SSH allows administrators to connect to another computer using a secure shell, or command line environment. ARD (Apple Remote Desktop) allows screen sharing, remote scripts and other administrative goodness. You can also connect to a server using the Server app running on a client computer. To enable any or all of these, open the Server app (Server 5.2 for Sierra), click on the name of the server, click the Settings tab and then click on the checkbox for what you’d like to enter.
All of these can be enabled and managed from the command line as well. The traditional way to enable Apple Remote Desktop is using the kickstart command. But there’s a simpler way in macOS Server 5.2 on Sierra. To do so, use the serveradmin command. To enable ARD using the serveradmin command, use the settings option, with info:enableARD to set the payload to yes:
sudo serveradmin settings info:enableARD = yes
Once run, open System Preferences and click on Sharing. The Remote Management box is then checked and the local administrative user has access to ARD into the host.
There are also a few other commands that can be used to control settings. To enable SSH for administrators:
sudo serveradmin settings info:enableSSH = yes
When you enable SSH from the serveradmin command you will not see any additional checkboxes in the Sharing System Preferences; however, you will see the box checked in the Server app. To enable SNMP:
sudo serveradmin settings info:enableSNMP = yes
Once SNMP is enabled, use the /usr/bin/snmpconf interactive command line environment to configure SNMP so you can manage traps and other objects necessary.
Note: You can’t have snmpd running while you configure SNMPv3. Once SNMPv3 is configured snmpd can be run.
To allow other computers to use the Server app to connect to the server, use the info:enableRemoteAdministration key from serveradmin:
sudo serveradmin settings info:enableRemoteAdministration = yes
To enable the dedication of resources to Server apps (aka Server Performance Mode):
sudo serveradmin settings info:enableServerPerformanceMode = yes
