The following sections give guidance regarding the types of changes will be necessary for a name or IP address change.
Understanding Mac OS X Server Names
Three names are used by Mac OS X Server: computer name, local hostname, and DNS name. They are used by different parts of the system for different reasons, and are not linked. Changing the computer name and the local hostname is not the same thing as changing the DNS name.
ÂÂ The computer name is a
ÂÂ The local hostname is a domain name, usable only on the local network, and is published to other services which are
ÂÂ The DNS name is the Internet host name, which is a fully qualified domain name. Only the DNS name is the
Understanding IP Address or Network Identity Changes on Infrastructure Services
Some services are infrastructure services. This means they provide the basic addressing, name resolution, and routing necessary for other services to function. Infrastructure services include:
ÂÂ DNS
ÂÂ DHCP
ÂÂ Directory Service ÂÂ Firewall
ÂÂ Mobile Access
ÂÂ NAT
ÂÂ NetBoot
ÂÂ RADIUS ÂÂ VPN
Generally, changing the IP address or name of an infrastructure server requires an intimate knowledge of the new network configuration and topology as well as manual setting changes. Changes to these infrastructure services can cause widespread disruption of other services until the correct setting modifications are made.
DNS
For a server not hosting DNS, changing a server’s IP address requires changes to the data in the DNS server. Minimally, the server’s NS, A, and PTR records must be changed. Because the DNS information for the server is hosted elsewhere, those records must be updated manually on the DNS server.
Chapter 7 Ongoing System Management
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