This article contains the Read Me for the Macintosh Server G3 based on the Blue and White Power Macintosh G3.

Important Information for Your Macintosh Server G3

This document provides information about your Macintosh Server G3 that supplements the information in the manual Setting Up Your Power Mac G3 and the Troubleshooting Handbook. Read this document for information about issues discovered after the manuals were completed and possible solutions. For up-to-date news and compatibility information, please see the Hot News Headlines on the Apple Support web site: http://www.apple.com/support

Contents

• Macintosh Server G3 Custom Mac OS Information
• Macintosh Server G3 Bundled Apple and Third-Party Software Version Information
• AppleShare IP Web & File Update 1
• Software License Info
• Late Breaking Issues and Known Problems
  - Starting up from SoftRAID Formatted Volumes
  - Using striped SCSI disks
  - SoftRAID and Drive Setup
  - SoftRAID Striped Disks and Virtual Memory
  - Disk Drives Compatible with SoftRAID
  - Unavailable Ethernet Port
  - Duplicate AppleShare IP Web and File Serial Number
  - AppleShare IP 6.1 Installer Partition Size Limit
  - Virtual Memory Limitations
  - Loss of Ethernet after Installing New Software
  - Loss of Open Transport Networking after Installing New Software
  - Headless Server Support
  - Mac OS Extended Format
  - Date and Time Handling in Mac OS Extended Format
  - Disk Recovery Utilities and Mac OS 8.5
  - Installing Acrobat Reader Software from the System Software CD

Your server comes with Mac OS 8.5.1, tuned for the Macintosh Server G3 with the addition of software extensions that enhance the performance of your server:

• Macintosh Server G3 Bundled Apple and Third-Party Software Information
• Mac OS 8.5.1 for the Macintosh Server G3
• AppleShare IP 6.1
• Network Assistant 3.5
• SoftRAID 2.1.5

AppleShare IP Web & File Update 1 is an extension that protects AppleShare IP Web & File servers (versions 6.0 and 6.1) from the denial-of-service attack known as Winnuke. This patch protects all services in the Web & File server. Such attacks are most common on Windows file sharing.

The likelihood of experiencing a Winnuke attack is small - it requires a deliberate malicious action, and the attacker has to have some knowledge of your system.

Background on the Winnuke Attack

A Winnuke attack is a malicious attempt to crash a server by sending it data that it cannot handle. Specifically, a high-priority message (also called an "out of band message") is sent over TCP/IP to the Windows file sharing port. Since priority messages are not a normal part of the Windows file sharing protocol (SMB), there is no established way to handle such messages, and the server considers this to be a fatal error.

This update instructs the server ignore all out of band messages. This does not affect the server's ordinary operation.

The AppleShare IP Web & File Update 1 Extension is installed in the System Folder of the Macintosh Server G3.

Software License Info

The version of AppleShare IP 6.1 included with your server has an unlimited user license. The AppleShare IP 6.1 license agreement allows you to install and use the server software (or the individual components thereof) on a single computer. This agreement allows you to install the individual server programs on different computers; it does not allow you to install the same server software on more than one computer at a time. To install the server software on more than one computer, you need to purchase additional copies of the software. For more information, see the license agreement that appears when you install the AppleShare IP 6.1 software.

Network Assistant 3.5 has a license for 10 computers, whether clients or servers.

The license for Mac OS 8.5 and SoftRAID is for one machine.

Late-Breaking Issues and Known Problems

Starting Up from SoftRAID Formatted Volumes

When you create HFS or mirrored volumes on your server using SoftRAID, only the first partition can be used as the startup volume. (You set the startup volume in the Startup Disk control panel.) You can determine the first partition using the SoftRAID application.

Using striped SCSI disks

You cannot start up your Power Macintosh G3 from a striped volume, only from HFS and mirrored volumes.

SoftRAID and Drive Setup

After installing SoftRAID drivers onto your disk drives and creating volumes, you should restart your computer to remove the Drive Setup drivers. Otherwise a situation could occur in which a volume seems to be mounted twice.

SoftRAID Striped Disks and Virtual Memory

The Macintosh Server G3 has a limit for the minimum stripe unit block size when Virtual Memory is enabled. This limit is 8 blocks. Setting the stripe unit block size below 8 blocks with Virtual Memory ON will cause the machine to freeze. If you need to run with a stripe unit size of less than 8 blocks, turn off Virtual Memory.

Disk Drives Compatible with SoftRAID

For information about disk drives that are compatible with SoftRAID, check the Apple Support web site: http://www.apple.com/support You can contact SoftRAID at: http://www.softraid.com/

Unavailable Ethernet Port

If AppleTalk is configured to use an Ethernet port that's no longer available (for example, if an extension needed by a PCI networking card is disabled), you will see a message that the system will use the built-in LocalTalk port. However, the Macintosh Server G3 does not have a LocalTalk port, so AppleTalk is turned off in this situation. If you open the AppleTalk control panel, this message appears: "Ethernet slot J9 is no longer available. Ethernet has been selected instead." You will then see another message asking whether to turn on AppleTalk.

Duplicate AppleShare IP Web and File Serial Number

It is not possible to use a single serial number to run AppleShare IP Web and File services on two servers. If this situation occurs, this message appears: "AppleShare Web & File server needs your attention. Please select it from the application menu." The number 3003 appears in the lower left corner. The server software may crash in this situation.

AppleShare IP 6.1 Installer Partition Size Limit

ASIP 6.1 Installer does not work with partitions of 21,504MB or larger.

Virtual Memory Limitations

Your Macintosh Server G3 ships with virtual memory turned off. You should make sure virtual memory is turned off when using RAID software, including SoftRAID. You can run AppleShare IP with a light to moderate load with virtual memory turned on, but for the best performance and stability, you should keep virtual memory turned off, especially when your server is handling a large number of connections. For increased stability in heavy load conditions, install additional memory.

Loss of Ethernet after Installing New Software

Some software installers may replace certain extensions, such as the "Ethernet (built-in)" extension, with older versions that are not compatible with the Macintosh Server G3. If Ethernet is unavailable after installing software, make sure that the "Ethernet (built-in)" extension is version 2.2 or later. If not, reinstall system software using the system software CD that came with your server.

Loss of Open Transport Networking after Installing New Software

The Macintosh Server G3 ships with Mac OS 8.5, which contains version 2.0.2 of Open Transport. Some network software installers may replace this version with an older version that is not compatible with the Macintosh Server G3. If networking is unavailable after installing software, make sure that Open Transport is version 2.0.2 or later. If not, reinstall system software using the system software CD that came with your server.

Headless Server Support

The Macintosh Server G3 can be configured to function without a monitor attached. The provided video adapter must be installed.

Mac OS Extended Format

Macintosh Server G3 hard disk drives are set up with Mac OS Extended format (HFS+). Mac OS Extended format optimizes the storage capacity of large disk drives by reducing the minimum size of a single file. For more information, see the document About Mac OS Extended Format in the Mac OS Read Me Files folder.

Mac OS 8.5 also supports hard drives with Mac OS Standard format. To find out the format of a drive, select the drive and choose Get Info from the File menu.

Date and Time Handling in Mac OS Extended Format

When you change time zones in the Date & Time control Panel, the creation and modification times of files on a Mac OS Extended format volume change. If you change the time using the clock, the times do not change. Times on Mac OS Standard format volumes don't change.

Mac OS Extended format stores files' creation and modification times in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and stores the offset from GMT in Parameter RAM (PRAM). The system adds the offset to the GMT to determine a file's creation or modification time.

Aliases may not work properly when you change Daylight Saving Time or time zone. Incremental backups also may not work, since every file appears to have been modified.

Disk Recovery Utilities and Mac OS 8.5

Many older versions of disk recovery utilities are not compatible with Mac OS 8.5. Make sure you have recent versions of disk recovery utilities that are compatible with Mac OS 8.5 and Mac OS Extended format.

Installing Acrobat Reader Software from the System Software CD

To install Acrobat Reader software on your server, make sure that Server HD is selected as the startup disk. Then insert the Server System Software CD into your CD-ROM drive. Open the Adobe Software folder on the CD. Open the Acrobat Reader 3.0 folder on the CD and follow the installation instructions. See the onscreen help for instructions on how to change the startup disk.

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