Mac OS X Server v10.5, v10.6: How to cascade Software Update Servers from a central Software Update Server

Important: Do not use these instructions on your central Software Update server.  The central Software Update server will continue to point to the Apple Software Update servers.

To accomplish this, edit a .plist file on the servers that will be connected to the central one.

1. Navigate to this location: /etc/swupd/swupd.plist . You may wish to make a back up copy of this file first.

Note: The plist file looks like this by default:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN""http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>PurgeUnused</key>
<true/>
<key>autoEnable</key>
<false/>
<key>autoMirror</key>
<true/>
<key>autoMirrorOnlyNew</key>
<true/>
<key>limitBandwidth</key>
<false/>
<key>metaIndexURL</key>
<string>http://swscan.apple.com/content/meta/mirror-config-1.plist</string>
<key>portToUse</key>
<integer>8088</integer>
<key>valueBandwidth</key>
<integer>0</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

2. Change the metaIndexURL key from this:
   
   <key>metaIndexURL</key>
   <string>http://swscan.apple.com/content/meta/mirror-config-1.plist</string>
   
   ... to this:
   
   <key>metaIndexURL</key>
   <string>http://myhost.example.com:8088/catalogs.sucatalog</string>
   
   Where "myhost.example.com" will be replaced by the URL of the central Software Update server at your site. The above edit assumes that you have not changed the port from the default 8088.
    
3. Stop and restart the Software Update Service.

Alternative steps via Terminal

Alternatively, you can follow these steps on each server that will point to the central server:

1. Open Terminal and execute this command to back up the existing plist file:
   
   sudo cp /etc/swupd/swupd.plist /etc/swupd/swupd.plist.bak
   
   
2. Execute this command to change the plist file--be sure to include all punctuation and enter the command on a single line:
   
   

   sudo /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c 'set metaIndexURL http://swupdate.example.com:8088/catalogs.sucatalog' /etc/swupd/swupd.plist

3. Replace the above example URL with the URL of the server you want to be the main Software Update Server.
4. Stop and restart the Software Update Service.