATA(p)" (acknowledge messages I assume) and heartbeat as shown below. But after I restart the listener it can get messages from the talker running on the other machine.
  

• Issue 2: The listener running in the docker container can't get the message from the talker running on the other machine. I can only see traffic as below:
  
  You can find port mapping from log below or in docker compose file.
  

• Question: When the listener can get messages from the talker, the traffic goes through port "7413". Is it the Endpoint Discovery Phase? But it mentions "DDS Domain concept does not apply when enabling the Discovery Server mechanism."

Steps to reproduce

I created a test here.
You can use compose.discovery_server.yaml to start.

On the same machine where containers are running, you can use XML configuration file and run FASTRTPS_DEFAULT_PROFILES_FILE=host_server.xml ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp listener

On the other machine, you can use XML configuration file and run FASTRTPS_DEFAULT_PROFILES_FILE=other_host_server.xml ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker

Fast DDS version/commit

ros2 doctor --report | grep fastrtps

results:

fastrtps_cmake_module                     : latest=2.2.1, local=2.2.1
rmw_fastrtps_shared_cpp                   : latest=6.2.4, local=6.2.4
rosidl_typesupport_fastrtps_cpp           : latest=2.2.1, local=2.2.1
rosidl_typesupport_fastrtps_c             : latest=2.2.1, local=2.2.1
rmw_fastrtps_cpp                          : latest=6.2.4, local=6.2.4
middleware name    : rmw_fastrtps_cpp

Platform/Architecture

I am using Ubuntu 22.04.3 amd64, ROS humble

Transport layer

Discovery server

Logs

Log from wireshark
Let me know if you need more input from me. Thank you for your help!