Apple OS X Mavericks Server Training - A Definite Guide

Evaluate your computer and network to verify Mavericks and server app 3 compatibility, determine upgrade feasibility, and ensure updates, backups, and Apple specifications are in place.

Download OS X Mavericks from the App Store, authenticate with your Apple ID, and save the installer; then locate OS X Server and await Mavericks upgrade before installation.

Upgrade to Mavericks, back up with a disk image, run Workgroup Manager, and install server version 3 before rebooting.

Upgrade your macOS server from 10.6 to 10.9 using server app 3. Install the server app from the App Store, run the setup assistant, and verify the self-signed certificate.

Migrate your previous server to Mavericks using Migration Assistant in target disk mode, transferring users, network settings, DNS records, and server data to new server, then configure the server app.

Copy the server app to a Mavericks administration computer, unzip if needed, enable remote administration, and transfer the app via AirDrop to manage servers remotely.

Take a quick tour of the server app interface, learning to show or hide sections and access core areas. Inspect logs, certificates, and key services like calendar and file sharing.

Reconfigure your server's network settings via server app by changing the computer name, local host name, and fully qualified DNS name, then set a fixed IP address with DNS considerations.

Learn to configure email and push notifications on Apple OS X Mavericks Server, add recipients, manage Apple ID, and customize which alerts are delivered, test alerts, and clear all notifications.

Move service data to a separate data volume on OS X Mavericks server, and configure per-service config and data folders while updating server settings to the new path.

Integrate your Airport Extreme base station or Time Capsule with the server app to enable web services and single sign-on, with authentication and port configuration guidance.

Download the Mavericks-compatible workgroup manager from Apple support, install with admin credentials, and verify its integration with server app for managing your Mac OS X server.

Learn to use the unix command line to administer a server by launching Terminal and running essential commands like hostname, who am i, id, cd, and ls.

Explore viewing and reading configuration files from the command line with cat and less. Learn to edit with nano, and use system profiler, diskutil, and open for Apple server management.

Locate the server admin command line tool with which, then use sudo to run and manage services. List, start, stop, and view settings, logs, and export configurations for backup.

Master remote command line administration of OS X Mavericks server using SSH, enabling remote login, authenticating hosts, and managing services with server admin, restart, and known_hosts checks.

Explore how server launch items work and how to create and manage launch agents and daemons using Lingon or the terminal, with log monitoring and verification.

Explore apple networking through network utility, banjer zero configuration, self-assigned IPs, multicast DNS, and naming with dot local while examining unicast vs broadcast routing on a local ethernet.

Configure a link aggregate by bonding two ethernet interfaces, assign a static IP, set DNS and search domains, and apply changes to ensure the server uses the bonded interface.

Configure the dhcp service on macOS server, create scopes with ip ranges and lease durations, set static mappings by MAC address, and monitor via server admin commands and logs.

Learn to configure a minimal DNS service on a macOS Mavericks server, set a static IP and hostname, and ensure correct forwarders and lookups for the internal network.

Configure a dns server using rock 1 as the primary, set forwarders, and manage hosts, zones, and records for reliable name resolution.

Configure a secondary DNS server on OS X Mavericks Server to provide redundancy, enable primary and reverse zone transfers, create a matching secondary zone, and test the DNS service.

Configure network time on a macOS server by setting date and time automatically and selecting Apple or custom ntp servers, then apply changes via System Preferences or the command line.

Configure the vpn service on the server, connect remotely, set the hostname, select layer 2 tunneling protocol for security, and deploy a configuration profile for client access.

Explore how SSL certificates establish trust using fingerprints, OpenSSL, and the chain of trust, including root, intermediate, and leaf certificates, plus handling self-signed sites on Mac OS X.

Learn to manage and create a self-signed certificate for a Mavericks server, replacing the default certificate and configuring host DNS name, serial number, and SSL server authentication details.

Generate a certificate signing request on the rock one server with the certificate assistant, enter the hostname and contact email, and save the CSR for submission to the certificate authority.

Install a certificate authority signed SSL cert in the server app using trial root and intermediate certs, drag the cert into the server app, and configure a test site.

Set up a certificate authority with keychain access and certificate assistant, issuing ssl server certificates and signing CSRs. Install and trust the CA on clients, and verify the certificate chain.

Promote the server to an open directory master by enabling open directory services, verifying hostname and IP consistency, and monitoring progress via console and system key chain updates.

Move a user from local to the Open Directory master, recreate the network user, and enable home directories over hfp via file sharing, ensuring the user can log in.

Manage users with server app using contextual menus to view attributes like user id, primary group, account name, and aliases. Create templates, import accounts, and reset passwords.

Manage groups with server app by importing accounts from a file, creating and organizing groups and subgroups, and assigning or removing members.

Move user home folders and group shared folders with server app, create homes on data volume, and preserve ownership and permissions with a sudo cp -rpv in the terminal.

Set a global password policy and per-user rule in server app, including the requirement to change the password at the next login, then control service access with gear and groups.

Learn how to export and import users and groups with workgroup manager, including preparing files, mapping attributes, and importing delimited files, while noting that exported files do not include passwords.

Compare users created in server app with workgroup manager, import and assign access to services, and verify workgroup membership to ensure correct user IDs and file sharing permissions.

Manage users' home folders and password policies with workgroup manager, test changes on the administration computer, and enforce eight-character passwords with at least one letter for the Mars users.

Bind computers to the server via directory services, create a foaming computers group, and manage membership in workgroup manager, noting mutual authentication indicated by a dollar sign for Rock 2.

unbind from the server on Mac one, export users and groups to desktop, demote the server to standalone, then re-promote and re-import users and groups for a clean Open Directory.

Manage users, groups, computers, and computer groups with workgroup manager, rebinding clients to the server and applying authenticated binds. Enforce group-level preferences, such as dock position and login items.

Learn to import detailed preferences via workgroup manager using preference manifests to configure Safari with a custom home page, then compare always and often settings.

Set up a mobile account in server app, enable always create on login, and sync the home folder with the server for a portable home directory.

Demonstrate creating an external account on an external drive, binding the administration computer to the network server, and configuring a mobile account that uses any volume.

Launch the directory utility from server app or system preferences, authenticating as admin. Review Open Directory data, search policies, and directory service attributes.

Archive the Open Directory master with the server app using a password-protected sparse disk image, then restore from that archive to recover users, groups, security settings, and passwords.

Demonstrate a single sign-on environment between Rock1 and Rock2 by using directory utility to establish a trusted bind and Kerberos tickets for seamless file sharing.

Learn how to create Open Directory replicas to provide redundancy and load balancing, enable a single sign-on environment, and ensure replicas share the same server version.

Learn how to set up and manage locales for Open Directory replication, define default and specific locales, and assign client subnets using CIDR notation.

Clean up directory services by converting the rock 3 server from replica to standalone, then disconnect the network account server and remove leftovers to prepare a clean open directory master.