Enable ODBC and port 9000 in TallyPrime, and test it

Short answer: In TallyPrime, open Exchange > Configure > Client/Server configuration, set TallyPrime acts as to Both, Enable ODBC to Yes and Port to 9000, then accept and restart Tally. To test, open http://localhost:9000 in a browser on the same computer: a one-line reply that the TallyPrime server is running means it works.

What this setting does

TallyPrime can answer requests from other programs on the same computer or on your office network. Those programs send a request in Tally’s XML format or through ODBC, and Tally replies with ledgers, vouchers or reports. The port is the door number they knock on; 9000 is the usual choice and most tools expect it.

Nothing leaves your computer because of this setting alone. It lets programs you install, such as Excel or a connector, read from Tally while Tally is open.

Steps in TallyPrime

1. Open TallyPrime. You do not need to open a company first, though it does no harm.
2. Go to Exchange > Configure > Client/Server configuration. In some releases the same screen is under F1 Help > Settings > Connectivity > Client/Server configuration.
3. Set "TallyPrime acts as" to Both. Both lets it answer requests and also connect to other Tally servers as a client.
4. Set "Enable ODBC" to Yes.
5. Set "Port" to 9000.
6. Accept the screen to save it.
7. Close and reopen TallyPrime so the server starts on the port you set.

Menu names move a little between TallyPrime releases. If you cannot find the screen, search Tally’s help for "Client/Server configuration" for your release.

Test it in ten seconds

1. Keep TallyPrime open.
2. On the same computer, open a browser and type http://localhost:9000 in the address bar.
3. You should see a one-line reply saying the TallyPrime server is running.

If the page does not load, Tally is not listening on that port. Check the setting again, make sure TallyPrime is open, and restart it.

If something goes wrong

Windows Firewall asks for permission

Windows may ask whether TallyPrime can use networks. A program on the same computer, such as the TallyNexa connector or Excel, reaches Tally at localhost and does not need the firewall opened. Allow private networks only if another computer in the office must reach Tally.

The port is already in use

Another program, or a second copy of Tally, may already be using 9000. Close the other program, or choose another port such as 9001 in the same screen and give every tool that reads Tally the new number. The TallyNexa setup asks for port 9000; if 9000 is taken on that computer, write to hello@tallynexa.ai and we will help.

The browser shows the reply but a tool still cannot read Tally

The server is working, so look at the tool. For ODBC tools such as Excel, check that the Tally ODBC driver appears in Windows ODBC Data Sources and that it is the same kind, 32-bit or 64-bit, as your Excel. For a connector, check that the company you want is open in TallyPrime.

Tally ERP 9

In Tally ERP 9 the same settings sit under F12 Configure > Advanced Configuration: set Tally.ERP 9 is acting as to Both, Enable ODBC Server to Yes and Port to 9000. TallyNexa is built for TallyPrime, so ERP 9 users should write to hello@tallynexa.ai before setting it up.

How TallyNexa uses it

The TallyNexa connector runs on the same Windows computer as TallyPrime and reads the books through this port. Its setup shows the same three settings in the same words, and you set them once. After that the connector reads only the companies open in TallyPrime, and only the books you choose. The first read goes month by month; then new and changed entries arrive within minutes while Tally is open.

Is it safe to leave on?

The server answers whoever can reach that port. On a computer whose firewall is closed to outside networks, only programs on that computer can reach it. Do not forward port 9000 on your office router to the internet. If you need to see the books away from the office, use a service that connects outward from the office computer, such as a connector, instead of opening Tally to the internet.

If several people in the office use tools that read Tally from their own computers, keep those computers on the office network and allow TallyPrime on private networks only. Review the setting when you change routers or move Tally to a new computer.