Unable to connect to Server 3 from remote machine

Question

Unable to connect to Server 3 from remote machine

I've got a Mac Mini running OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) and Server 3. On the local machine I Server connects just fine and I have enabled remote Server connections as well as SSH and remote management in the Server settings.

If I attempt to connect from a remote instance of Server 3 I get the "head shake" – however I can connect to another server (running 10.8.5) and I can connect to the Mavericks server with ARD and ssh (using the same account that I'm using with Server).

I'm stumped on this one. I haven't found anything in the logs that seem relevant. Any ideas on what to look at next or where to look for clues?

MacBook Pro (15-inch 2.4/2.2 GHz), OS X Mavericks (10.9), Server 3

Posted on Nov 20, 2013 9:10 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 20, 2013 10:51 PM in response to Douglas Urner

It's not uncommon for the Server app to just do the four-year-old "no!" thing, I've had that issue before, but I've been through so many updates for Server (Mavericks beta releases), I don't think it's an issue anymore...

You might try reinstalling the Server App, you'll lose all your settings and such, but give it a go if you wish- delete the Server App from Applications, and delete the Server folder in /Library/Server, empty the trash and redownload the app.

I know this is far from the answer you were hoping for, but I don't think anyone else will chime in...

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Nov 20, 2013 11:56 PM in response to Douglas Urner

Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.

Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left. If you don't see that menu, select

View ▹ Show Log List

from the menu bar.

Click the Clear Display icon in the toolbar. Then try the action that you're having trouble with again. Select any messages that appear in the Console window. Copy them to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message (command-V).

When posting a log extract, be selective. In most cases, a few dozen lines are more than enough.

Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.

Important: Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

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Answer 3

Nov 21, 2013 1:34 PM in response to Douglas Urner

I had the same issue. It seems the upgrade turns off the remote administration option.

Open the server application on your server.

In the left panel, select your server name (should be the topmost entry).

Choose the "settings" panel.

Make sure "Allow remote administration using Server" is selected.

Let us know if that solves your problem.

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Answer 4

Nov 21, 2013 8:03 PM in response to Linc Davis

Thanks for the tip about clearing the display in console, that's a good one.

My previous attempts to connect to the server have been local (same network segment), I just attempted a connection over the district VPN (not Apple's VPN). I was able to connect. Very odd. The only things that I can think of that were different are:

The server was not visible in the list of machines to manage in Server.app (perhaps because I'm connecting over the VPN and not on the local network).
I connected using an IP address rather than the hostname.
The server's certificate wasn't recognized and I was asked to accept it again.

Some of this makes me think that I somehow got the local copy of the Server.app to "forget" about the server and that that somehow cleared things up.

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Answer 5

Nov 21, 2013 8:07 PM in response to Michael Fryd

Michael Fryd wrote:

I had the same issue. It seems the upgrade turns off the remote administration option.

.

.

.

Make sure "Allow remote administration using Server" is selected.

Let us know if that solves your problem.

Thanks, I'd been burned by that one before too, so I'd already checked that. Sorry if I wasn't clear about it in the original post.

For now the problem has mysteriously left – I'm thinking that it might have to do with not "seeing" the server since I'm connecting over the district VPN and that somehow that lead to Server.app setting up a new instance of the connection. Anyway it is working now and I can't say anything useful about why. It will be interesting to see if it works at school tomorrow.

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Answer 6

Nov 28, 2013 9:28 AM in response to Douglas Urner

I investigated this further.

Lo and behold, I can remote in just fine if connected to VPN (I'm using Server's VPN), but not if I'm on the same WiFi network....

Perhaps file a bug report with Apple, I'll do the same, hopefully they'll fix it in the next update, I usually VPN in anyway so it's not a huge deal, as long as I can get in *somehow*.

EDIT: I had another thought... It's possible the port for remote administration is being blocked. This would explain why you can see the Mac server, but cannot actually connect to it via Server app.

I enabled port forwarding for ALL ports on my router, and pointed them to the IP of the server, and now I can remote in locally or through VPN... or without VPN!

Since the Server 3 release, I've been having difficulty with forwarding the correct ports, specifically for VPN, and so in order to test the VPN theory from you, I had to forward all ports (that's the only way I've been able to VPN in), but didn't realize that could very well have also opened the port for remote admin for Server.

According to Apple's website (http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1629), there is a special port for remote administration of the Server app, however I am forwarding it and have been (it's TCP 311)... Perhaps Apple changed the ports (or screwed them up in the code) and didn't change their kb article to reflect it...

In any event, it seems that forwarding all ports (not exactly smart, I know) will solve the issue. Give it a go, let me know if it works for you!

Message was edited by: jaygatsby1123

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