In the absence of DNS reverse lookup, specific conditions must be met to connect to Xserve with Server Monitor.
Symptom or issue
1. When you do not have DNS service on a network, you must make connections via IP address (such as "10.0.1.2") rather than by DNS name (such as "myserver.apple.com"). However, server Monitor does not connect to Xserve using its IP address when:
· you are using the product on a network that does not have domain name system (DNS) service,
and
· the hostname of the server is set to something other than "localhost".
2. After adding an Xserve to the Server Monitor, you may see the message 'Waiting for response' in Status Summary.
Solution
To connect with Server Monitor on an isolated network that does not have DNS service, use "localhost" as the hostname of the server.
The reason for this is that Server Monitor requires either:
- that the IP address of a server be resolved using a DNS name assigned to the server's IP address,
or
- that one of several other specific actions be taken, which include using "localhost" as the server's hostname or making modifications to NetInfo.
In the absence of DNS service, using "localhost" is simplest way to allow Server Monitor to connect.
Note: The steps below should only be used on newly installed server, because changing the hostname on an established server could interrupt services that rely on the hostname.
How to set a hostname
1. Open the file "/etc/hostconfig".
2. Locate the line that begins "HOSTNAME=".
3. Change the line to read: HOSTNAME=localhost
4. Save the change.
5. Restart the server.
For further instruction on editing the hostconfig file, including important precautionary statements, see "
Mac OS X Server: How to Locate and Edit Configuration Files".
Benefits of DNS service
For best results, establish DNS service on the network. This would allow you to assign desired hostnames and to connect via DNS names. The server should have a fully qualified DNS record that includes reverse lookup information.