New! Based around Server 5.6 & macOS High Sierra.
Updated April 2018.

This guide describes how to setup a network based around Apple’s Server product. It is intended for someone who is responsible for setting up a network for use in a small business, home, home-based office or other organization such as a church, charity or small school. It addresses what some refer to as ‘the Goldilocks problem’, meaning that the built-in help system of Server is too basic and lacking in information, whereas the detailed and pricey reference guides that are available are just too complicated for many people. Hopefully, this is somewhere towards the middle ground. It assumes a reasonable working knowledge of the Mac and a general appreciation of what is involved in small computer networks, whilst trying to avoid the geeky stuff. Incidentally, the guide is not exclusively Mac and, in recognition of the fact that many people work in a mixed environment, includes plenty of information on how to connect and use Windows computers as well. This new version is based around Server 5.6 but also of relevance to the previous version. It has with numerous improvements, enhancements and troubleshooting suggestions.

1 Introduction And Getting Ready
1.1 What Is macOS Server?
1.2 Mac Operating System and Server Versions
1.3 Choice of Hardware
1.4 Adding Storage
1.5 Infrastructure
1.6 Location
1.7 Electrical Considerations
2 Installation of macOS Server Software
2.1 Preparation of the Mac
2.2 Installation of Server software
2.3 Changing the Computer Name, Host Name and IP Address
2.4 Enable Open Directory
3 Users
3.1 User Naming Conventions
3.2 Creating a User
3.3 Modifying a User
3.4 Deleting or Disabling User
3.5 Tidying up the Login Screen
3.6 Groups
4 File Sharing
4.1 Creating Shared Folders
4.2 Removing or Changing a Shared Folder
4.3 Setting up Network Home Folders
4.4 Loading Existing Data into Shared Folders
5 Accessing The Server
5.1 Macs
5.2 Windows Computers
5.3 iPads and iPhones
5.4 Linux Computers
6 Backups
6.1 Backing Up the Server using Time Machine
6.2 Backing Up the Server using Carbon Copy Cloner
6.3 Backing Up Macs to the Server
6.4 Backing Up Windows PCs to the Server
7 Profile Manager & Services
7.1 Profile Manager
7.2 Calendar
7.3 Contacts
7.4 Mail
7.5 Messages
7.6 VPN
7.7 Websites
7.8 Wiki
8 Housekeeping And Reporting
8.1 Software Updates
8.2 Monitoring Server Performance
8.3 Alerts
8.4 Log Files
8.5 CCleaner
8.6 Malwarebytes
9 Miscellaneous Topics
9.1 Remote Access to Server
9.2 Using Dropbox With macOS Server
9.3 Accounts Browser
9.4 Printers
9.5 Automatic Startup of Server
9.6 Care and Maintenance of Open Directory
9.7 Internet Router does not supply DHCP
9.8 Certificate Error
9.9 Configuring Additional Storage for RAID
9.10 Link Aggregation for Network Adapters
9.11 DNS Issues