{"id":39748,"date":"2017-02-03T11:30:05","date_gmt":"2017-02-03T17:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=39748"},"modified":"2018-01-31T11:36:14","modified_gmt":"2018-01-31T17:36:14","slug":"understanding-macos-server-part-1-background-and-setup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/39748-understanding-macos-server-part-1-background-and-setup\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding macOS Server Part 1: Background and Setup"},"content":{"rendered":"

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[Update 01\/31\/18:<\/strong> macOS Server Will Lose Many Services this Spring: Here Are Alternatives<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Update: March 2017]<\/strong> Find the entire macOS Server series here<\/a>!<\/p>\n

[Update: October 2017]<\/strong> Upgrading macOS Server to High Sierra: You May Not Want To Do It<\/a><\/p>\n

Have you ever wished that you could run your own Apple Mail server or host a website from your own Mac<\/a>? How about hosting your own calendar server for a group, or perhaps setting up a VPN server<\/a> for secure remote access to your home office from anywhere in the world? These services and more can be hosted from almost any Mac with one inexpensive and easily-acquired Apple product — macOS Server<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is the first in a series of articles for the Rocket Yard in which we’ll show you how to set up your own macOS Server and configure the various services. Today, we’ll cover what macOS Server is all about, the minimum Mac requirements to run macOS Server, and how to purchase and install the app. In future installments, the individual services provided by macOS Server will be highlighted along with step-by-step instructions on how to configure the services while avoiding unnecessary pitfalls.<\/p>\n

Related article: <\/strong>macOS in Review: A Look at the First Four Months of Sierra<\/a><\/p>\n

macOS Server<\/strong>
\nApple is no longer in the physical server business, having made the last of the expensive rack-mounted Xserve boxes (see image below) back in 2011. That makes quite a bit of sense, since the most popular server hardware the company makes is the Mac mini. In fact, between mid 2010 and late 2012, Apple actually produced a model of the Mac mini specifically designed to run as a server. The Mac Pro is also designated as an Apple “server” model for larger workgroups.<\/p>\n

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A pre-Intel Apple Xserve<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With no more dedicated server hardware, the company chose to turn the formerly pricy server software into an app. Previously known as Mac OS X Server, the app’s name changed to macOS Server along with the release of macOS Sierra.<\/p>\n

For $20, anyone with a Mac that meets the minimum hardware requirements can now set up a server. Can you run macOS Server on your desktop Mac? Sure, but realize that hosting email, calendars, and more will take up a lot of resources on your Mac, so it’s best to dedicate a machine specifically to the task of being a server.<\/p>\n

So, What’s a Server?<\/strong>
\nServers are meant to provide various services to a workgroup. In an enterprise, server farms provide email, file storage and sharing, web services, and more to employees with racks full of “pizza box” servers connected to mass storage devices. In a small business or home settings, a single computer can provide the same services on a much smaller scale.<\/p>\n

Why would you want your own server? Perhaps you want absolutely secure email that you host yourself. The same goes for hosting calendars, contacts or your own wiki. Maybe you don’t trust those third-party VPN providers, so you can set up your own. The full list of services provided by macOS Server includes:<\/p>\n