Q: Mavericks Caching Server Doesn't Work

I have almost the same problem, Mac App is cached, but no iOS app is being cached. *****

Ok i managed to get mine working after having the same trouble with no apps at all caching.

So here's what happened.

Did a check on my host name in terminal

sudo changeip - checkhostname

My current Hostname was wrong, so change that to the correct name

scutil --set HostName (hostname of my server)

Then the DNS resolved correctly

Enabled DNS - Then make sure your hostname resolves to it's self

Enabled Software Update

Enabled Caching

Job done, iOS and Mac apps syncing.

I hope this helps everyone.

Incorrect, sir.  After extensive testing I've found that the Caching Server in OS X Mavericks Server does in fact cache iOS downloads.  I did a write up on my blog about caching server and iOS 7: http://www.yesdevnull.net/2013/10/caching-server-2-and-ios-7-confusion/

@yesdevnull - Great write-up. I just updated an app on my iPad, and it looks like it indeed did serve the app from the cache. Very cool. Though I swear I didn't see this behavior a few days ago, but oh well, glad it's working nicely now.

$ tail -F /Library/Server/Caching/Logs/Debug.log

2013/10/30 07:31:38:736  #2zzN6AOo1Xn4 ECResponse[0x7f90434454e0]: Request for http://a1694.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/014/Purple6/v4/fc/09/81/fc09818a-90f9-e6e 9-d8ac-5f4299e93d4d/mzps4601641637287501018.D2.pd.ipa

2013/10/30 07:31:38:738  #2zzN6AOo1Xn4 ECAssetHandler[0x7f90434865e0]: Asset http://a1694.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/014/Purple6/v4/fc/09/81/fc09818a-90f9-e6e 9-d8ac-5f4299e93d4d/mzps4601641637287501018.D2.pd.ipa, path /Library/Server/Caching/Data/1C6459B5-527E-4EAF-BDC9-3EDA98CB9FDA, cached length 7805062, MD5 <0448a7de 92562047 73de7191 17ecf267>, last-modified Wed, 30 Oct 2013 10:44:39 GMT, extents [0,7805062]

2013/10/30 07:31:38:738  #2zzN6AOo1Xn4 ECAssetRequestor[0x7f9043448fa0]: Data already cached for asset http://a1694.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/014/Purple6/v4/fc/09/81/fc09818a-90f9-e6e 9-d8ac-5f4299e93d4d/mzps4601641637287501018.D2.pd.ipa, issuing If-Modified-Since request

2013/10/30 07:31:38:874  #2zzN6AOo1Xn4 ECResponse[0x7f90434454e0]: Info loaded: response code = 304, file length = 7805062, reader = 0x7f904345dda0

2013/10/30 07:31:38:874  #2zzN6AOo1Xn4 ECAssetHandler[0x7f90434865e0]: Opened extent [0,7805062] for reading at offset 0 (offset into file = 0)

2013/10/30 07:31:38:874  #2zzN6AOo1Xn4 ECAssetRequestor[0x7f9043448fa0]: Connection closed by source at offset 0

2013/10/30 07:31:43:161  #2zzN6AOo1Xn4 7805062 bytes served, 7805062 from cache, 0 downloaded from origin, 0 from peers

2013/10/30 07:31:43:161  #2zzN6AOo1Xn4 ECCacheReader[0x7f904345dda0]: canceled at offset = 7805062

2013/10/30 07:31:43:162  #2zzN6AOo1Xn4 ECAssetHandler[0x7f90434865e0]: Removed reader 0x7f904345dda0 at 7805062/-1, readers [], requestors [], will cancel 0 requestors >= 0 for asset http://a1694.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/014/Purple6/v4/fc/09/81/fc09818a-90f9-e6e 9-d8ac-5f4299e93d4d/mzps4601641637287501018.D2.pd.ipa

2013/10/30 07:31:43:162  Totals: 15.16 GB returned to clients, 6.15 GB requested from servers (6.15 GB from origin, 0 bytes from peers)

Once OS X Server DNS is passing the sudo changeip -checkhostname test, next confirm that your clients are referencing your OS X Server for DNS.   If not, then configure your DNS server for your LAN via your local DHCP server settings, or (less likely) via static IP settings in the clients.

Also: do not use the .local domain as your DNS domain.

OK...  Give the configuration a day or two to get rolling, too; some folks have reported a delay before the Caching Server seems to figure out its network, and commences its caching.

@t.pawelek: Just to clarify, the article was purely to confirm that iOS 7 downloads do get cached by Caching Server 2 (as some people have been saying that it doesn't).  It wasn't meant to be a troubleshooting article.

Lets go ahead and say your DNS setup is good.

Do you have a class C subnet? Anything bigger wont work as the devices consider a Class B or higher subnet to be external, even if it is not. You can multihome if this is the case.

Just to clarify something for my own setup.  I have my isp's router connected to the outside world.  It is serving DHCP to my Time Capsule. Time Capsule is serving DHCP to everything on my network, including a reserved ip for my server (Mavericks).  Should I need anything more than to turn on caching for it to work, or do I need DNS on the server running.  My Caching sits at 597 Mb Mac apps and nothing else.  I have tried many different app installs on Macs and ios's.  The server has been up for 5 days now.  Also:

mac-server:com.apple.launchd dcosh$ sudo changeip -checkhostname

Password:

Primary address     = 10.0.1.50

Current HostName    = server.local

The DNS hostname is not available, please repair DNS and re-run this tool.

dirserv:success = "success"

fieldgeek wrote:

 

mac-server:com.apple.launchd dcosh$ sudo changeip -checkhostname

Password:

 

Primary address     = 10.0.1.50

 

Current HostName    = server.local

 

The DNS hostname is not available, please repair DNS and re-run this tool.

Time Capsule does not contain a DNS server.

ISP DNS services will not work here, as you're on a NAT'd network.

You'll want to ensure there's only one NAT device here; either your ISP gateway device, or your Time Capsule.    Having so-called double NAT — two devices in sequence between your computer and the Internet, and each performing NAT — tends to cause network problems, too.  (Caching Server does try to verify external addresses, and it wouldn't surprise me to learn that double NAT might confuse it.)

You're also using a top-level domain (.local) that's not yours to use for DNS — that top-level domain is reserved to Bonjour.   Trying to mix Bonjour and local DNS is something the Apple network engineers have recommended against.

In addition to ensuring only one layer of NAT at most, also set up unicast DNS preferably using a domain name you've registered, and start local DNS services on your network.  Here's a very detailed write-up on how to set up DNS on OS X Server.

Thanks for the quick response.  So I tried setting time capsule on a DMZ with my isp's router, but it still complained of double nat.  I guess it isn't going to be that easy.  I know I can set up time capsule into bridge mode to solve this part way.  My ISP's router is pretty locked down, I don't have access to the DHCP settings, I can't even turn it off and I know it would be cleanest for server to provide DHCP.  Will portforwarding on the router to server for DNS be enough or will I have to manualy insert it in each machine's DNS list?

Thanks

Who is your ISP? you should have the ability to forward your public IP to the time capsule.