How to use the Xsan 1.1 Updates

This article outlines the basic steps required to update Xsan to version 1.1. The steps vary according to whether your starting point is Mac OS X 10.3.9 or 10.4 "Tiger," and there are two versions of the update to accomodate that. Please note that the Xsan Migration guide, available here, contains additional scenarios and details.

Before you begin, you must decide whether you want to keep your SAN volumes available while updating the metadata controllers (MDCs), or stop the volumes during the update. If you're performing a clean install of Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server 10.4 on your MDC, you could lose your volume and SAN configuration files. To prevent this, perform an upgrade installation of Mac OS X 10.4 when applicable. Note: Xsan 1.1 requires 10.4.1 or later.

All MDCs should be upgraded to the same version of Mac OS X. Do not make any changes to Xsan settings using Xsan Admin or the command-line tools during the installation. Be sure that all MDCs are upgraded before you make any configuration changes.

Updating to Xsan 1.1 requires an MDC system with Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later or Mac OS X Server 10.3.9 or later. Client systems can continue running earlier versions of Xsan after you update the MDCs to Xsan 1.1. However, if any Xsan client is running Tiger (10.4), then you must update all MDCs using the Xsan 1.1 Update for 10.4.

Assuming that you have a standby MDC, you can update from Xsan 1.0 to version 1.1 on Mac OS X 10.3.9 while volumes remain available. To do this:

  1. Update the operating system to Mac OS X 10.3.9 on one MDC at a time.
  2. Update Xsan on one MDC at a time, using the Xsan 1.1 Update for 10.3.9.
  3. Update any admin computers using the Xsan Admin 1.1 Update.
  4. Optional: Return control of volumes to specific MDCs.
  5. Optional: Update client computers to Mac OS X 10.3.9 and Xsan 1.1 (using the Xsan 1.1 Update for 10.3.9).

To update from Xsan 1.0 on Mac OS X 10.3 to Xsan 1.1 on Mac OS X 10.4:

  1. Update all MDCs, one at a time, to Mac OS X 10.3.9.
  2. Update all MDCs using the Xsan 1.1 Update for 10.3.9.
  3. Upgrade all standby MDCs to Mac OS X 10.4.1, then install the Xsan 1.1 Update for 10.4.
  4. Upgrade the primary MDC to Mac OS X 10.4.1, then install the Xsan 1.1 Update for 10.4.
  5. Update any admin computers using the Xsan Admin 1.1 Update.
  6. Optional: Fail over to the original primary MDC.
  7. Optional: Update client computers. Though this is optional, it is highly recommended that clients run at least Mac OS X 10.3.9 and Xsan 1.1.
Published Date: Oct 7, 2016