MDS Web Service Clashing with macOS Server Profile Manager

MDS
1

I have an issue with the MDS Web Service Clashing with macOS Server Profile Manager and its management web interface.

Brand new Apple Mac Mini 2018 running macOS 10.15.7 (19H15) clean install

  • Installed macOS Server 5.10
  • Standard configuration of Profile Manager ready for use, management web interface working
  • MDS version 3 install following the twocanoe YouTube video up to the point where the Munki, Munkireport and Web Service are started

I noticed that in MDS under Web Service if I try to launch the web pages for Munki or Munkireport they fail to load.

If under MDS Web Service I untick ‘active’ against the Munk Repo and Munkireport then turn off the Web Service and close MDS, go to Profile Manager and stop the service and then go back to MDS, start the Web Service and tick ‘active’ against the Munk Repo and Munkireport I can then successfully load their web pages.

However having got the Munk Repo and Munkireport web pages to now load, if I start the Profile Manager service and try to open the management web page it fails to load.

I have checked and Apple say Profile Manager uses ports 80 and 443 and according to the info under the MDS Web Service for the Munk Repo and Munkireport web pages it is using ports 4443 and 8881.

I want to use MDS for imaging/packages but using the created profiles enrol into Profile Manager to use configuration profiles.

I believe my colleague did a similar setup a little while ago but with MDS version 2 and had no issues.

Please help

1 Like
2

I’m a new user and having the same issue, did you manage to find a solution?

3

Hi Jonathan,

I have had a response from twocanoes who have replicated the issue and have given me a fix however I am currently carrying out some testing as I am not sure the fix is stable, such as after a reboot the issue re-presents itself and looks like a stopping and starting of services in a certain order is needed.

I will be giving feedback back to twocanoes asap to see what they say.

1 Like
4

Awesome thanks for your response.

5

Hi Jonathan,

I was given a fix, see Wiki macOS / MDS Fix

Essentially edit the file httpd.conf that lives under /etc/apache2/ and at the top of the file add the line:

Define SERVER_APP_HAS_DEFAULT_PORTS 1

Then stop and restart all the MDS Web Services (inc munki repo and Munkireport)

It is a fix however if you reboot it breaks again… which I then found you have to stop Profile Manager, stop all the MDS web services as above, then start Profile Manager and then start all MDS web services… then both the Profile Manager and MDS web pages load.

I have given this feedback back to twocanoes to see what they say.

1 Like
6

Brilliant, thanks for sharing this, I look forward to any other updates you have. We have included the .mobileconfig in our deployment and obviously this can’t run without both of the services running at the same time, which I’m guessing is the same issue you are experiencing?

7

Morning awmagness,

We have just applied the setting and rebooted the server and everything worked as expected and stayed working.

Have you made the changes using terminal with the sudo nano command and then ensured you save the file afterwards?

Kind regards,

Jonny

8

Hi Jonny,

That’s exactly how I added the line.

Be interested to know at what point you added the line, was it after both macOS Server and MDS was installed?

Do you have a screenshot of what you added in case I made a mistake?

Thanks.
Ady

9

My colleague says “it was above the first IfDefine thats after all the #### out areas”

I’l grab you a screenshot asap.

Kind regards,
Jonny

10

Hi Jonny,

Happy New Year.

Did you manage to grab a screenshot?

Many thanks.
Ady