Apple offers bite-sized OS X Server

OS X Server is now being bundled on a tiny 1TB drive-toting Mac Mini.

Not that long ago, if you wanted an Apple server you'd buy an Apple rack-mount Xserve, or maybe just put Server on a spare (if well-appointed) Mac, to hum away and go about its business.

An Xserve starts at NZ$5299 for a Quad-Core and NZ$6379 for an 8-Core.

Except that recently Apple put out a hell of a deal (for Apple) comprising a new Mac mini complete with 1TB storage (across two 500GB drives) with OS 10.6 Server preinstalled.

For $1749, you get a cute little white box you can pretty much hide anywhere (dust-free is good, with some airflow around it, so not in the back of your sock drawer, even though it may fit). It's designed to serve your small business needs.

Since OS X Server software by itself, with unlimited client licence, is $979 and the cheapest (2.26HGz) mini is $1049 (2GB RAM, 160GB hard drive), that adds up to $2028. Consider that for your $1749, you get a faster (2.53GHz) mini with double the RAM complete with Server.

I recently installed OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Server on an 8-core Mac Pro. OS X Server requires uses Open Directory to unify and manage accounts across systems, letting Apple's default Address Book contact application (amongst other apps) use the LDAP-based directory system.

From 10.5 Server, a new control panel called Server Preferences has let you set up your requirements fairly simply. You can move up to Server Admin, which is more powerful, if your use becomes more informed and sophisticated. But Server Preferences remains handy should you ever need to change the password and reset authentication systemwide, for example.

When first setting up OS X Server 10.6, you just add the identical account names of clients on your network. With the server active, any Mac OS X 10.6 client on startup or login with the same name as any server account is prompted to accept an invitation.

If the client accepts, 10.6 Server configures itself with information from the server for all local services (Address Book, iChat, iCal, Mail etc). This can also be done manually by sending an invitation to a user from the Users pane of Server Preferences. Older Macs and Windows systems will need to enter values manually in many cases, but Apple's Mail software configured itself.

Apart from the usual Apple applications (but not iLife – iTunes was there, though) and utilities, you get some Server-specific apps.

In the Applications folder, you'll find QuickTime Player but also QuickTime Broadcaster, which enables you to instantly stream video from a plugged-in camera. You also get a folder called Server that contains iCal Server Utility, Podcast Composer, RAID Admin, Server Admin, Server Monitor, Server Preferences, System Image Utility, Workgroup Manager and Xgrid admin (for managing shared processing).

GarageBand can already produce sophisticated podcasts – Composer just makes the process of getting the podcast online a lot easier, stepping you through the process.

Among the other services handled by Mac OS 10.6 Server are file sharing for Mac and Windows systems, shared contacts and calendars, VPN for remote secure access, Mac networked backup (using the familiar Apple Time Machine), WPA/WPA2 Enterprise for secure office Wi-Fi access, DNS to provide internal hostname resolution, DHCP + NAT for private network addressing and a network border firewall between broadband and your office.

A lot of the new features of OS 10.6. Server revolve around you posting an internal website which has various useful capabilities, including well-designed templates for blogs, a collaborative Wiki and a calendar, which people on your network can log into as a central collaboration and scheduling point. You can then invite people (just make a group in Address Book) in by telling them what the web address is. It's administered right there in Safari, and you can look after it remotely by setting up access.

As far as email goes, OS X Server uses ClamAV for anti-virus, Spamassassin for spam filtering, Spamhaus for real-time blacklisting, Postfix (a mail delivery agent), Dovecot for IMAP and POP3, and Squirrelmail for Webmail.

Help!

But there's one little problem with this entry level Server. Okay, let me qualify that – it's not an entry level server, it's the industry level Server that Apple software deploys to industry – but the mini isn't as powerful as an Xserve, although it's capable enough. It's the price of this package and it's installation on a mini that makes it 'entry level'. Nothing else about it is entry level at all.

However, while Apple has provided full server power on affordable hardware, new users may find the whole Server thing a little bewildering.

I think there is a knowledge gap. The excellent podcasts available in iTunes help, but they don't fully resolve exactly what a server is and how to use it if you start from a no-knowledge basis, as I did. For example, the whole palaver with Certificates – and do I need to pay hundreds of dollars for one? What I really need is a Beginners' Guide that I wish somebody like the wonderful Take Control people would offer, taking me step by step through the process and explaining what it all means as you go. Take Control has many PDF ebooks available (they're usually just US$10 each) on sharing, but nothing covering OS X Server specifically.

Apple strongly recommends you make use of your 90 days free call tech support as soon as you get your server, by the way. That's because there are some basic steps you should take at setup. If you do, your Serving life will be much more useful to you. I did find the tech support hotline extremely useful and I strongly recommend you don't let this 90-day period elapse without making some free phone calls!

Setup steps include setting up Manual DHCP while running through Setup Assistant and a couple of other things that are crucial, so please do as advised.

OS 10.6 Server appears to analyse your system on first boot, then configures and writes a file called "Mac OS X Server Next Steps.pdf" to your desktop. This demands a read straight away, as it's full of advice to get your server system up 'n' humming.

Since I was using a Mac Pro with Server on it as my main Mac, to write on, administer my mac-nz.com site, to Photoshop files for the site and for my magazine, and to work in other Adobe apps like InDesign, plus Apple's Logic and Final Cut, I asked the Apple support bloke if that was advisable.

"This is possible", said he from the Central USA, "and some people choose to do this ..." But it did seem to make him feel uncomfortable. I had no problems doing so, but just keep in mind it's not considered optimum practice to use your server as your general Mac, and I'd consider this would be more of a pressing issue were you to invest in the mini/Server duo.

But hey, look at the features! This is an incredibly well-priced Apple solution, should you have the networking chops to work it out.

- Mark Webster mac-nz.com