Xsan 2.2 cannot authenticate users or assign serial numbers

rpribyl · JBOD Joined: 19 Oct 2009 Posts: 2

Xsan 2.2
Server OSX 10.5.8v1.1 and Workstation OSX 10.5.8
PowerPC Client Xsan 2.1.1

Our Xsan 2.2 admin on MDC will fail to assign serial numbers to our PowerPC clients running 2.1.1. After authentication it doesn't create the /etc/systemserialnumbers/xsan file.

If I manually create the file and manually enter a serial number, the system will work until rebooted, at which time the MDC can not authenticate with the user and it will eventually drop connection.

All of our Intel Mac Pro's running 2.2 are fine so far.

Does anyone know about this or have a more permanent fix than uninstalling / reinstalling xsan every time someone reboots?

Thanks!

Ryan

rpribyl · JBOD Joined: 19 Oct 2009 Posts: 2

Considering downgrading PPC clients to 10.5.6. Is this still recommended in an xsan 2.2 environment?

Thanks!

BlackF1re · Been around the blocks Joined: 24 Aug 2009 Posts: 21

Are the extended attributes enabled on the xsan volumes?

If is enabled, you cannot add PPC clients to the SAN cause it's an intel feature only.

You cannot remove the extended attribute feature from an existing XSAN volume. You you want to remove the function, you need to destroy and recreate the volume.

dido_ · partially protected Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 5

Hi

Could You tell me what is in log /Library/Logs/SerialNumberSupport.log ?

Best Regards
Robert

vitali · partially protected Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 8

Can you elaborate what we should look for in the logs?

We have experienced the same problem with some PowerPC clients, though no extended attributes are enabled in Volumes setup.

A few more posts on the same topic:

http://krypted.com/mac-os-x-server/xsan-serialnumberd-troubleshooting/
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2199883&tstart=0
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2314031&tstart=0
http://lists.apple.com/archives/xsan-users/2008/May/msg00030.html

So far no definite answer or solution

abstractrude · Xsan Master Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 561

The best way around this is manually configuring your clients. Drop in configs and serial number on the client machine. Then add to SAN it will auto run through the config. one important note:
in the serial number file you need a pipe in the second line. IE

xsan-020-000---xkjdlkdskldkllk
|

dido_ · partially protected Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 5

Hi

I have similar problem.

I have find in /Library/Logs/SerialNumberSupport.log
"LOGGER:RESPONSE with BAD replyhash! [tag = xsan (or xserv), rhostname = server.name]
and after few lines
"LOGWARN: Too many unexpected messages received. Could be a SPAM attack. Sleeping for 3 seconds. [C]

so, i kill serialnumb process and wait until assign serial number.
After few weeks of fighting I have downgrade all servers from 10.5.8 do 10.5.7 and 10.6 clients do 10.5.8. After downgrade all works fine.

but i still fighting... :/

abstractrude · Xsan Master Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 561

I was hit super hard by this problem on a large SAN. what i did was remove every single computer except the controllers from the SAN and managed all serial numbers manually. copied out the config files from the clients and set the numbers and keep them in a spreadsheet. its worked like a charm.