User guide

Using Server Assistant to Congure Controllers

You can use the Mac OS X Server setup assistant, Server Assistant, to congure servers

as Xsan metadata controllers. Server Assistant runs when you start up a new server or

a server on which you have performed a clean installation of Mac OS X Server v10.5.6

or v10.6. When using Server Assistant to set up your primary metadata controller,

you can choose how to manage Xsan users and groups.

Managing Users and Groups with Xsan Admin

When using Server Assistant to set up your primary metadata controller, you

can choose to manage SAN users and groups with Xsan Admin. This option is

recommended if you don’t have a directory server and you expect to have up to 20

SAN users. These users will have local home folders on their computers (not network

home folders on the server).

Important: You can choose to manage users and groups with Xsan Admin only

when you use Server Assistant to set up your primary metadata controller. You can’t

congure this option after setting up the primary controller with Server Assistant.

If you choose this option, Server Assistant makes the primary metadata controller an

Open Directory master. Then Xsan Admin congures standby metadata controllers

as Open Directory replica servers. For the Open Directory master and replicas, the

directory administrator’s user name is Directory Administrator, the short name is

diradmin, and the password is initially the same as the password of the administrator

account that you create with Server Assistant.

Xsan Admin also congures client computers with Xsan 2 to connect to your Xsan

primary metadata controller for Open Directory user and group accounts.

Using an Existing Open Directory Server

If you have an Open Directory server, you can have Server Assistant congure your

primary metadata controller to get users and groups from it. Then when you set up

your SAN, the Xsan setup assistant congures standby metadata controllers and client

computers with Xsan 2 to connect to the Open Directory server for users and groups.

Using Another Directory Server

When using Server Assistant to set up your primary metadata controller, you can

also choose to connect to a directory server later, including Active Directory or Open

Directory, after you nish setup. In this case, you use System Preferences > Accounts >

computer to congure a connection to your directory server.

38 Chapter 3 Setting Up a Storage Area Network