Upgrade to Xsan 5

September 1, 2018 SAN Management Apple Server, Apple Xsan 2

Learn how to upgrade your Xsan to macOS Sierra from OS X Yosemite or OS X El Capitan.
This article has been archived and is no longer updated by Apple.
Before you start, make sure that you have a current, functioning, restorable backup of:
  • Each computer
  • The data on each storage area network (SAN) volume
You can use Time Machine to make a restorable backup of the computers. To back up the SAN volume data, use other large-capacity storage media.
When the backup process is complete, use Server app to unmount and stop all Xsan volumes. When you stop the Xsan volumes, the Xsan clients unmount.
If you have any StorNext clients, manually unmount the SAN volumes on each StorNext client before you stop the Xsan volumes.
 Make sure to follow the steps listed below in the order listed in this article, without skipping any sections.

Upgrade to macOS Sierra on the primary metadata controller (MDC)

  1. Search the App Store for macOS Sierra, or go directly to the macOS Sierra page.
  2. On the macOS Sierra page, click the Download button. A file named Install macOS Sierra downloads to your Applications folder and opens automatically.
  3. Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.

Install macOS Server on the primary MDC

In the App Store, click Updates in the toolbar. Then click Update to install macOS Server 5.2.

Upgrade the primary MDC to Xsan 5

  1. Open Server app and let it update your existing service configuration.
  2. In the list of advanced services, choose Xsan.
  3. Turn on the service.
  4. Choose “Restore a previous SAN configuration,” then click Next.
When the process completes, all volumes are offline and report a “Needs Upgrade” status.

Upgrade all the remaining metadata controllers

  1. Upgrade all the remaining controllers to macOS Sierra.
  2. Install macOS Server on all the remaining controllers.
  3. Upgrade all the remaining controllers to Xsan 5.

Upgrade each Xsan volume to Xsan 5

  1. Click the first Xsan volume, click the gear icon, then choose Upgrade Volume. This message appears:
    The volume “VolumeName” needs to be upgraded to Xsan 5.
    Upgrading this volume may take several minutes. This operation cannot be undone.
  2. Click Upgrade.
This runs a cvfsck check of the volume. The operation continues only if there are issues that cvfsck can’t resolve. While cvfsck runs, the volume status shows as “In-progress.” When cvfsck completes, the volume activates and its metadata upgrades to Xsan 5.
Repeat this procedure for each Xsan volume.

Upgrade the SAN clients

Now that all of your SAN controllers run Xsan 5, you can upgrade the SAN clients. To use Xsan 5, update the clients to macOS Sierra. Give them a configuration profile that’s generated by, and specific to, the SAN.

Install your configuration profile

  1. Use the updates in the App Store to update the clients to macOS Sierra.
  2. On one of your upgraded MDCs, open the Server app. In the list of advanced services, choose Save Configuration Profile and save the file.
  3. Distribute the configuration profile to the clients. To do this, you can:
    • Use file sharing to put the configuration profile on the client.
    • Use a USB flash drive to copy the profile to the client.
    • Email the profile to the user of the client computer.
    • Use AirDrop to copy the profile to the client.
To install the profile on each client, double-click the profile, or use the Profiles pane of System Preferences.

  1. Hi all, I’m going to write up an article here about the below, as it relates to upgrading to macOS Majove for the server and clients in an Xsan network – I have come across a change to the way networking is handled.

    Typically, according to Apple’s Xsan KB, you should have two networks on the MDC and clients – a public network and a private network. Basically, the public network is the main corporate network that the rest of the organisation shares, has various devices, like printers, servers, workstations, and the internet is also available on this network.

    The private network is reserved purely for the Xsan meta traffic and is without interruption from other network traffic, no Internet, etc.

    In the System Preferences > Network, ideally, according to Apple best practices, the order of networks it set as such that the private network has the highest order of preference, with the public network below it. And this works fine for El Capitan, Sierra, etc.

    My recent findings when performing an upgrade for a client of mine to Mojave, is that the order of these networks may have to change. The client workstations were upgraded to Mojave rather than fresh installed, well initially anyway, one of them started crashing a lot and not booting properly. This workstation ended up getting wiped and reinstalled fresh with Mojave, all the apps, etc.

    Everything was going great with this reinstalled until it came time to install the Xsan configuration profile – kept getting error: CPDomainPlugin:101

    I personally hate this error – cringe every time I see it, and its usually, for me, caused by DNS issues.
    So I spent ages reviewing DNS, tweaking DNS, tried host file entries, the works!

    The connection eventually went through when I read a comment on the MacAdmins Slack #xsan group (a great resource to join), from a poster on there who stated that the Public network needs to be at the top, then followed by the private network.

    I read that and thought to myself, surely not, but I tried it and it worked!

    So maybe with Mojave there’s a change to the way the meta networking works, and the order must be reversed, I’m not sure, but something to look out for.

    I’m going to document my recent adventure to upgrading this client’s Xsan network from Yosemite / El Capitan through to Mojave as it was an interesting method… It will get posted on my personal blog in the near future.

  2. I ran into the dreaded CPDomainPlugin: error 101 as well. I found that profile manager is required and followed these steps to get the config profile installed successfully on new xsan clients.

    https://support.apple.com/guide/server/configure-san-clients-apdbea84594c/mac

    In Profile Manager, create a Device Group for the SAN clients.
    Enroll at least one of the Xsan controllers in Device Management of Profile Manager.
    This enrollment is required even if Profile Manager is running on one of the Xsan metadata controllers. All controllers must be enrolled in Device Management of the same Profile Manager.
    Enroll each SAN client into Device Management of Profile Manager, and add them to the SAN client Device Group.
    Apple recommends all SAN clients be in the same Device Group, and that the group be the only Device Group which contains the Xsan payload for this SAN. This centralizes SAN membership control within Profile Manager, and reduces future confusion and future administrative overhead.

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