Mac OS X Server - Setting Up a Server Remotely

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Chapter 4

Setting Up Mac OS X Server

To set up a remote server:

1

Prepare for setup by filling out a printed copy of the Installation & Setup Worksheet.

The Installation & Setup Worksheet is located in the Documentation folder on the
Mac OS X Server Install Disc.

2

If you have DHCP or DNS service provided by your ISP, Internet router, or other servers

on your network, make sure they are set up for your new server and are running.
For information about how DHCP, DNS, and other network services should be set up,
see “Preparing Your Network and Internet Connection” on page 31.

3

Make sure your server has an active connection to a secure Ethernet network.

4

If you want to set up your server as an Internet gateway, so other computers on your

network can share the server’s Internet connection, verify the following:

One Ethernet port, or interface, connects to your DSL modem, cable modem, or

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other Internet source. The Internet interface must have a public IP address (not a
private IP address like 10.0.1.1 or 192.168.1.1). The public IP address must be static
(fixed) so users’ computers can access the server via the Internet, for example to use
the server’s VPN service.
Another Ethernet port connects to your local network.

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During setup, Server Assistant automatically identifies which port connects to the
Internet.
For more information, see “Protecting Your Network by Making Your Server a
Gateway” on page 37.

5

If the server is off, turn it on.

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Chapter 4

Setting Up Mac OS X Server

When the server starts up, Server Assistant opens automatically and waits for remote
setup to begin.

6

On an administrator computer, open Server Admin and select “Ready for Setup” in the

list on the left.
Server Admin is located in /Applications/Server/.
If Server Admin asks for a password to connect to a server that’s already set up on
your network, you can click Cancel. You don’t need an administrator account to set up
Mac OS X Server remotely.

7

Select the target server on the right, and then click Set Up.

Server Admin identifies unconfigured servers by name, IP address, and MAC address.
The name may be generated from the computer model and the MAC address.
If the server you want isn’t listed, you can click the Refresh (curved arrow) button
to have Server Admin look again for servers that are ready for setup on your local
network.
If the server you want is on a different local network, choose Server > Set Up Remote
Server.

8

When Server Assistant opens, do one of the following, depending on the status of the

server you want to set up:

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If the server is listed as “Authentication required,” select it, click Authenticate, and enter
its password.

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If server you want isn’t listed, click Add, enter the server’s DNS name or its IP address in
IPv4 format (for example, 192.0.2.200), and enter its password.

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Chapter 4

Setting Up Mac OS X Server

The password for a new installation of Mac OS X Server is the first 8 characters of the
server’s built-in hardware serial number. To find the serial number, look for a label on
the server. Match the capitalization of the serial number when you type it. For an Intel-
based Xserve that has had its main logic board replaced and has no hardware serial
number, enter “System S” (don’t enter the quotation marks) as the password. For a
computer that has no built-in hardware serial number, use 12345678 as the password.
The password for an upgraded server is the password of the server’s root user.

9

Click Continue and proceed through the Server Assistant panes, following the onscreen

instructions and entering the information you’ve recorded on the Installation & Setup
Worksheet.
For information about settings in a Server Assistant pane, click the Help button in
the pane.

10

After server setup is complete, Server Assistant presents three options:

Set Up Another Server: Go back to step 1 and set up another server for the first time.
(Because Server Assistant is already open, you can skip steps 6 and 7.)
Configure: Open Server Preferences on the computer you used to set up the
remote server. Then you can open a new connection to the remote server and set
up users and groups, customize services and system information, or monitor server
activity. For information about these tasks, see “Connecting Server Preferences
to a Remote Server” on page 77 and Chapter 5, “Managing Your Server,” through
Chapter 10, “Managing Server Information.”
Share Screen: Begin a screen sharing session with the server you just set up. When
asked to authenticate, use the name and password of the administrator account you
created on that server.