Lion Server File Sharing vs non-server File Sharing

[kas23]

For those of you with Lion Server, how exactly is Server-enabled file sharing different than the file sharing that comes with regular Lion? Are you able to access files remotely from your server with other protocols (besides just afp)?

And, do you need Lion Server for remote screen sharing or are there other ways to do this?

 

[cheesygrin]

I've not started using Lion server myself yet, so i can't really answer your first question. As far as screen sharing goes though, this is just an app that is easily accessed in System\Library\CoreServices. You specify your security preferences in prefs\sharing and then connect via a host name or IP address using the app.

You can also access screen sharing over the internet by forwarding the VNC port 5900 through your firewall to the desired internal IP.

Hope this helps.

 

[mainstay]

basic file sharing is the same... although you have far greater control over workgroups, computer groups, home folder permissions, and of course a vpn server.

 

[radiogoober]

For those of you with Lion Server, how exactly is Server-enabled file sharing different than the file sharing that comes with regular Lion? Are you able to access files remotely from your server with other protocols (besides just afp)?

And, do you need Lion Server for remote screen sharing or are there other ways to do this?

If you don't need complicated group settings, don't bother with Lion Server. I have a "server" running regular Lion and it is a file & print server, and screen sharing too. No issues. It also hosts a big drive partitioned three ways for multiple machine time machine backup.

I actually installed Lion Server, and it changes something about file sharing and it broke my time machine backup setup. Was a huge mess. I reverted back to normal lion.

Best advice: don't try to convince yourself you need Lion server. Instead try to get Lion to do what you need, and only if you hit a roadblock that server fixes then upgrade.