Mac OS X Server: A Powerful Server Solution

Mac OS X Server was first released in its current format back in 2001 as part of the 10.0 'Cheetah' upgrade. Since then it has been a part of every Mac OS X upgrade as a standalone server version of the operating system.

The new Mac OS X Lion Server upgrade changes the rules, and sees a merging of the two products. Mac OS X Server is now an application which is available as a download from the Mac App Store.

The idea now is that you install and set-up a standard Mac OS X Lion installation and then download the server app transforming your Lion installation into a fully fledged server. It's an interesting move which has certainly received a mixed reception.

So What Does Mac OS X Lion Server Have to Offer?

Mac OS X Server is based on the UNIX operating system. This immediately means that a system administrator who is familiar with other UNIX operating systems such as Linux or BSD will have a minimal learning curve.

Another advantage of the UNIX operating system is that it was built from day one to be secure. Every file and directory is bolted down with a complex series of permissions. It is this that has given Mac OS X a reputation for being virus free.

The question now though is does Mac OS X Lion Server offer the same services that are available in any other data centre server?

The first part of the answer to this question is to take a look at the services listed by Apple in the sales information. According to Apple you get the following;

• Calendar Server
• Directory Integration
• Open Directory Server
• Mail Server
• Podcast Producer and Publisher
• Profile Manager
• Wiki Server
• Software Update Server
• PostgreSQL Database

This list shows that OS X Server can offer many of the expected services wanted on the Internet today. Services like Open Directory and Software Update Server are good news for businesses with a number of computers, some being Macs and others possibly Windows PCs.

But the marketing hype is aimed at any user who fancies getting a bit more techie! What if you want to use Mac OS X Server in an environment where terms like DNS and BIND are common place, and sys admins understand commands like ls, ps and kill via the Mac OS X command line. Can Mac OS X Server still hold its ground? Can I run a web site using Apache?

The second part of our answer comes from looking a bit closer at the Apple website, under technical specifications. Because Mac OS X is based on UNIX we can see that Apple have integrated many Open Source projects.

The following is a sample taken from the comprehensive list of applications and services that are available.

• DNS Server (BIND 9)
• DHCP Server
• VPN Server
• NAT Server
• Apache Web Server
• WebDAV
• Perl and PHP
• SMTP (Postfix)
• POP and IMAP (Dovecot)
• Webmail (Roundcube)

So good news then! Also remember Mac OS X Server is a standards compliant UNIX based operating system which means that if anything is missing it should be possible to download it from the Internet and build it.

Adding Server Admin Tools to Mac OS X Server

You might be thinking that having the Mac OS X Server App installed would mean job done! But it doesn't. If you are a sys admin working in a data centre and responsible for hundreds of Mac computers, then you can download Server Admin Tools version 10.7.2 from Apple.

Server Admin Tools offers a number of additional admin services including;

• Server Admin (including remote administration)
• Server Monitor
• System Image Utility
• Workgroup Manager

What Servers Can Mac OS X Server be Installed On?

I know many system administrators who would love to be able to run Mac OS X Server on Non-Apple hardware. This became even more important when Apple decided to phase out the XServe at the beginning of 2011. A sad day!

But unfortunately a quick look at the Mac OS X license clearly shows that the limitation for Mac OS X Lion Server is still there. You must run it on approved Apple hardware. So what are the options?

The Mac mini server

The Mac mini server is a very compact computer. It has the latest Intel processors, large hard disk and easily expandable memory. The rear houses all of the usual I/O including Ethernet, WiFi, USB and FireWire.

The Mac mini - Front View Image courtesy of Apple

So in terms of power under the hud there are no problems.

The Mac Pro Server

The Mac Pro is Apples top of the range computer system utilising some serious computing in the shape of the latest Intel Xeon processors.

Mac Pro Server - Front and Rear Views Image courtesy of Apple

The Mac Pro looks more like a traditional tower PC with capability of easy expansion and can be bought from Apple in RAID configurations.

Even though both of these Mac computers have decent specs, they have one big problem - they are NOT rack mounting systems like the old XServe! A rack mounting server is a must have for a serious data centre environment.

What About Server Virtualisation?

Finally, we come to server virtualisation. The ability to run multiple instances of a server operating system on a single physical server. This allows a business to make the most of its hardware resources.

The good news is that the Mac OS X Lion license allows for two copies of Mac OS X to be run in a virtual environment on Apple hardware. This applies to both the desktop and server variants.