Server Admin 10.4 Help

Changing the Server's Windows Computer Name

Using Server Admin, you can change the computer name by which Mac OS X Server is known in a Windows domain or workgroup. If the server is the primary domain controller (PDC), a backup domain controller (BDC), or a Windows domain member, the computer name is the server's NetBIOS name in the domain. If the server provides standalone Windows services, the computer name is the server's NetBIOS name in the workgroup. Windows users see this name when they connect to the server.

1. In Server Admin's Computers & Services list, select Windows for the server whose Windows computer name you want to change.
2. Click Settings (near the bottom of the window), then click General (near the top).
3. Enter the computer name, then click Save.

   The name should contain no more than 15 characters, no special characters, and no punctuation. If practical, make the server name match its unqualified DNS host name. For example, if your DNS server has an entry for your server as "server.example.com," give your server the name "server."

4. If the server is the PDC, a BDC, or a Windows domain member, you must authenticate by entering the name and password of a user account that can administer the PDC's LDAP directory (not a local directory administrator).

   Since workgroups are ad hoc, you do not have to authenticate as an administrator to change the computer name of a server that provides only standalone Windows services.

You can also change the server name using the 'serveradmin' command in Terminal. For more information, see the file services chapter of the command-line administration guide.