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Can I build a mac server in windows Client environment ?

I have Windows 2003 server and want to make a move, So, I prefer to move to Mac OS X Server than Windows 2008.

All the workstations are Windows 7 & XP.

So, can Mac OS X Server apply its polices to those kind of windows?

Roles: Active Directory, DNS, DHCP (IPv4).

Permissions: HDD is NTFS to have more security and to apply folder permissions for the users. I will have external network storage, so, I do not think this will be a factor affecting my issue.

So, I don't have lots of services which can be complicated.

So, Can I make the move to Mac OS X Server?

Thanks,

Boudy,

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jul 17, 2011 6:45 PM

31 replies

Jul 22, 2011 4:09 AM in response to Abdelaal EL-Hayawan

The downloaded Lion installer is intended to be run as an Application from within Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. Remember it is an upgrade for your existing Snow Leopard.

Some people have however found a way to make a bootable disk themselves by extracting the disk image contained in the Lion installer app. If you really want to do it this way, then just do a Google search and there will be plenty of results showing how to do it.

Apple will also soon (next month) be selling a bootable USB memory stick with the Lion installer on it.

Jul 22, 2011 4:51 AM in response to John Lockwood

A bootable disk is useful for repairing and using disk utilities and some other options.

Lion introduced another way of its system which is tge Recover HD, which gives you all the options as you are booting from a disk, but even more.

I think by this, you are no longer need for the Lion bootable disk.

What do you think?

Also next month when apple introduce a memory stick include Lion (bootable), I still need to purchase it again, and I already purchased Lion from the App store.

Jul 22, 2011 6:33 AM in response to Abdelaal EL-Hayawan

Yes, as part of the install/upgrade process Lion will normally automatically create a special recovery partition you can boot from by holding down Command-R when you start your Mac. You don't need to have a bootable Lion installer to get this.

Yes, if you want to buy the bootable USB memory stick and have already bought Lion as a download this will mean you will need to pay twice. However Lion is still very cheap.

Jul 23, 2011 1:59 PM in response to John Lockwood

Hello John,

How are you today?

I have a question concerning Time Machine.

After I finished creating a full backup, I would like to compress the folder Backups.backupdb, compress it or even add it to a .dmg file. But unfortunately I failed.

Is it possible?

If yes, so how?

The error while compressing it is: (The operation can't be completed because you do't have permission to access ".spotlight_repair".)

The error while adding it to a .dmg file is: (Tge backup can't be completed because the backup volume doesn't have ownership enabled.)

Thanks,

Boudy,

Jul 25, 2011 5:37 AM in response to Abdelaal EL-Hayawan

Abdelaal EL-Hayawan wrote:

Hello John,

How are you today?

I have a question concerning Time Machine.

After I finished creating a full backup, I would like to compress the folder Backups.backupdb, compress it or even add it to a .dmg file. But unfortunately I failed.

Is it possible?

If yes, so how?

The error while compressing it is: (The operation can't be completed because you do't have permission to access ".spotlight_repair".)

The error while adding it to a .dmg file is: (Tge backup can't be completed because the backup volume doesn't have ownership enabled.)

Time Machine when backing up to a local hard disk (not a network one) normally backs up as files. When backing up to a network Time Machine system it backs up to a 'sparse bundle disk image' format.

In both cases many of the files being backed up are already compressed meaning you would not save much trying to compress them again. Manually compressing the backup is going to prevent being able to restore it as the system will no longer recognise things.

Hard disks are cheap, if you have a space problem just get a bigger drive.

Jul 25, 2011 5:54 AM in response to John Lockwood

Hello John, How are you?

Thanks for your information.

Yes HDDs are cheap, but It's not about space problem, Let me please make my issue more clear for you...

My Mac is Macbook aluminuim Late 2008, Lunched with Leopard 10.5.5, So, to install Lion (upgrade version), I have to install 10.5.5 then 10.6 then 10.6.8 then 10.7, So, lots of steps to do to have a fresh installion.

My Sister is the same issue, So, I will not do the same for the 2 Macs everytime I want to instal a fresh installion.

After I downloaded Lion, I decided to Install a fresh installation from scratch, and before using it or installing any apps, I decided to take a time machine backup to be fresh for future use.

My External HDD i divided in to 6 partition, only one of them are for time machine, So, after I finished installing 10.5.5 till 10.7 i started to make a full backup, it wents fine and everything is clear here.

Then I will start using my mac for my normal use, I will install my apps and everything.

What I want is to keep the 1st backup apart from all the next backups, for future installion or even for my sister's mac.

But the next backup starts to modify the 1st backup and so on. I know that it create another backup, but when the partition size becomes to an end, it automatically delete old backup.

I want to save this backup in a safe place for future use.

I tried something but unfortunately I failed, which is from Disk Utilities to add the whole TM partition to a .dmg file, but this partition is 200GB, so the dmg file will be also 200GB also which very huge. The backup folder it self is just 6.0GB.

Thanks for your help anyway,

Boudy,

Jul 25, 2011 6:09 AM in response to Abdelaal EL-Hayawan

I would suggest using a second smaller portable hard disk to keep your 'master image'. You could use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your MacBook to this external drive and later boot from this external disk to clone it to your sisters Mac.

Or you could use Disk Utility to make a disk image from your MacBook Pro boot drive, and then later use Disk Utility to 'restore' that image to your sisters Mac. This disk image could be saved on your Time Machine drive (at the top level) and Time Machine will leave it alone.

What you definitely cannot do is mess with the Time Machine backups.

Jul 25, 2011 6:30 AM in response to John Lockwood

Thanks for this useful information.

I prefer to have another smaller portable stick memory, and backup my system using Time Machine, then restore it at my sister's mac.

Now! I have another question but relate to joining active directory domain on windows server 2003, can you support me on this.

here is the issue:

I have downloaded Lion, and I installed a fresh installation from scratch. At my business there is an active directory domain controller Windows 2003 Server.

It was working fine till before Lion. It was 10.6.8. Normally I join the domain, use my credentials, and use the mobile user account option.

Now, and after installing Lion, I'm facing a problem. I can join the domain, and from the login screen we have Others, normally I use it to connect using my credentials from the active directory.

I can even login, but after the logging process, the home folder had not been created. I can not even take a screen shot for the error because there is no desktop to save the shot.

Kindly find the attached image which i took it by my iPhone which show the error.

Thanks,

Boudy,

Jul 25, 2011 7:34 AM in response to Abdelaal EL-Hayawan

Where were your home directories stored under Snow Leopard? On the Mac or Windows server?

While it is still possible with Lion Server to create a 'golden triangle' with Active Directory, the options in Lion Server for configuring the locations of network home directories seem to be much more limited, for example you can no longer use NFS for sharing networking home directories.

It maybe if your lucky, just a matter of using the Server program in Lion Server to redo the sharing of the network home directories. That is if needed untick the option, save, and then retick and resave, to get it to update the setting.

Jul 25, 2011 7:48 AM in response to John Lockwood

I think i could not get you. I think there is something still missing between me and you about this issue.

I do not know how to explain it,

but when I join the domin controller, I have to log out from the current user and log in back again from a user from the active directory.

While logging, Mac OS X create its own home folder as any other user. Then from Users & Groups under System preferences, you can activate the mobile account and choose the folders you want to synch it with the active directory.

The home folder that must be created by Mac OS X had not been created, this is the problem.

I hope you got my point.

Jul 25, 2011 9:01 AM in response to Abdelaal EL-Hayawan

I don't have my Mac server linked to Active Directory (never have) so have not tried this myself. However if your using network accounts it is typical to also have the users home directory stored on the server, not stored on the client Mac. If you look at the users account in Workgroup Manager on the Mac server in the Home tab, it should show where it is intending to create and store the home directory. For a server stored home directory it might say something like -

afp://server1.domain.com/Volumes/Users

The above would mean it is on the server called server1 which is part of domain.com and that the path to the folder containing the users home directories (on that server) is /Volumes/Users

I am suggesting you also check the file sharing setup on server1 (using my example) and if needed redo the settings and then redo them also in workgroup manager (by setting the user first to None and then to the correct choice.

Jul 25, 2011 3:07 PM in response to John Lockwood

Sorry John for my lots of question.

Lets go back to TM.

My question is concerning Recovery HD.

You know that with Lion, after installing it, you have the Recovery HD.

After having a full backup, if I restore it, Recovery HD will no longer be avilable.

So, Recovery HD is only when Lion installed.

Is there a way to backup with TM and still have the option of Recovery HD.?

Thanks,

Boudy

Jul 26, 2011 5:36 AM in response to Abdelaal EL-Hayawan

Abdelaal EL-Hayawan wrote:

Sorry John for my lots of question.

Lets go back to TM.

My question is concerning Recovery HD.

You know that with Lion, after installing it, you have the Recovery HD.

After having a full backup, if I restore it, Recovery HD will no longer be avilable.

So, Recovery HD is only when Lion installed.

Is there a way to backup with TM and still have the option of Recovery HD.?

The Recovery HD is just a normal HFS+ partition and you could use Disk Utility to back it up to a disk image file and manually create and restore the partition if using a new hard drive. It is only about 650MB.

However another approach would be to re-run the Lion installer which will of course create it, then do a full Time Machine restore over the top of the new Lion install.

Jul 26, 2011 5:52 AM in response to John Lockwood

Thank you very much, I will do that.

If I restore from a Full TM backup from the Recovery HD it self, does it will still available?

Jul 27, 2011 8:54 AM in response to Abdelaal EL-Hayawan

Abdelaal EL-Hayawan wrote:

Thank you very much, I will do that.

If I restore from a Full TM backup from the Recovery HD it self, does it will still available?

Yes, the Recovery HD allows doing a full Time Machine restore in fact that is the only type of restore that the Recovery HD supports. It can access both local Time Machine backups and network Time Machine backups.

Can I build a mac server in windows Client environment ?