MacOS server (5.4) is it good server software?

[MacFrag]

Hi all,

For awhile now I have been curious about OS X server and I want to try it out on a test system. I have some experiences in *NIX and Linux system and networking administration.

My target system is running MacOS Sierra 10.12.2.

If I look in the review section of the MacOS server in the App Store I see allot of negative reviews.

Is it really that bad and problematic like the reviews say?

What are your experiences with it?

 

[Mikael H]

Hi all,

For awhile now I have been curious about OS X server and I want to try it out on a test system. I have some experiences in *NIX and Linux system and networking administration.

My target system is running MacOS Sierra 10.12.2.

If I look in the review section of the MacOS server in the App Store I see allot of negative reviews.

Is it really that bad and problematic like the reviews say?

What are your experiences with it?

For the money, I really don't see how you can go wrong with it if your main purpose is a test system. Play around with it and see if it does what you want it to.

 

[8692574]

The main question with the "new Apple" is ....for how long will they keep "updating it??", will to go the way Aperture did??

As of today I would not rely on it any longer...

 

[Altemose]

If I look in the review section of the MacOS server in the App Store I see allot of negative reviews.

Is it really that bad and problematic like the reviews say?

What are your experiences with it?

A lot of negative reviews come from admins who are migrating from full-featured Windows environments and miss the point of OS X Server. Years ago, until around 2010 or so, Apple did attempt to offer a fully featured server platform for OS X users. The problem was that it did not even make a dent in the market that is dominated by Linux and primarily Windows. Therefore, starting with OS X 10.7 Server, they revamped the product and product model to make it more scalable and targeted at the home user and small business.

I will simply state this: if you are coming from a Windows or Unix server environment, you will be sorely disappointed.

However, if your environment has not had a server before or is looking for an economical, simple, and easy to use server software then OS X will do just that. I use it in a K-12 school and it hosts file sharing for a primarily PC environment, hosts Google Cloud Print for remote printing and management for the 1:1 Chromebook program, runs network statistics, hosts all management software for the network, and finally hosts Wiki services for teachers. All in all, it does everything I ask of it very well. Many people ask why I would ever deploy OS X in an environment dominated by PC and Chrome OS, but the answer is simple: money and simplicity. Microsoft's products have a much higher price for a 50+ user license and do not to my knowledge have an onsite Wiki service and Linux would be impossible to manage in light of how the school's IT is run. For $20.00, you will not find a better product out there...

 

[Geeky Chimp]

I'm a Windows Server convert over to Apple and macOS Server. The company I work for have migrated our Cloud Hosting Platform away from Windows Server/Exchange Server etc to macOS Server. In doing so we have simplified our setup and can now offer more services much more easily and cost effectively. It depends on what you are looking for, but for us its made life much easier.

 

[sevoneone]

It is pretty good for the $49 price tag.

I wouldn't buy it for Mail/Contacts/Calendar/Messaging. Unless you are the most shoestrings of budgets, or most basic of needs, G Suite (Google Apps) or Office 365 are leaps and bounds more feature rich and secure.

Most everything else holds up well though.
Cacheing Server is worth the cost alone if you have multiple Macs and iOS devices on your network.
The built in VPN server is about the easiest you will ever use.
Time Machine Server is nice for managing backups.

The Profile Manager generally works, until it doesn't and you have a small nervous breakdown trying to fix it before giving up and looking at something like JAMF.

 

[Altemose]

It is pretty good for the $49 price tag.

Where did you pay $49.00 for OS X Server?

 

[belvdr]

I'm showing $20 for the current version. I believe it was $49 for previous versions that required a license key.