Client account on Mac mini server?

Hello!
I purchased a Mac mini server (mid-2010) to link all my 5 macs I own in my lab at my university. Basically, I want to use the file sharing and iChat. Since my server will not be running very intensely (no mail, no web), I was thinking of using it also as my main machine in my office. I will create a standard account and install and run all my softwares on the Mac mini server. Is this a good idea? Will I have problems with this setup?
Thanks!

You may not have any trouble.
However, users of the 5 Macs depending on your Mac Mini as a server will probably be neither happy nor productive. Their service will be impacted any time you restart your machine and/or run something that slows it down.

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Mac mini server how many clients serve same time

mac mini server[lion server] how many clients serve same time, the web server, suppose only traffic the web server?
macs/PCs with server OSs designed for work as normal, but more mainly for left on, connected and serve clients on the internet eg web server, mail server? T/F

Thanks for your help. I actually forgot that I posted this and when I saw the email telling me you sent a repsonse I then did another search (using a different phrase) and I found this:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4554036?start=0&tstart=0
I think that is saying that I can do what I am asking.

How to install OSX 10.6 client in Mac Mini Server 10.7 Lion Server

I am ordering a Mac Mini Server with Lion Server 10.7, with 256GB SSD and 750GB HD. I want to use Snow Leopard (client/workstation) instead. Previously I have already purchased retailed version of 10.5 clients and 10.6 client upgrade. Please advise the best approach from the followings (or more suggestions from you guys...).
(A) The boot disk (likely to be the SSD) will be re-formatted and re-installed by "clean" installation of 10.6 client. But I am not sure whether all hardware drivers for the new Mac Mini (2011) are available in the 10.6 client disk. Also, it seems to me that installation disk of 10.7 server will not be provided. So I shall not be able to re-install server version again if I want to change this Mac to a server sometimes afterwards. Of course I would like to keep this server software for investment protection, no matter I use it or not. If 10.6 client can be installed, I shall use bootcamp to install Windows 7 also. So there will be 2 partitions to be usable aparently.
(B) The factory-installed OSX 10.7 server is kept, and one more partition is created (with Disk Utilties). Snow Leopard workstation 10.6 will be installed at this new partition. If 10.6 client can be installed, I shall use bootcamp to install Windows 7 also. So there will be 4 partitions, including 10.7 server, 10.6 client, 10.7 recovery drive and bootcamp for Windows 7. Since I want to put all OS software at the SSD (faster boot-up and better performance), the drawback is that each partition is with less space.
Do you guys have other ideas or suggestions?
[Background]
In fact I want to make use of its strongest computing power (amongst available Mac Mini computers in store), quad-core CPU & dual disks, to run music applications (DAWs). Operating systems are put at SSD, and data is put at traditional harddisk. As some music applications (e.g. Calkwalk Dimension) only support 10.6 currently, I need to down-grade from Lion server to Snow Leopard workstation. Also I think applications can run faster in a hardware with workstation OS (rather than server version). Please correct me if this belief is wrong.
Thanks / Howard.

If you completely wipe the original Mac mini boot drive you will wipe the Server.app software an dlose it. You should make a backup first, perhaps by saving the entire boot drive as a Disk Image file on to another drive.
In terms of install 10.6, the 10.6 DVD will not boot on the new Mac mini even if you connect a DVD drive. You need to put the Mac mini in to FireWire Target Disk Mode and connect it to an older Mac that will allow booting from that DVD, then install on to the Mac mini (over FireWire), you then need to upgrade it using the 10.6.8 Combo Updater this will add the drivers needed for the new Mac mini.

Is it possible to install Lion client on to a Mac mini server?

After seeing benchmark tests on the new Mac mini, the Mac mini server with the i7 processor is obviously much faster. But would there be any issue prohibiting the Lion client from installing on the Mac mini server instead of Lion server?

I'm afraid it's not possible. Or at least not easily. I've spent the last few days trying to do exactly that, as Lion Server doesn't seem to be able to sleep automatically unlike the client. I've followed all the Apple advice on how to 'remove' the Server components, but it's clear looking at a process list that there's still a huge amount of server stuff still there.
If you try to install a retail copy of Lion on the new hardware including 2011 Mini, it will refuse to boot from it - this is a deliberate and in my book completely unnecessary and unreasonable restriction by Apple.
And if you try to re-install Lion using Apple's internet recovery it gives you no choice which you get - it uses your machine details to decide unilaterally that it will reinstall Lion Server as that's what came with the machine.
The only final thing that MIGHT work - and I haven't tried yet - is to find a mate with a new 2011 Mini or Air, use that to do an internet recovery clean install to an external disk drive, then clone that clean install onto the Mini server. If that works, great, but why oh why did an otherwise excellent company like Apple make this so much harder than it was on ANY of their older hardware? It makes no sense at all. Someone should be fired for this nonsense.

Fresh headless install of Lion (client) on Mac Mini (Server)

All,
I have a Mac Mini (Server) with two internal drives. I have successfully been running Lion (client) headless (no monitor or keyboard) for some time since I had originally 10.6 installed and upgraded to 10.7 using the Mac App Store. For backup I nightly clone my primary internal drive to the secondary drive using SuperDuper.
I'm having a problem with my Lion install which means that I want to do a fresh install. I'm stuck as to how to do this. I've tried:
1. Boot from primary disk; run Install Lion app; system reboots, freshly installs the O/S, with Screen Sharing on but doesn't wipe the disk, leaving the problem that I'm trying to get rid off.
2. Boot from the secondary disk; format the primary disk and do a fresh install on the primary disk. However this doesn't work as once the install is underway and it's re-booted onto the primary disk screen sharing is disabled and so I can't see what's going on.
(I know that it's possible to use screen sharing during a server install with no username and the first eight characters of the serial number - but this doesn't work with the Lion client installs.)
Anybody with any ideas?
Thanks in advance - Jonathan.

Here's what I would do. It might be handy to run a keyboard and monitor to the Mini at least during this process.
Reboot into the Recovery partition. Once in, launch Disk Utility. Wipe your boot volume and repartion. Create single partition called 'Server HD'. Now, quit Disk Utility and select the option to reinstall Lion. Install it on your new partition.
This should work just fine for you.

OSX 10.7 Lion (client) on Mac Mini Server?

So you think OS 10.7 Lion client is going to work on a new Mac Mini Server? With all the problems with 10.6.3 Client not working with a Mac Mini server I'm wondering if 10.7 will have all the correct drivers (the SD card drive, and ethernet, and issue with DVD player app.)
Anyway, what do you all think?

Apple has not announced system requirements yet, so anything anyone here can say will just be a guess. My guess is that I can't image that 10.7 won't support 2010 hardware, but again, that's just a guess. We'll have to wait until Apple releases official specifications, which probably won't happen until sometime next spring. Beyond that, there's nothing more we can say.
The workstation version of 10.6 works fine on the Server version of the Mac mini if you can get a copy of the disk that shipped with the non-server mini. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until Apple ships a newer version of the retail CD, one with 10.6.4 or later.
Regards.

Time machine client backup restore to a new mac mini server?

I just bought a new Mac Mini server and its up and running. My question is can I restore the Time Machine backup from my MacBook Pro to the server drive? When I select restore it wants to erase the server drive, is that a good idea?

This is a bit of a guess... But I Imagine you would have to start with the workstation OS install DVD first, and go from there at the appropriate point. Any chance you have or could make a CCC backup instead? I am assuming you could boot a mini server from a backup of mini non-server. Then you could copy it over. This is probably worth a phone call to Apple TAC

Mac Mini Server VPN-Window 7 client

Hi,
The VPN connection from MacBookPro to Mac Mini Server (2011 with Mountain Lion 10.8.2) VPN works like magic. But, I never had any luck with any of Windows 7 laptops. Could any one take me to a good link to the Windows 7 VPN setup instruction?
Thank you so much in advance for your time reading this.
Best,
Michael

Heh Michael
I got this working using the settings in the screenshots below. I know I had a heck of a time trying to make it work but it does using these for me. Sometimes on the first connection it rejects the credentials, but on the second time it connects - no idea why. Hope this helps:

Cannot use my Mac Mini server as Time Machine server

Hello,
May some one can help me...
I try to connect clients to a time Machine server, well it's seems to be a bit difficult, I created user's accounts, computers accounts, group of computers... It works for the update services, but after configuring Time Machine on the server, shared in server admin, in Workgroup manager, file sharing, preference pane, user's services... I can see the volume in time machine preferences, but there is always the same issue, first message is "the disk is not reachable" second "there is a probleme with the network name and password" I tried with different posix, ACLS, with user's password, server admin password, directory admin password... Well I'm a bit tired...
I tried on the server and on a Promise 4To, I can see the shared items folder and the Backups foledr and that the only thing I can do...
Well if some one can help me it will be great for me and for every body arround me...
Thanks,
Nicolas

Hello Peter,
Thanks for your answer.
There must be something wrong in the different steps I follow.
Firts I set Time machine on the server for each user, shoosing the Volume "SmartStor" (a network volume attached on the Mac Mini server) it creates a "Shared items" folder with a "Backups" folder in.
In Server Admin tools I can see in the AFP services the share point /Backups
In Workgroup Manager I set the Time Machine's preferences for the different computers and computers' group with the path afp://myserver.local/Backups/
At least on my client's computer I can shoose the volume "Backups" "on my server".
And it doesn't work... even with all the logins and password, User's, Dir Admin and Server Admin.
With User's and Dir Admin it runs quickly and tells "the volume is not reachable on account of wrong user's name or password"
With Server Admin login and password it runs indefinitly, nothing occurs ...
Is there something to do in terminal ?
Well I tried to find explanations on the web but I found nothing for the moment... The informations are to set a network volume in Terminal in place of the default one...
'Hope to find soon, I can't stand that something runs for every one but not with me...

Remote email access on mac mini server

I hope someone on here can provide a solution to our problem.
Over theweekend we changed our server from an old Microsoft (circa 2003) one running Exchange 2003 to an Apple mac mini server running Lion OSX Server.
Despite some inevitable issues we are now live. It is a small office with about 6 users. Theserver is mostly used to control access, act as a file server and an email /contacts / calendar server.
We have converted from MS products to Apple mail, ical, address book.
Users need to access mail on their iphones when out and about and also using laptops when out / at home.
There’s the background – here’s the problem.
Our domain,ourcompany.co.uk, is with 1&1. The website is hosted by 1&1.
The MX records have been updated to deliver all mail to a spam filtering service. This spam filtering service then delivers the mail, using SMTP, to our external IP address 81.137.xxx.yyy
We have set up our mac mini server with a host name of : macserver.ourcompany.co.uk (choosingthe “Host name for internet” option of the 3 available during initial setup).
We can access mail fine – but only when in the office and logged on to the server
The question is– how do we configure the mail / server so that we can access mail remotely?
In the MS environment we pointed to the external IP (81.137.xxx.yyy) and supplied the domain name (ourcompany.local for an ipad / iphone or sbserver.ourcompany.localfor Outlook).
Can anyone who has successfully implemented a Lion server environment please offer us any advice.
Many thanks in anticipation.

Thanks for the suggestions.
I sort of have it working. The problem was I had incorrectly assumed that on the iphone / ipad I needed to use the MS Exchange type option to set up the email clients as I thought I would need to include the domain details.
Whilst trying to find a workaround solution I set up an IMAP account on my iphone whilst at home and ping, ping . . . all my mail arrived in my inbox.
I'm using my ISP's SMTP server for outgoing so major problems now solved - thanks for the help.
Now though a few strange things.
In an iphone we use the external IP address as the incoming mail server to receive email - this works fine in the office and when away unless . . . it's connected inside the office using wifi.
Similarly, on my macbook when I'm away having the IP address for incomain mail server works fine. When I'm in the office though I need to set it to mail.macserver.ourcompany.co.uk
Any ideas why when in the office an connected to the network it doesn't like the external IP as the incoming mail server but it works fine when away from the network?

Setup VPN on Mac Mini Server running OSX through a BT Hub Router

Hello everyone,
I know this question has been posted several times and I have looked at the suggested solutions, trying each of them. I think this is really down to my lack of knowledge hence hoping someone out there could point me to the right direction for more resources / information, please.
I am trying to setup a Mac Mini Server with VPN access. My server sits behind a BT Hub router. These are the steps that I have been through:
1. I am using the server app and after registering a free account with no-ip, I got myself a host name <myname>.ddns.net.
2. Then I setup the server using a domain name
3. I configured the DNS by first setting up a primary zone - zone: ddns.net. Then added machine record host name: <myname> pointing to my server which I have configured my router to assign a static ip address to it at 192.168.x.x
4. Then, I configured the VPN setting up for L2TP and PPTP, setup the shared secret, change the ip address range to match that of the DHCP range on my router. My router by default has a DHCP range between 64 - 253.
5. Then, I also configured my router to port forward 500, 1701, 1723, and 4500 to my server at 192.168.x.x (I selected both TCP and UDP).
6. Finally, setup a user account with account name test and password abcd12345
7. Gone on my "client" machine which is basically my Samsung S4 handphone, selected VPN -> PPTP -> server address: <myname>.ddns.net -> entered account name test and password abcd12345.
This didn't work.
Then, I read some post about manually configure DHCP on the server app. Went on the server app, turned on DHCP and setup a network named TestDHCP. Assigned ip address range between that of the default DHCP range on my BT Hub router.
This does not work either.
Could someone please kindly help me with it? I am completely lost.
Thank you in advance.

To run a public VPN server behind an NAT gateway, you need to do the following:
1. Give the gateway either a static external address or a dynamic DNS name. The latter must be a DNS record on a public DNS registrar, not on the server itself. Also in the latter case, you must run a background process to keep the DNS record up to date when your IP address changes.
2. Give the VPN server a static address on the local network, and a hostname that is not in the top-level domain "local" (which is reserved for Bonjour.)
3. Forward external UDP ports 500, 1701, and 4500 (for L2TP) and TCP port 1723 (for PPTP) to the corresponding ports on the VPN server.
If your router is an Apple device, select the Network tab in AirPort Utility and click Network Options. In the sheet that opens, check the box marked
Allow incoming IPSec authentication
if it's not already checked, and save the change.
With a third-party router, there may be a similar setting.
4. Configure any firewall in use to pass this traffic.
5. Each client must have an address on a netblock that doesn't overlap the one assigned by the VPN endpoint. For example, if the endpoint assigns addresses in the 10.0.0.0/24 range, and the client has an address on a local network in the 10.0.1.0/24 range, that's OK, but if the local network is 10.0.1.0/16, there will be a conflict. To lessen the chance of such conflicts, it's best to assign addresses in a random sub-block of 10.0.0.0./0 with a 24-bit netmask.
6. "Back to My Mac" is incompatible with the VPN service. It must be disabled both on the server and on an AirPort router, if applicable.
If the server is directly connected to the Internet, see this blog post.

Mac mini Server Contacts Error

We got a new Mac mini Server with Mac OS X 10.8 on friday the setup was fun and easy and I had no problems getting the clients to acces the shared files and backup to the server via TimeMachine.
I also want the contacts that are hosted on the server to be accessed by the clients and any changes that are made to be pushed back to the server.
I enabled Contact Sharing on the server and added "server.local" to the clients Accounts in the Contacts app. I use one Account for all the clients to authenticate themselfs when fetching the contacts and at first it seemed to work and two clients got the Contacts to sync.
Today I get a little exclamation-triangle beside "Server" in the Contacts.app and when I click on it to resolve the issue the error I get is:
The operation couldn’t be completed. (CoreDAVHTTPStatusErrorDomain error 404.)
I have googled this extensivly and found nothing relating to my issue, some other devs seem to be getting the same issue when using 3rd party Contact and Calender servers but nothing related to Mac OS X 10.8 Server.
I believ that the issue is somewhere in the authentication from the servers to the Server but I can not pinpoint the issue.
I am useing port 433 (standart nothing I defined) and SSL (checked without SSL but no change)
Any help would be apreciated.

Hi Nicolas,
If you don't get an answer here you might try in the Server forums...
https://discussions.apple.com/community/servers_enterprise_software

Mac mini server problems

okay I purchased a mac mini server MC408LL/A Serial YM943035B9X off ebay
which is probably my first problem.
It says its new and its in the box and all. I turn it on, it needed a wired keyboard and mouse. well I've borrowed them. So then it cycles me through installation. Asked for a product serial number, so I input the osx 10.6 server unlimited client that is the only product code in the package. I put it in, it restarted and then put me to a screen that says mac osx server v10.6 and asks me for a name and password. I don't know what to do from this point at all. I never set an admin name and password. It asked me for my name and my company name and that isn't working for a name and password. help

well, for a few mins I got confused on the raid set. I now see that I was seeing things wrong, or it was wrong and then was fixed by disk utility perhaps. it seems that disk utility helped a lot more in this situation than I've ever seen on older macs.
so, i did achieve a very very slow network boot. but the air drive seems to work well. too bad I'll only use it once in my life. i rarely use cds. the one issue that I have right now, after doing the wipe and reinstall, was the fear that I did something wrong to the raids. and fear of setting up the server aspect wrong. it looks like 200 different drives or folders on the network, and I have to keep my keychain handy. I don't think i could have done this without the macbookpro, especially for emergency advice in the forums. Thank you forum gawds
But JJ, you probably know more than me on the subject. I wasn't able to migrate. It kept giving me grief about accounts having the same name. So everything I'm doing by hand, except my acrobat won't work without the box serial. I certainly don't know where that is, and I use my acrobat every day. So now its all about updates for me. Hope your set up went well Hope you had a wired keyboard in the place where all unused equipment lives.

How to set up my mac mini server to use two drives seamlessly?

I have a mid 2010 mac mini server, with OSX Lion installed. It has dual 500gb hard drives.
I've been moving all my important files to it, and I've always assumed that once I filled one disc, it would seamlessly transfer over to the other and continue backing up. This does not seem to be the case.
I'm at roughly 495gb of data, and when I try to move a 10gb file onto my server, it tells me that I don't have enough disc space to continue the operation.
What can I do to make use of both drives?
-Thanks

It sounds like what you're asking for is to have the two drives in a RAID 0, where the two 500 Gb drives look like a single 1 Tb drive. I'm not sure the exact procedure for installing RAID 0 on a mini's internal drives, but the process would involve backing up, reconfiguring for RAID (which destroys all data,) restoring data from the backup, and more risk than I would personally find acceptable. I'd expect to lose a full day with the backup and restore steps. I can guarantee, there will be pain.
Instead, I'd suggest looking at what's consuming the 500Gb, and seeing if there are particular folders that can be moved. For example, a shared folder is pretty easy. Copy it over. In file sharing setup, edit the share to point to the new location. Make sure remote users disconnect, and reconnect to the "new" share. When you're happy there is no data loss, delete the old location.
User's home directories can also move, but the process has a few more steps, and depends on how the accounts are built (local vs. OD)
If the majority of the data is in a single "your backup files" folder, shared or otherwise, then I would just set up a second folder on the second drive and write to it, leaving the first alone. If it is truly a backup, then you could make the first folder read-only at this point for extra protection. If you go the 2 folder route, keep in mind your boot drive is operating with 1% free space, I like my drives to have at least 15% free, and OS drives more like 25% (you'll find some range in recommended %-free, but most will agree 1% is too little) so move SOME stuff to the new folder, before closing the old.

Using a Mac Mini Server as a traditional stand alone desktop

Hello all, currently I have a late 2008 model 17" MacBook pro, Time Capsule, Apple TV and an Iphone 3GS and Ipod Traditional. I would like to add a desktop system to coordinate all of these items, to be the centerpiece is you will, in my home. I'm interested in buying a mac mini, I began to do research however and saw the Mac Mini Server which has greater memory capacity 4GB vs 2GB RAM, and dual 500Gb vs the standard Mac Mini which has one at 320GB. I would like to take advantage of these upgrades as I'm a writer and will be constantly on the web for work as well as likely keep a lot of items on the hard drive.
However I noticed the Mac Mini server utilizes Mac OSX snow leopard SERVER as opposed to the user grade Mac OSX. *My question is if the Mac Mini Server with MAC OSX server can still be used as a stand alone desktop, connecting it to a spare LCD television I have and a mac wireless keyboard/mouse?*
I'm aware that unlike the other mac mini and imacs it does not come with ilife and other pre-installed software, and *I want to know if it's still possible to purchase after market and install said software utilizing them in the traditional manor?*
Thank you in advance for any feedback you can provide and I apologize if my question was difficult to comprehend due to my lack of computer knowledge. I also apologize if this question is similar to others you've received lately as I did a quick scan of google and these forums and did not seem to find the specific answer I was looking for.

Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Let me clear up a misperception that you have. Both the Mac mini and the Mac mini Server have a capacity to address 8 GB of RAM. There are two SO-DIMM slots in each model. The mac mini comes preconfigured by Apple with 2 GB of RAM (2 x 1 GB). The mini Server comes preconfigured with 4 GB of RAM (2 x 2 GB). You can buy and install yourself up to 8 GB of RAM (2 x 4 GB).
You can even install Mac OS X Snow Leopard client, which will meet your needs a bit better than Server, now that folks have figured out how to do it;
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2539663&tstart=0
And yes you can buy and install iLife, and pretty much everything else that you want to include in your kit. Either model of mini works fine with wireless keyboards and mouses. If your LCD TV has an HDMI port, then a simple HDMI to HDMI cable would be the simplest manner to connect it to the mini.
Dah•veed

Client account on Mac mini server?

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