After the longest wait in the history of Mac OS X, Leopard has finally arrived!
In years past we’ve done one monster article covering all of the new bits in server. Every year, as OS X Server got bigger, the article got harder and harder to do. At the same time, as OS X Server got better and better, we’ve had less and less time to do the monster article since we’ve all been snowed in at our day jobs as more and more people have implemented OS X Server.
So, to celebrate the release of Leopard Server we’ve broken up the monster article into a series of them covering the gamut from installation to administration and printing to Podcast Producer. Read on for our first part of this series on what “style” of server to pick.
Overall we’ve got to say we’re quite impressed with Leopard Server. In particular the renewed focus on it being a server for the little people. There was much nashing of teeth when the original OS X Server came out that the carefree days of AppleShare IP were over and Mac admins were going to have to put on their big admin undies and learn Unix.
OS X Server struggled with being all things to all people. Attempting to be a big-iron Unix server at the same time as supporting a 15-person graphic design shop without an IT department is a hard task, and one that was not always carried off with great distinction.
To that end server now has the Server Preferences application which distills much of the management operations into a few simple tasks. It keeps you into a clearly defined area that allows you to utilize a lot of the functionality while keeping the buttons and boxes to a bare minimum. Perfect for the part-time admin or the full-time something else that still has to run a server.
This is a marked change from earlier versions of server, and the installation method has changed to support this.
One Server becomes three servers
When installing Leopard Server for the first time you’ll be presented with the option of three different “styles”:
Standard
Workgroup
Advanced
Each choice has advantages and disadvantages, along with some assumptions and pre-requisites about the existing infrastructure. Let’s break down each option so you know which one is the right choice for your environment.
Services Available By Default
Standard
File, Mail, Backup, Calendar, Web, Instant Messaging, Remote Access (VPN)
Workgroup
File, Backup, Calendar, Web, Instant Messaging
Advanced
File, Mail, Backup, Calendar, Web, Instant Messaging, Remote Access (VPN), Podcasting, Clustering, Management, Networking, Directory Services, System Imaging
Assumptions
Standard
The first (or only) server in a small organization, all services setup automatically, all client machines, when bound to the server will be setup automatically.
Workgroup
Uses existing user accounts (requires existing Directory service and DNS server), all client machines, when bound to the server will be setup automatically. The server is going into an environment with other servers and services already in place and running.
Advanced
No assumptions on, or prerequisites for, existing infrastructure. Manage and control multiple servers, thousands of users, groups and computers, setup network home folders and mobile users, save setup details for automated configuration of multiple servers, upgrade existing servers (it is not possible to upgrade an Tiger server to a Leopard Standard or Workgroup Server)
Management done through:
Standard
Server preferences for all services*, users and groups
Workgroup
Server preferences for all services*, users and groups
Advanced
Server Admin, Workgroup Manager and command line tools
*When opening Server Admin on Leopard Standard or Workgroup servers you will be presented with three options: (1) Back out and use the recommended Server Preferences application, (2) use Server Admin for a one-off change not available in the Server Preferences GUI, or (3) convert the server into an Advanced Server (this is a one-way process, so make sure you really want to do it before going advanced).
Limitations
Standard
Everything is setup automatically, with assumptions that there won’t be hundreds of users, or multiple servers, so if expansion is a possibility, it may be easier to start with a different configuration
Workgroup
You need to have good, working DNS and an existing Directory Service (whether it be LDAP-based or Active Directory based). If that goes away your server is going to need some TLC to get things running again.
Advanced
None – let your hair down and go for it.
What Services are available?
Some services aren’t available or configuarable in certain server setups, so it’s a great idea to check the list below and see what’s used when:
Service Standard Workgroup Advanced File sharing (AFP and SMB protocols) Included Optional Optional File sharing (FTP and NFS protocols) Not used Not used Optional Printer sharing (USB or FireWire printer) Automatic Automatic Not used Print Not used Not used Optional iCal (calendar sharing, event scheduling) Included Optional Optional iChat (instant messaging) Included Optional Optional Mail with spam and virus filtering Included Optional Optional Web (wikis, blogs, webmail) Included Optional Optional VPN (secure remote access) Optional Optional Optional Internet gateway (NAT, DNS) Optional Optional Optional Time Machine backup of server Optional Optional Not used Open Directory (user accounts and other data) Automatic Automatic Optional Application firewall Optional Optional Not used IP firewall with optional adaptive firewall Not used Not used Optional Podcast Producer Not used Not used Optional Comprehensive user and workgroup management Not used Not used Optional Xgrid (computational clustering) Not used Not used Optional DHCP, DNS, NAT Automatic Automatic Optional RADIUS Not used Not used Optional NetBoot and NetInstall (system imaging) Not used Not used Optional Spotlight (searching) Automatic Automatic Automatic QuickTime Streaming Not used Not used Optional Software update Not used Not used Optional Remote management Included Included Included Remote login (SSH) Included Included Included
So… which one is right for you?
If you fancy yourself a seasoned admin you probably have the urge to head straight to the Advanced option and never think about this again. For the most part, you’ll do fine doing that. We’ll talk about the exception to this in the next article in the series covering the changes to directory services in Leopard.
If you’ve never used a server before, the Standard config has an awful lot of appeal. Calling it a “server with training wheels” is a bit derogatory, but the analogy isn’t entirely negative. The Standard and Workgroup configs are designed to keep your knees from getting skinned. And when you’re coming back from a late night out the training wheels are going to help keep you from going off the road and into the weeds.
Have fun playing around with Leopard Server and catch us later for the next in the series.
