Binding Macs to Open Directory as opposed to an OD Server?

[Zoom7000]

In our current setup we have about 40 iMacs bound to an OD and our AD. We bind them to AD for login credential passing and to OD for Workgroup Manager settings and other bits and bobs including DeployStudio.

We recently had an issue where our Xserve had a hard disk failure. To keep everyone going I had a OSX Server VM running on my desk iMac not doing much. So, I set up everything on there and had to rebind the iMacs on to the new OD server for everyone to work again. Once we got the Xserve working again, we had to rebind the iMacs back to the Xserve.

To avoid the same situation happening again, I'd like to have 2 OSX Servers controlling our Open Directory "Domain" in case 1 or the other goes down, but not have to rebind all the iMacs from one OD server to the next. So I'd like to know if there is a way to bind the iMacs to the OD "Domain" as opposed to a single OD server.

 

[calderone]

http://images.apple.com/server/macosx/docs/Open_Directory_Admin_v10.6.pdf

Read the section on Replication.

Essentially you have a Master and then Replicas of the Master.

 

[osxman1970]

Hi Zoom,

I'm in the exact situation as you. Did you manage to find a solution?

Cheers

 

[Les Kern]

Since it needs DNS to operate and since you cannot have two machines with the same IP and domain name, and since you would have to change the settings to get to the replica (this is used primarily for load balancing) why not consider one of my simple and cheap alternatives?
My master does only authentication, so the disk is not exactly full of data. But gee, if it dies I am screwed as it has about 3,000 users and their passwords.
I take multiple internal and external drives and CCC them daily. Even if that server is broken or stolen or the drive goes bad, I would clone back to the fixed machine or clone to a different one or reboot to the other internal drive.
I mean, it costs 80 bucks for a drive. Most times simple is better than "cool". I am learning that the older I get.

 

[osxman1970]

Thanks for your reply. I do use CC already as I'm terrified of losing any config or data.
This is what i want to achieve:

set up another osx server with different name and ip so DNS isnt an issue. I am not sure whether this should be another OD master or replica to the first osx server.

I want to somehow copy WGM group and machine preferences from first osx server to the second. and ideally an afp sharepoint.

we have 2 sites joined via a leased line. I want to put this new osx server at site 2 and bind site 2 macs to it.

currently site 2 macs are bound to site 1 osx server. a couple of weeks ago the lease line went down and site 2 macs lost all WGM policies and AFP share points. they were able to login because there is a 2008 DC at both sites which replicates. all macs use ad credentials to log in.

hope this makes sense.

TIA