Mac Server newbie

Question

So, I'm brand new to Mac OS X Server.  I have a Dual 2.5 GHz PowerPC G5 with 8GBs of RAM that has recently been replaced by an iMac.  It's still in great shape considering its age (almost 8 years old) and I'd rather try and re-use it for something.  This is where I need advice.  Obviously, the PPC G5 is only running Leopard, when my iMac and MacBook Pro are both running Snow Leopard.  Since, I could only use Leopard Server on the G5, is it possible to use this as a server with newer operating systems?

Answer 1

Hi
Sounds like an extremely simple and small network? One of the questions you really have to ask yourself is "Do you really need a Server?." You have to be sure you're prepared for the steep learning curves that will follow if your answer is Yes.
DNS = Domain Name System.
You may not know exactly what it means or even be fully aware of it, but you are using it (as is everyone else) nonetheless. It's the 'oil' (as a simple analogy) that makes the internet and email work, as well as practically every single server that's either available publicly or privately. At its heart it's simply the ability to resolve names to numbers and numbers to names - if you like - www.microsoft.com to 207.46.232.182. Similarly when someone sends you an email you may only see it as [email protected]. In reality and as far as mail servers are concerned it's really yourname@mailserver'sIPaddress.
Simply Googling "DNS Explained" reveals a whole host of sites that will explain what it is and how it may be used depending on your requirements and what you're trying to achieve:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcaJ1Vp_Ntg
http://www.cricketondns.com/
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/284
http://kb.mediatemple.net/questions/791/DNS+Explained
http://www.bind9.net/
The above are just some. You could Google for more yourself. Apple kindly make available a whole host of Server Administration Manuals specifically for newcomers to OSX Server such as yourself:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Mac_OSX_Server_v10.6_Getting_Started.pdf
The above is a fairly gentle introduction which you should read. The rest of them are here:
http://support.apple.com/manuals/#serversandenterprisesoftware
These manuals are not really specific to anything you may or may not require. It's hard to see how they can be anything else? However there should be enough there to give you some idea of what it means to administer your own server? It should also be made clear that hardly of the manuals will teach you anything specific about how the internet and email works, how DNS works, how networks work and TCP/IP works as well as Routers, Firewalls, VPNs and switches. All of these - as well as other skills - you'll have to bring to the table yourself.
You should consider enrolling into an approved Server Support Course assuming such are available in your area?
HTH?
Tony