System information
33Chapter 2 Getting Ready for Mac OS X Server
Conditions that aect DNS setup
If you’re setting up a server for a small organization
Ask your ISP or the public registrar for your domain to add a DNS entry for your server’s DNS
name that resolves to your server’s public IP address. Also ask for a reverse lookup entry that
resolves the public IP address to the DNS name. Your ISP provides a public IP address as part of
your Internet service.
For Internet users to be able to use your domain name to get services from your server, your
domain name must always point to your server. You can ensure this by obtaining a static (xed)
IP public address for your server. If your ISP hasn’t provided a static IP address, you can usually
upgrade to one for a fee. If you don’t have a static IP address, then your server’s IP address may
change, and Internet users may no longer be able to reach your server by name.
If you’re setting up a server for a department or workgroup in a larger organization
Ask your IT department or DNS server administrator for a static (xed) IP address for your server.
Ask them to add a DNS entry for your server’s DNS name that resolves to your server’s public IP
address, and also ask for a reverse lookup entry that resolves the public IP address to the DNS
name. If your organization doesn’t have its own DNS servers, add these entries through your ISP or
with the public registrar for your domain.