Apple Workgroup Server 8550 User Manual

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About This Guide
This guide tells you how to configure your Workgroup Server, use software programs, use its built-in CD-ROM drive and optional tape-backup unit, and troubleshoot hardware and software problems. For information about your server’s hardware, see the setup guide that came with your server.
About your Workgroup Server and Power Macintosh software
Your Workgroup Server is powered by the PowerPC™ microprocessor (or “chip”). This microprocessor was designed by Apple Computer, Inc., Motorola, Inc., and IBM Corporation. The PowerPC microprocessor uses Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) technology to deliver very high performance at the lowest possible cost. The PowerPC RISC microprocessor represents the state of the art in microprocessor design.
Your Workgroup Server will run almost all of your existing Macintosh software, but for best performance and greatest speed, look for software programs designed especially for Power Macintosh computers.
Who should read this guide
This guide is intended for the person who administers the server on a day­to-day basis. You should be familiar with basic Macintosh terms, concepts, and techniques. If you’re new to the Macintosh environment, see Appendix A, “Getting Help,” after you turn on your server system. You also need to know some details of your existing network to choose the appropriate procedures for connecting the server to your network.
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What this guide contains
Here’s a brief summary of what you’ll find in this guide:
m Chapter 1, “Configuring Your Server,” describes how to set the system
time and date, how to choose a printer, how to configure your monitor, and how to configure the Energy Saver control panel so that your server restarts automatically after a power failure.
m Chapter 2, “Configuring Your Network Connection,” explains when you
need to configure your network connection and how to do it. This chapter also describes Open Transport and the features of the AppleTalk and TCP/IP control panels.
m Chapter 3, “Using Application Software,” discusses running Power
Macintosh software and server application programs.
m Chapter 4, “Managing Hard Disks,” describes routine maintenance
procedures associated with hard disk drives. This chapter also explains how to reinstall system software.
m Chapter 5, “Using the CD-ROM Drive,” explains how to use the built-in
CD-ROM drive.
m Chapter 6, “Using a DAT Drive and Tape Cassettes,” explains the use of
the optional DAT drive and describes the types of tape cassettes that are appropriate for use with the drive.
m Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting,” helps you solve problems with the server. m Appendix A, “Getting Help,” describes how to use the various kinds of
on-screen help available in the Guide menu.
m Appendix B, “Special Keys on Your Keyboard,” describes the use of key
combinations as shortcuts for menu commands and alternatives to using the mouse.
m Appendix C, “Obtaining Updated Apple Software,” explains how to
obtain software updates from a variety of online services.
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How to use this guide
If you are new to Macintosh: Refer to Appendix A, “Getting Help,” to learn how to use the features of Mac OS and application programs.
Configure your server’s system software. See Chapter 1, “Configuring Your Server,” for information about how to configure your server’s system software for optimal performance.
If necessary, configure your server’s network connection. Your server automatically uses the built-in Ethernet port for AppleTalk connections. See Chapter 2, “Configuring Your Network Connection,” for information about how to configure your server to use a different port for AppleTalk or how to configure your server’s TCP/IP network connections.
Learn about application software. See Chapter 3, “Using Application Software,” for information about Power Macintosh programs and the shared libraries that they use and for information about running older Macintosh programs. See Appendix C for information about obtaining updates for Apple software products.
Learn about hard disk management. See Chapter 4, “Managing Hard Disks,” for information about initializing hard disks and installing system software.
Familiarize yourself with the server’s built-in CD-ROM drive and optional DAT drive. See Chapter 5, “Using the CD-ROM Drive,” and Chapter 6, “Using a
DAT Drive and Tape Cassettes.”
Review troubleshooting techniques. See Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting,” for steps you can take to prevent the occurrence of problems and for solutions when problems occur.
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For on-screen help and information
There are several valuable sources of help and information that you can view directly on your server’s monitor screen, as described in this section.
Workgroup Server Read Me
It’s important that you read the Workgroup Server Read Me file, which contains late-breaking information about your server. This file is located on the server’s hard disk and on the Workgroup Server Software CD-ROM disc. You may want to print this file for future reference.
The Guide menu
Starting with Mac OS version 7.5, you have instant access to new kinds of help when using your system and application programs. You can see your options in the Guide (h) menu in the upper-right corner of the screen.
You’ll find the instructions available in Macintosh Guide particularly useful when you have questions or encounter problems with your system software. For more details on the types of on-screen help available, refer to Appendix A, “Getting Help,” and explore your options in the Guide menu.
Workgroup Server Electronic Library
For your convenience, electronic versions of your server’s documentation are provided on your server’s hard disk and on the Workgroup Server Software CD-ROM disc. You’ll find these documents in a folder called the WS Electronic Library. You’ll find on-screen help available in the document.
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The WS Electronic Library folder contains electronic versions of the following documents:
m this book, the Administrator’s Guide, in an Adobe™ Acrobat file that has
been specially formatted for easy on-screen readability
m other user’s guides for software that may have come with your server
Other reference material
In addition to this guide, you may need to consult the following sources of information.
m For information about your server’s hardware setup and capabilities, see
the setup guide that came with your server.
m For late-breaking information about your server and system software, see
the Workgroup Server Read Me file, located on the server’s hard disk and on the Workgroup Server Software CD-ROM disc.
m For information about server application programs included with your
Workgroup Server, such as Apple RAID Software and Retrospect Remote, refer to the documentation for those programs included in the server accessory kit.
m A number of network services, such as AppleShare, AppleSearch, and
Apple Remote Access, may be included with your server or can be installed on your server. Refer to the documentation included with those services for installation and operation information.
m If you purchased an Apple Internet Server, see the setup booklet included
in the Apple Internet Server Solution for the World Wide Web package.
m If you need a better understanding of how to configure your network, the
following books from Apple Computer, published by Addison Wesley, are available at computer bookstores:
Understanding Computer Networks gives an overview of networking basics. Planning and Managing AppleTalk Networks provides in-depth information
on setting up, maintaining, and troubleshooting AppleTalk networks.
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Where to find answers
When you have questions about using your server, there are several places you can look for answers.
In this book
Use this book to help you set up your server and learn about it, or to find solutions to problems with your equipment.
In the setup guide
Use this book to help you set up and expand your server system, and to connect it to a network. Also use this book to check your server’s technical specifications.
In the Read Me files
Your Workgroup Server’s startup disk and the Workgroup Server Software CD-ROM disc contain several SimpleText documents that are known as Read Me files. Read Me files contain important information about your server and its software that may not be included in the setup guide or the administrator’s guide.
In the Guide menu
The Guide menu (marked with the h icon) is your main source of information about the Mac OS. To learn how to get different kinds of help from the Guide menu, see Appendix A in this book.
In other manuals
For answers to questions about other equipment or about application programs you have purchased, see the manuals that came with the equipment or programs.
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In the About Apple Extras file
The Apple Extras folder on your startup disk contains a SimpleText document called About Apple Extras with important information about some of the application programs included with your server. Read Me files can also be found inside application folders.
From Apple’s customer support hotline
If you can’t find an answer in any of the materials provided, call the customer support hotline. (See the information about technical support in the Apple Resource Guide that came with your server.)
On Apple’s online support pages
Apple provides a number of online resources that can give you helpful information. See Appendix C for a listing of these resources.
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1 Configuring Your Server
This chapter tells you how to configure your server’s software so you can take advantage of your server’s hardware and software features. Most of the configuration tasks are optional, but some of them allow the server to deliver the highest performance. The tasks are:
m configuring the system time and date (required) m installing device drivers (required only if you have installed an expansion card
or attached to your server a non-Apple hard disk drive or a SCSI device other than a hard disk drive)
m choosing a printer (optional) m configuring your monitor (optional) m choosing sound devices (optional) m configuring the Energy Saver control panel (optional)
Note: This chapter assumes that a keyboard, monitor, and mouse are connected to your server and that your server is turned on. If you need to connect these devices or if you don’t know how to turn the server on, see the setup guide that came with your server.
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Configuring the system time and date
It’s important that you set the current time and date for your server so that the system can correctly log system events and record file activity. You set the time and date in the Date & Time control panel.
To set the system date and time:
1 Open the Date & Time control panel.
The Date & Time control panel is in the Control Panels submenu in the Apple (K) menu.
2 To set the current date, click each number in the “Current date” box and
type the number you want to set for the month, day, or year. Or, click the arrows that appear until the number you want to set is displayed.
Changes take effect immediately.
3 To display the date in a different format, click the Date Formats button.
A dialog box appears that allows you to select from a variety of date formats. The new format takes effect when you click OK.
4 To set the time zone, click the Set Time Zone button.
A dialog box appears that allows you to select a city and country that represents your time zone. The time zone you select takes effect immediately.
5 If daylight savings time is in effect in your time zone, click the Daylight
Savings Time box so that an “X” appears.
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6 To set the current time, click each number in the “Current time” box and
type the number you want to set for the hour, month, or second. Or, click the arrows that appear until the number you want to set is displayed.
Changes take effect immediately.
7 To display the time in a different format, click the Time Formats button.
A dialog box appears that allows you to select from a variety of time formats including a 12-hour or a 24-hour clock. The new format takes effect when you click OK.
8 To display the time in the menu bar, make sure that the On button in the
Menubar Clock section of the Date & Time window is selected. Or, click the Off button to turn off this feature.
Your changes take effect the next time you restart the server.
9 To cus tomiz e t he way tha t time i s disp l ayed in the menu ba r, click the
Clo c k O p tions button.
A dialog box appears that allows you to customize the way the time is displayed in the menu bar. You can also configure the server to sound a chime at regular intervals.
10 Close the Date & Time control panel.

Installing device drivers

Your Workgroup Server comes with three expansion slots in which you can install Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) cards. PCI cards allow you to expand the capability of your Workgroup Server, for example, by generating additional SCSI buses or by providing additional network interfaces. You can also attach additional SCSI devices to your Workgroup Server’s internal/external SCSI bus. With the exception of Apple hard disks, you need to install a device driver for any PCI cards or SCSI devices that you add to your Workgroup Server.
A device driver is software that lets the server communicate with a card or a SCSI device. The device driver is usually on a floppy disk that comes with the card or device. To install a device driver, see the documentation that came with the card or device.
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Choosing a printer

You use the Chooser to indicate the port (printer port or modem port) you used to connect your printer, or to select a printer on the network.
To choose a printer:
1 Open the Chooser.
The Chooser is in the Apple (K) menu.
2 In the upper- left corner of the Chooser window, click the icon for the
type of printer you want to use.
3 If zones appear in the AppleTalk Zones list, click the zone in which the
printer resides.
4 In the list on the right side of the Chooser window, click the name of the
printer you want to use.
5 Close the Chooser.
Your changes take effect immediately.
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Configuring your monitor
This section tells you how use the Monitors & Sound control panel to configure your server’s monitor.
Follow these steps to configure your server’s monitor:
1 Open the Monitors & Sound control panel.
The Monitors & Sound control panel is in the Control Panels submenu in the Apple (K) menu.
2 If you have a color monitor, click 256 in the Color Depth list.
Your server performs best when the smallest number of colors is selected.
3 Click an item in the Gamma list to adjust the intensity and luminance of
your monitor’s screen.
4 Close the Monitors & Sound control panel.
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Choosing sound devices and alert sounds

This section tells you how to use the Monitors & Sound control panel to choose your server’s sound input and output devices and to configure the system alert sound and its volume.
Follow these steps to choose the sound input and output devices for your server and to configure the system alert sound:
1 If you want to use an external device for sound input, connect it to the
sound input port, as described in the setup guide that came with your server.
2 Open the Monitors & Sound control panel.
The Monitors & Sound control panel is in the Control Panels submenu in the Apple (K) menu.
3 At the top of the Monitors & Sound control panel, click the Sound
button.
The following dialog box appears:
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4 Use the sliders to adjust sound output level, sound output balance,
computer speaker volume, and computer speaker balance.
5 To change the selected sou n d input device , click an item in the Sound
Input pop-up menu.
To use a microphone connected to the sound input port for spoken commands, select the External Microphone.
The server records sounds in the same way as other Macintosh models: in 16­bit mono sound, at a sample rate of 44.100 kilohertz (kHz). This makes the sounds you record compatible with all Macintosh computers. For instruc­tions on recording a sound, see the “Sound” topic of Macintosh Guide, available in the Guide (h) menu.
6 If y ou want to use an exter nal dev ice for sound ou tput, connect it to the
sound out p ut port, as described in t he setup g uide tha t came with your serve r.
About the sample rate: Most of the time, you will not need to change the sample rate. You should change the sample rate only if the sound you wish to play was recorded at a sample rate different from the current setting. (The available rates are 11.025 kHz, 22.050 kHz, and 44.100 kHz.) For instance, if you play a QuickTime movie containing sound recorded at
44.100 kHz, set the sample rate in the Sound Output Quality pop-up menu to 44.100 kHz to hear the full quality of the sound. Increasing the sample rate slows performance.
m Do not set the sample rate higher than the sample rate of the sound you
are playing because this slows your server’s performance without improving sound quality.
m Do not change the sample rate for sound coming from a device
connected to the sound input port.
If you use a program that provides sound recording in mono format, you can use its mono setting.
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7 To configure the sound that occurs when an alert box appears on the
screen, click the Alerts button.
8 Click an item in the Alert Sound list to select a sound. 9 Use the slider to adjust the volume of alert sounds. 10 Close the Monitors & Sound control panel.
Your changes take effect immediately.
Configuring the Energy Saver control panel
Your Workgroup Server comes with the Energy Saver control panel, which provides a variety of energy-saving features. Because most servers run con­tinuously, energy-saving features are turned off when you first start up your Workgroup Server. You may want to use the Energy Saver control panel to configure the server to
m restart automatically after a power failure m dim the monitor when it has not been used for several minutes
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WARNING It is possible to configure the Energy Saver control
panel so that the server shuts down when it’s inactive for a short period of time or so that it enters a reduced power mode (called
sleep mode
) when it’s inactive. Both behaviors are undesirable for servers. To avoid accidentally configuring these behaviors, follow the instructions in this section carefully.
To configure the Energy Saver control panel to dim the monitor or to cause the server to restart automatically after a power failure:
1 Open the Energy Saver control panel.
The Energy Saver control panel is in the Control Panels submenu in the Apple (K) menu.
An abbreviated form of the control panel appears.
2 In the Energy Saver control panel, click the Show Details button.
The full Energy Saver control panel appears.
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3 To dim the monitor when the keyboard is inactive for a period of time,
click the “Separate timing for display sleep” box so that an “X” appears.
If you configure the Energy Saver control panel to dim the monitor, you don’t need to use a screen saver. Complicated screen savers require a con­siderable amount of processing power, thereby reducing server performance.
4 Adjust the slider for the “Separate timing for display sleep” control to
the desired number of minutes.
5 If you want to configure the server so that it restarts automatically after
a power failure, choose Server Settings from the Preferences menu.
The following dialog box appears:
6 Click the box labeled “Restart automatically afte r a p ower failure” so that
an “X” appears .
7 Make sure that an “X” appears in the “Never put the hard disk to sleep”
box.
If the hard disk is put into sleep mode, the server cannot perform optimally.
8Click OK. 9 Make certain that the slider for the box labeled “Put the system to sleep
whenever it’s inactive for” is set to “Never.”
WARNING The slider for the box labeled “Put the system to
sleep wh eneve r it’ s inactive for” should alw ays be “Never.” If this control is set to any other value, the server will shut down or sleep when it is inactiv e f or the specified per i od of time a nd will not be avai lable for use by clients .
10 Close the Energy Saver control panel.
Your changes take effect immediately.
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2 Configuring Your Network Connection

Your Workgroup Server is preconfigured to connect to an AppleTalk network through its built-in Ethernet interface. In addition, your server automatically senses the type of connector (10BASE-T or AAUI) that connects to the network. Because of the way your server is preconfigured, most network administrators do not need to perform any additional network configuration tasks.
You need to read this chapter if you want to
m configure your server to use LocalTalk over one of the server’s serial
ports
m configure AppleTalk to use a network interface other than the built-in
Ethernet network interface
m configure your server to use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP)
Otherwise, you can proceed to Chapter 3.
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About Open Transport

Your Workgroup Server comes with Open Transport preinstalled. Open Transport is new networking and communications software for the Mac OS that supports industry standards. Open Transport allows your server to run AppleTalk applications over more than one network segment at the same time.
Open Transport includes separate control panels for AppleTalk and TCP/IP. You use the AppleTalk control panel to configure your connection to an AppleTalk network. You use the TCP/IP control panel to configure your connection to a TCP/IP network, an industry-standard protocol that allows computers of different types to communicate with each other. The AppleTalk control panel and the TCP/IP control panel replace the Network control panel and the MacTCP control panel, respectively, which were part of previous versions of Mac OS.
Both the AppleTalk control panel and the TCP/IP control panel have modes that limit the information that is displayed. The modes are “Basic,” “Advanced,” and “Administration.” The procedures in this chapter require you to use Administration mode so that you can see all of the information that can be configured in each control panel.

About the default port

Before Open Transport became available, AppleTalk applications could only work with one network interface at a time. With Open Transport, new AppleTalk applications that have been written for Open Transport can work simultaneously with more than one network interface (a technique known as multihoming). (The version of Open Transport that comes with your server supports multihoming for AppleTalk, but not for TCP/IP.)
Your Workgroup Server comes with several network interfaces: the built-in Ethernet interface, the modem port, and the printer port. You can also install additional network interface cards.
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All TCP/IP applications and those AppleTalk applications that are not able to use multihoming use the network interface that is configured as the default port. When you first start up the Workgroup Server, the built-in Ethernet interface is the default port.
The AppleTalk control panel sets the default port for AppleTalk applica­tions, and the TCP/IP control panel sets the default port for TCP/IP appli­cations. (Note that the default port for AppleTalk and TCP/IP can be different.) In both control panels, the “Connect via” pop-up menu sets the default port.
Whenever you want a non-multihoming networking application to work with a network interface other than the current default port, you need to make that network interface the default port. Both the AppleTalk and the TCP/IP control panels allow you to save and restore configurations (including the setting of the default port), which makes it easy to change and restore specific settings. For information about saving and restoring configurations, see “Working With Network Configurations” later in this chapter.

Configuring your AppleTalk network connection

When you first start up the server, its AppleTalk network connection is through the built-in Ethernet interface. If you want to change the default port for AppleTalk, use the AppleTalk control panel.
If your server connects to a network segment for which only one AppleTalk zone has been assigned, the AppleTalk control panel automatically selects that zone for you. (An AppleTalk zone is a logical grouping of nodes on a network segment.) If more than one AppleTalk zone is available on the network segment to which your server is connected, you can use the AppleTalk control panel to assign your server to an AppleTalk zone.
To use the AppleTalk control panel:
1 Open the AppleTalk control panel.
The AppleTalk control panel is in the Control Panels submenu in the Apple (K) menu.
The AppleTalk control panel opens.
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2 Choo se User Mode from the Ed it menu an d clic k t he Admini stration
button. Then click OK.
In Administration mode, the AppleTalk control panel looks like this:
In Administration mode, you can do the following:
m Lock certain settings by clicking the lock icon so that only a user with
access to Administration mode can change them.
m Click the Options button to turn AppleTalk on and off. (For information,
see “Turning Networking On and Off” later in this chapter.)
m Set a password for Administration mode. (For information, see “Setting a
Password” later in this chapter.)
For information about the other user modes, see “User Modes” later in this chapter.
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3 To change the default port, choose a new port from the “Connect via”
pop-up menu.
You can connect to an AppleTalk network through the printer port, the modem port, the built-in Ethernet interface, or any additional network interface cards installed in your server.
4 To choose the zone you want, choose a new zone from the “Current
zone” pop-up menu (if available).
5 Close the AppleTalk control panel. 6 If you have made configuration changes, an alert box asks if you want to
save changes. Click the Save button.
If you have changed the default port, the alert box also tells you that the change will interrupt any AppleTalk services that are established.
Your changes are saved as the default configuration and take effect immediately.
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Configuring your TCP/IP network connection

You use the TCP/IP control panel to specify the default port for TCP/IP as well as other information that TCP/IP requires. In particular, your server must have an Internet Protocol (IP) address. It may also need a subnet mask number, depending on the way TCP/IP is implemented on your network.
IMPORTANT If you have an Apple Internet Server, refer to the Getting Started
booklet that came in your Apple Internet Server Solution package for details about configuring your TCP/IP connection.
You can enter this information manually, or you can use a server on your network to provide this information automatically. The types of servers that can configure TCP/IP automatically are BootP (for Boot Protocol), RARP (for Reverse Address Resolution Protocol), DHCP (for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), and MacIP (for Macintosh Internet Protocol) servers.
Note: MacIP is both a type of server and a protocol for sending Internet­type packets of information over an AppleTalk network.
RARP and MacIP servers can provide an IP address only for your server. DHCP and BootP servers can provide an IP address for your server as well as the IP address of name servers that are present in your network.
To use the TCP/IP control panel:
1 Open the TCP/IP control panel.
The TCP/IP control panel is in the Control Panels submenu in the Apple (K) menu.
The TCP/IP control panel appears.
2 Choo se User Mode from the Ed it menu , and click the Administ ratio n
button. Then click OK.
In Administration mode, the TCP/IP control panel looks like this:
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If your network has a BootP, DHCP, RARP, or MacIP server, continue to the next section, “Configuring via a Server.” If you are configuring the TCP/IP control panel manually, see “Configuring TCP/IP Manually” later in this chapter.

Configuring via a server

The procedure for using a server varies depending on whether the server that you are going to use is a BootP, DHCP, RARP, or MacIP server. If you are going to use a BootP, DHCP, or RARP server, see “Configuring via a BootP, DHCP, or RARP Server” later in this chapter.
Configuring via a MacIP server
To configure TCP/IP using a MacIP server:
1 Choose AppleTalk (MacIP) from the “Connect via” pop-up menu.
2 Choose “Using MacIP Server” from the Configure pop-up menu.
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3 If you want to specify a MacIP server in a particular zone, click Select
Zone to choose the zone of the MacIP server you want to use. Otherwise, go to step 6.
4 In the dialog box that appears, choose the zone in which your MacIP
server is located.
Click here if the MacIP server is in the same zone as your Workgroup Server.
Click here to choose a different zone.
Click here to display only those zones that have MacIP servers. It may take a few moments for this box to become available because TCP/IP searches for MacIP servers in all zones first.
5 Click OK to close the dialog box. 6 Close the TCP/IP control panel.
Your TCP/IP configuration information is obtained from the MacIP server the next time you open a networking connection (for example, by opening a networking application, such as Netscape, Eudora, or NCSA Telnet).
If, after configuring your TCP/IP control panel, you see an error message such as “Unable to locate host” or “Could not create a socket,” your software is unable to reach the network. This indicates a problem in the TCP/IP configuration. For troubleshooting information, see Chapter 7.
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Configuring via a BootP, DHCP, or RARP server
To configure TCP/IP using a BootP, DHCP, or RARP server:
1 Choose Ethernet from the “Connect via” pop-up menu.
2 From the Configure pop-up menu, select the server type that is
appropriate for your network.
In this example, a BootP server is selected.
The next time you make a TCP/IP connection, an IP address will be assigned to the server. If you open the TCP/IP control panel, your assigned IP address will appear in the “IP Address” box.
If you close the TCP/IP connection and don’t make another connection for a period of time, the BootP or DHCP server may take back the IP address and assign it to another host. The next time you make a TCP/IP connection, the BootP or DHCP server will assign a different IP address.
BootP and DHCP servers can provide your IP address and the addresses of name servers that may be available on your network. RARP servers can provide your IP address only. You may have additional TCP/IP configura­tion information to enter (such as a subnet mask, the IP address of a router, or domain name information). Go to step 5 in the next section, “Configuring TCP/IP Manually.”
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Configuring TCP/IP manually

You must configure TCP/IP manually if your server connects to a network in which a BootP, DHCP, RARP, or MacIP server is not present, or if the server does not provide all the configuration information that you need to configure your Workgroup Server.
To configure TCP/IP manually:
1 Choose Ethernet from the “Connect via” pop-up menu.
2 If your network uses the IEEE 802.3 variant of the Ethernet standard,
click the Use 802.3 box to the right of the “Connect via” pop-up menu.
3 Choose Manually from the Configure pop-up menu.
4 Type your server’s IP address in the “IP Address” box.
An IP address is a set of four numbers from 0 to 255, separated by dots (for example, 140.140.54.2). It identifies your server on the network.
IMPORTANT Make sure you enter the correct IP address. Each IP address must be unique. Entering an incorrect address or the IP address that another computer uses can cause problems with your server and with the network.
5 If you have a subnet mask number, type it in the “Subnet mask” box.
Some organizations use a subnet mask number to increase the number of IP addresses that are available for their network. If your network uses a subnet mask, you must enter it for your server to work correctly on the network. Like an IP address, a subnet mask is a set of numbers from 0 to 255, separated by dots (for example, 255.255.255.252).
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6 If you have the IP address for a router, type it in the “Router address”
box.
A router is a device that directs information along the most efficient or appropriate network path. It connects two or more network cables, thereby allowing computers and other network devices on each cable to communicate with each other. The router maintains a table that contains the address of each device on each network. When a packet of information reaches the router, the router checks the destination address on the packet and sends it to the cable on which the destination device resides.
If you have a dial-up connection to the Internet using SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) or PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) software, you do not need to enter a router address.
7 If you have the IP address of a name server, type it in the “Name server
addr” box.
A name server is a computer that associates a computer’s name (called a host name) with an IP address. By associating names with IP addresses, users don’t have to remember IP addresses when they need to identify a particular computer. For example, an E-mail message can be addressed to “john@planetX” (if “planetX” is the host name of John’s computer) instead of “john@140.140.54.2” (if 140.140.54.2 is the IP address of John’s computer). Before the mail application sends the message, it asks the name server to find the IP address of “planetX.”
You can enter more than one name server address in the “Name server addr” box. (The first address that you enter becomes your default name server.) Press Return after each address. You can specify as many name servers as you want as long as you do not type more than 255 characters.
8 If you have created a hosts file and want to use it, click the Select Hosts
File button. (The Select Hosts File button appears only when the control panel is in Advanced or Administration mode.) Otherwise, go to step 9.
A dialog box appears that allows you to locate a hosts file that already exists. When you locate the hosts file that you want to use, select its name and click the Open button. A dialog box appears that asks you if you want to replace the current hosts file with the contents of the selected hosts file. Click the OK button.
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The hosts file contains a list of host names and associated IP addresses. The hosts file provides a subset of the functionality of a name server. Because maintaining the hosts file can become difficult in a network that has many hosts, you should use a name server if one is available. If you use a name server and a hosts file, the hosts file is checked before the name server.
For information about the format of the hosts file, see “Hosts File Format” later in this chapter.
9 If you want to take advantage of implicit domain searching, enter your
domain name information.
TCP/IP applications can automatically search for computers you identify by host name (for example, when you send mail to “john@planetX.com”). To configure information that makes the search possible, type your local domain name in the “Starting domain name” box and type your adminis­trative domain in the “Ending domain name” box.
The local domain is the name of your own local network domain. For example, if your server is named “server.mktng.east.xyzcorp.com,” your local domain name is “mktng.east.xyzcorp.com.” The administrative domain is the name of the larger domain that contains your local domain. It must match the end of the local domain. For example, if your local domain is “mktng.east.xyzcorp.com,” your administrative domain is “xyzcorp.com.”
The names you type in the two boxes define a range of domain names. When you use a host name, TCP/IP tries to resolve the name by appending each possible suffix in the range. For example, if your local domain is “mktng.east.xyzcorp.com” and your administrative domain is “xyzcorp.com,” and you specify that you want to search for a computer
named “eng,” TCP/IP will search for computers that have these names: eng.mktng.east.xyzcorp.com eng.east.xyzcorp.com eng.mktng.xyzcorp.com eng.xyzcorp.com
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