Yosemite brought Xsan 4, which included a whole new way to add clients to an Xsan. Xsan Admin is gone, as of El Capitan, but unchanged from then to macOS Sierra (other than a couple of binaries moving around). These days, instead of scanning the network using Xsan Admin. we’ll be adding clients using a Configuration Profile. This is actually a much more similar process to adding Xsan clients to a StorNext environment than it is to adding clients to Metadata Controllers running Xsan 3 and below. But instead of making a fsnameservers file, we’re plugging that information into a profile, which will do that work on the client on our behalf.…
-
-
Setup the File Sharing Service in macOS 10.13, High Sierra
macOS Server 5.2/5.3 and below had this great file sharing service. And while the GUI elements are gone from the Server app in High Sierra, the options available in the client operating system have matured to the point where they’re no longer really necessary. You can still configure users and groups using the Server app, and once those are created, you’ll be ready to configure share points that can be accessed using the Sharing System Preferences. Configure Sharing Through System PreferencesTo access the sharing options, open System Preferences and click on File Sharing. First, we’ll configure the global options using the Options… button.This brings up the ability to choose whether…
-
Setup The Calendar Service In macOS Server 5.4 for High Sierra
Configuring Calendar Server in macOS Server 5.4 (running on High Sierra) is a fairly simple and straight forward process. The Calendar Server is a CalDAV Server, leveraging HTTP and HTTPS, running on ports 8008 and 8443 respectively. To enable the Calendar service in macOS Server 5.4, first open the Server application and click on Calendar in the SERVICES section of the sidebar. Once open, click on Enable invitations by email to enable email notifications of invitations in the Calendar Server. Provide the email address and then click on the Next button. At the Configure Server Email Address screen, provide the type of incoming mail service in use, provide the address of the mail…
-
Configure NetInstall Services In macOS Server 5.4 for High Sierra
The NetBoot service allows administrators of Apple computers to leverage images hosted on a server to boot computers to a central location and put a new image on them, upgrade them and perform automations based on upgrades and images. Since the very first versions of macOS, the service has been called NetBoot and so the name remains at the command line, but is listed as NetInstall in the Server app. In the Server app, Apple provides a number of options surrounding the NetInstall service, based on Automator-style which we’ll explore further in this article. The first step to configuring the NetInstall service is to decide what you want the service to…
-
Upgrade macOS Server
The latest version of macOS Server (5.4) is now available to be installed. To do so, first backup your server. Then, backup your server again, making sure you have a functional, bootable clone. Once you’re sure you have a solid backup of your server, open the App Store and search for Server. When you find the Server app, click on it. Once downloaded, you’ll be prompted that the Server app has been replaced.Go into Applications and open the Server app. When prompted, click on Install (or Open if the server is already installed). The download will begin. Once complete, you’ll see a notice that the “Server app replacement detected.” Click OK.…
-
Manage Users On macOS Server 5.4 On High Sierra
There are a few ways to create users in macOS Server 5.4, running on High Sierra. The first is using the Server app, the second is using using the Users & Groups System Preference pane and the third is using the command line. In this article we will look at creating users in the Server app. To do so, open the Server app and connect to your server. Then click on the Users entry in the ACCOUNTS list. The list of users is displayed, based on the directory domain(s) being browsed. A directory domain is a repository of account data, which can include local users, local network users and users in a shared…
-
Manage The Contacts Service In macOS Server 5.4 High Sierra
Every Mac by default has an application called Contacts. Every macOS Server 5.4, running on High Sierra, has a service called Contacts. While the names might imply very different things that they do, you’ll be super-surprised that the two are designed to work with one another. The Contacts service is based on CardDAV, a protocol for storing contact information on the web, retrievable and digestible by client computers. However, there is a layer of database-driven obfuscation between the Contacts service and CardDAV. The Contacts service is also a conduit with which to read information from LDAP and display that information in the Contacts client, which is in a way similar to how the Global…
-
Reset Unresponsive macOS Server 5.4
The Server app that installs on High Sierra is great. But sometimes a change doesn’t get committed properly or has a mismatch with a certificate, and the server doesn’t respond properly… I know, you’ve been told that host name changes and IP changes are all kinds of OK at this point; “look, Charles, there’s a button!” Well, go ahead, click it. Don’t mind me, you might just be alright. But then again, you might not if you’re running Open Directory, Profile Manager, or a few other services… When it works it’s a thing of beauty. But when it doesn’t, you might be restoring some stuff from backup. But just before you…
-
Show The Software Update Service In Server 5.4 for macOS High Sierra
By default, the Software Update Service, long a part of macOS Server, is hidden. This indicates the service is not likely to be long for this world. However, many an organization still likes to leverage cooling off periods for their Mac fleet, as they should given a certain scale. To see the service, once you’ve installed the Server app, open the Server app and then from the View menu, select Software Update. You’ll then see the Software Update service. If you click off of the service and close the app, it will be hidden again. If you enable the service, you will then see it each time you open the Server app.…
-
Setup Profile Manager On macOS Server 5.4
Profile Manager first appeared in OS X Lion Server as the Apple-provided tool for managing Apple devices, including Mobile Device Management (MDM) for iOS based devices as well as Profile management for macOS based computers, including MacBooks, MacBook Airs, Mac Minis, Mac Pros and iMacs running Mac OS X 10.7 and up. Profile Manager has seen a few more updates over the years, primarily in integrating new MDM options provided by Apple and keeping up with the rapidly changing MDM landscape. Apple has added DEP functionality, content distribution, VPP, and other features over the years. In macOS Server 5.4, there are plenty of new options, including the ability to deploy VPP…