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Hello everyone? I have a Mac Pro Late 2013 with Mac OS X v10.9.4. I want to change from Mac OS X to Mac OS X Server v10.9.4. Is it possible?
Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.4), Server admin 10.9.4
Buy Mavericks Server from the App Store.
You need to buy Server.app from the AppStore. It is only $19. Once downloaded you run it, and it then installs the server components. You configure it via Server.app
John Lockwood wrote:
You need to buy Server.app from the AppStore. It is only $19. Once downloaded you run it, and it then installs the server components. You configure it via Server.app
...And after having installed Server.app and ensuring the local networking is operational, next get local DNS services — not ISP DNS services, not Google DNS, not any other off-your-NAT'd-network DNS services.
OS X Server expects local DNS, and trying to skip that step leads to hassles and weirdnesses. At best.
Those not-on-your-NAT'd-network DNS services do not provide the so-called "reverse" IP-address-to-name DNS translations, and those translations are a key part of server and network security.
Thank you for replying, I followed your advise and bought and installed a server.app. I have tried all configurations on server app. It's working good. And I have one more question. I am trying to configure enterprise e-mail server. What application need to configure enterprise e-mail server?
Server.app includes a Mail Server as well. If however you want a better Mail Server than that, you should look at a product called Kerio Connect. It is a separate chargeable product - the cost depends on the number of users.
If an enterprise mail server is a requirement, then I'd generally recommend installing Windows Server, with Active Directory and Exchange Server, Sharepoint server and related features. Not OS X Server.
OS X Server includes the Postfix and Dovecot packages and related tools, and which are common Unix servers used for mail.
If you want to run the integrated mail server within OS X Server, you'll need both private (assuming a NAT'd network) and public DNS services must be entirely correctly configured — other mail servers will use any of your DNS configuration errors as a reason not to accept mail from your server, and potentially as a reason not to send mail to your server — and you'll need static IP from your ISP, and a decent-grade firewall, and preferably a firewall with an embedded VPN server and with DMZ capabilities configured to keep any server breaches contained and separate from your inner network. Your firewall will usually need to have TCP port 25, TCP 587, and either TCP/UDP 995 or preferably TCP 993 open, and forwarded through; the appropriate ports for whatever services you're using.
You'll generally not want to have your internal, private, NAT'd network DNS servers accessible to and serving translation publicly.
Or yes, Kerio does quite well, and is definitely a step or two up from the standard mail software in OS X Server — though nowhere near what Exchange Server and Active Directory and the rest can provide for a typical enterprise.
As for many of the questions that can arise when configuring OS X Server via Server.app for DNS and mail, please see the help within Server.app.
How to change from Mac OS X to Mac OS X Server
