10.6 Server: How to get NFS disk serving working properly

10.6 Server: How to get NFS disk serving working properly: "You may be surprised to learn that if you follow the detailed 136 page instructions for setting up an NFS disk server that Apple provides for the OS X server machines, it won't actually work. The problem is the firewall. Unlike the non-server OS, which has an application firewall, the Server OS uses IPFW, which is port-based not application-based.



This means every service that takes inbound connections has to have fixed port range assignments so you can tell IPFW which port to open. NFS required the RPC deamon, and by default, RPC takes whatever ports are free at the moment and does not keep them fixed. You need to fix these to specific ports by hand because the GUI won't do it.



This can be confusing to diagnose because if you start NFS with the firewall down and then put it up, you find the server continues to work for about 30 minutes, bec...











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(Via MacOSXHints.com.)