private void extractProperties() throws RsPropertiesException {


      // get the hostName
      hostName = extractMandatoryString("hostName");

      // get the port number
      String string = extractMandatoryString("port");
      try {
         port = new Integer(string).intValue();
      } catch (NumberFormatException e){
         throw new RsPropertiesException("Bad number format for integer port specification: \""+string+"\"");
      }
      if(port<1025 || port>32767){
         throw new RsPropertiesException("Integer port number "+port+" not in valid range [1025,32767]");
      }

      logFileName    = extractString("logFileName");
      logToFile      = extractBoolean("logToFile");
      logToSystemOut = extractBoolean("logToSystemOut");
      logVerbose     = extractBoolean("logVerbose");

      if(logToFile && logFileName==null)
         throw new RsPropertiesException("The logToFile option was requested, but logFileName is missing");

   }