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We use this emac version 10.4.11 as the server for a website. Its software update requires restart of the computer. Will the server be down then when its doing software update and restarting? Do I need to do anything like setting up the server again after restarting? I am just afraid that the server cannot connect after I restart the computer. Do you guys have any ideas? Thank you so much!!

Vivian Wen
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It needs to restart after applying kernel updates. This WILL bring down the server, but it should start back up, assuming there are no issues with the updates themselves. Otherwise, it'll be just like a normal restart.

Also consider that you don't need to update, and that you should do so only if there are beneficial fixes or enhancements that apply to you. If you're this worried (or inexperienced) with server maintenance, perhaps its better to seek the help of someone with access to the server itself; i.e., the system admins if this server is rented from a coop or is a business server.

Good luck!

Andrew M.
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  • Yes, your server will be down during the Software Update process

    • Assuming you're using the built-in "Web sharing" (desktop OS) or the "Web" service (server OS) the site should come right back up. NOTE: if you are using some other application to act as your web server, then you may need to re-start the program after reboot

    • 10.4.11 and eMacs are by most standards "old" technology. Be sure you have a backup before installing any updates, and consider upgrading to something newer (a Mac Mini would be a good low-end replacement for you).

omicron
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  • Thank you for your answer. How can I know if this computer is using other application to act as the web server~~? On the Dock, the only thing opened is CocoaMySQL. This mac is a mac OS X Server itself, so should I assume this is using a built-in service? Thanks! – Vivian Wen Dec 01 '10 at 23:23
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If the Software Update packages being applied affect the Web service (usually Mac OS X Server updates & security updates), yes, I'd expect the Web service to be unavailable during the installation & restart steps, but up during the download step. Mac OS X Server should restore the state of the Web service to "Running" upon a reboot if it had to stop it to perform a software update.

All this said, I personally prefer to stop as many running services as possible and back them all up (preferably with a bootable backup to an external hard drive) prior to performing Mac OS X Server software updates (esp. OS & security updates) as I've had some updates fail during the install process, leaving the server down until I could restore from the backup. I suggest scheduling such backups & updates for a day of week & time of day which will have the least negative impact on the web site.

Good options for full, bootable backups are SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner. One can also back up individual services (such as the Web service) manually or with various scripts.

morgant
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