OSX Server Newb... upgrade?

[whyrichard]

Hey,

I am an osx Server newb (but a vet in many other respects).
At work we have three macs running SL to ML. We connect via wifi to our server, where our main repository for our working files exists.

This works well enough if you are stuck in the '90's. The problem is that our workflow is as follows:

-Copy the working files to our local hard drives (they can be up to 100 gigs (3d modeling)

-Edit them locally

-Update the server

-get mixed up over which is the most updated file/ find conflicts/ spend 20 minutes managing the server files/ etc. who updated last?


I WOULD PREFER to switch to dropbox or google drive for the management of all of these files, and just sidestep the whole centralized server model of operating, but my boss would like to avoid a subscription based pay structure.

IDEALLY we would find a way to have dropbox like capabilities (auto update files, versioning) but operate only on the LAN so there are no privacy issues or subscriptions to pay. Is there such a thing? (perhaps a good syncing software for this type of work environment? which is best?)

The OSX Server version we are on is currently 10.6.8. What benefits would we have in upgrading to ML? I heard it was not so good...?

We would prefer a low maintenance server setup, not only over time but initially.

Thanks so much for any help and guidance!

r.

 

[whyrichard]

looking into GoodSync... anyone have experience with this?


http://www.goodsync.com/mac/how-it-works/sync-applications/how-to-sync-via-ftp



r.

 

[dazey]

Perhaps I am missing something, but why can't you ditch wireless and go for a wired gigabit ethernet system and work off the server? If your files are large then dropbox etc is well out of the question, not just because of privacy but bandwidth. Is gigabit ethernet too slow? Regardless it would shrink the time to copy files to the local machines. Wireless is slow

Syncing can never get around the problem of who wins when two people edit the same offline file at the same time with different edits. I like chronosync for syncing but you really want something that locks people out of files when someone is working on them

 

[Les Kern]

I'm with dazey. Work off the server. KISS.
There is just no reason not to, and there is NO way a Dropbox-like solution will even work.

Also, don't upgrade. 10.6.8 is an EXCELLENT server OS for what you want to do. I have about 15 of them, never hardly hiccup. Set up users, set up a shared drive, apply ACL's, all in about 10 minutes, up and running.

 

[davida1]

Another agreement. Use the server, don't 'upgrade'. It's downhill after 10.6.8.

 

[Yebubbleman]

If you plan on doing a lot of iOS MDM or if all you really do is machine management, then in some ways 10.7 Server is nicer. Though, 10.6 Server will always offer more features and more control (hence the substantially larger price tag). 10.8 Server, or rather "10.8 with OS X Server" as it is formally referred to, ought to be avoided unless your needs are even simpler and there's a requirement to be running 10.8 (i.e. you are at an Apple Authorized Service Provider and the version of Apple Service Toolkit won't work with anything other than Mountain Lion; though I don't think we're there yet).

But otherwise, I have nothing useful to add other than the same "just use your server" and "you have no reason to upgrade from OS X Server 10.6.8" as everyone else here.