Setup of collaboration on external drive

Question

Hi, I've been using os x since 10.0, but a newbie on server.
As an apple fan I've been drawn to the flame of thinking I could do more because apple makes it easy. So my interest in getting web side collaboration to support small groups with wikis, blogs, mail and calendar. I'm also interested in web apps.
My first install of 10.5 server was Standard and seemed to work, but...
When I got the mini I also purchased a FireWire external 500GB drive to house accumulated data and web development; the mini HD is small. I want the web stuff and new work housed on the external.
For this to work, Apple support said I need to go to Advanced configuration. I've read most of the entries in this forum on 10.5 server and can't thank you all enough for teaching me what to look for and how to read the docs. I have DNS working now fwd/back, Open Directory Master with Kerberos and LDAP directory running.
Set up the Web service with data to point to the external volume named ext/Library/Collaboration. Set up users and groups. Set up the website on the external under /Library/Webserver/domain. The static stuff works.
I set up the site domain to homepage on the external. I set up web service on the site to provide group (not user) wikis, blogs, maillist and calendar. I'm supporting small groups and don't need the individual user blogs. Groups with members was set up with Workgroup Manager and the groups enabled to use the domain for wikis, blogs, maillist and calendar. The groups are sticky in Server Admin and the correct domain is selected in Workgroup Manager. But no folders are created on the external in the /Library/Collaboration folder. When the group is enabled I should see something like Groups, Archived Groups and User folders created on the external drive. This is not happening. They aren't going to the startup drive either. Interestingly, since I haven't set up iCal service yet, there is a Documents folder created under /Library/Calendar/ folder on the startup drive. Which says something is happening. The logs indicate the system couldn't write to the external.
So I set up a share point to the external drive and even added the Everyone group to read&write just to see where the hang up was. No change. I thought this was a permissions issue. After trying different permission arrangements using Teamserver and Directory Admin I restarted and managed to lockout all logins including root.
As for trying server software, I don't think this stuff can be called user friendly yet.
I'm hoping someone has accomplished this small feat and can point me in the right direction.
Thanks,

Answer 1

Whoopie -
Yesterday I was so frustrated. I got my dose of castor oil when for the second time I heard from apple support techs "If you haven't been to school and don't have prior experience 'Advanced Mode' is way over your head". OK, but they weren't willing to give my money back either -- so push on.
With tech support I set up a test group with full mail, calendar and web services. DNS is still confusing because it resolves inside and outside my NAT but doesn't locate the domain only the server. There is no domain A record. A server A record only.
Anyway, I used ditto to move the /Library/Collaboration folders and /Library/CalendarServer folder to the external drive. As I found out, the ditto command preserves resource forks and permissions.
i.e. sudo ditto -rsrcFork /Library/Collaboration /Volumes/ext_HD
just dumped the wiki folders and similarly the calendar documents folder onto the ext_HD (name of external drive) and they show up with the red circled minus sign.
I stopped the web, ical and mail services. Changed the data store locations for web service to /Volumes/ext_HD using the browse tool, and saved, then set the ical data store to the /Volumes/ext_HD/Documents folder and saved.
Started up mail, ical and web services one at a time. Had to use View and Refresh on the web service.
Reset the WGM web service and mail to the testgroup and voila!.
My wikis and group calendar came up and mail was passed successfully. I went to the file sharing panel browsing the ext_HD and there was a new item in the calendar and separately in the weblog folders after I made these through the web site.
I then set up a second group and nothing happened. I added the new group to the webservice for the site panel. I added a previous user to the new group and logged into the wiki with that, made a blog entry and logged out. The new group folder then showed up on the ext_HD and in the calendar/Documents folder on the external drive.
Mail and maillist also found the group wiki. Calendar events were stored as well.
Boy am I happy.
I hope this hasn't bored anyone.
Harry