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| What is Mac OS X Server? When will Mac OS X Server be available? Who is the target customer for Mac OS X Server? Is Mac OS X Server the same as Mac OS X? How does Mac OS X Server differ from AppleShare IP? How does Mac OS X Server provide greater scalability than AppleShare IP? Will there be future releases of Mac OS X Server? Will there be future releases of AppleShare IP? What is the foundation for Mac OS X Server? Is Mac OS X Server based on UNIX? Does Mac OS X Server use a command line interface? Does configuring Mac OS X Server require editing configuration files? Does Mac OS X Server support remote administration? What are the key services provided with Mac OS X Server? | What is Apache? What version of Apache is included in Mac OS X Server? How is Apache administered? What is WebObjects? Which version of WebObjects is included with Mac OS X Server? What is NetBoot? Which Apple file services are included? Can I transfer my AppleShare IP user and group information to Mac OS X Server? Does Mac OS X Server support Windows clients via SMB file sharing? Is QuickTime streaming available with Mac OS X Server? Is print spooling available? How many clients can Mac OS X Server support? Can Mac OS X Server run all these services at the same time? Do all these services use the same user and group information? | ||||||||
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| Q. What is Mac OS X Server? A. Mac OS X Server is the first in a line of new server software products that demonstrate Apple's commitment to providing servers that meet the needs of its customers. The first release of Mac OS X Server will be available in both software and hardware configurations. It is the first product built on the core technology of Mac OS X, the desktop operating system scheduled for later in 1999. It includes innovative services such as the Apache Web server, WebObjects application server, NetBoot workgroup management technology, and Apple file services. Q. When will Mac OS X Server be available? A. Mac OS X Server is now available in English in the U.S. and Canada. It is scheduled to be available worldwide in April in English, Japanese, French, and German. Q. Who is the target customer for Mac OS X Server? A. Mac OS X Server is designed for use by experienced system and network administrators, who typically have had previous experience with configuring and managing at least two of the following: • AppleShare IP and At Ease for Workgroups • complicated networks, including routing between subnets • other UNIX servers, such as Solaris and Linux Q. Is Mac OS X Server the same as Mac OS X? A. No. The client (end-user) version of the Mac OS X operating system is scheduled to be available at the end of the year. While Mac OS X will include an upgraded version of the Mac OS X Server foundation, the user experience will be optimized for a desktop operating system and will be more familiar to today's Mac OS users. Unlike Mac OS X, Mac OS X Server does not include Carbon, the technology for porting today's Macintosh applications to the new foundation. Q. How does Mac OS X Server differ from AppleShare IP? A. The two servers offer different types of services. AppleShare IP is a general-purpose server that includes a fully integrated set of services based on the familiar Mac OS 8.5 operating system, delivering high performance and exceptional ease of use. Some key services are unique to AppleShare IP, such as mail servers, SMB support, and firewalls. Mac OS X Server provides innovative services such as an Apache Web server, WebObjects network application services, and the revolutionary new NetBoot server software for easily managing numerous Mac systems. Mac OS X Server provides these services through a powerful core operating system, which features advanced capabilities such as preemptive multitasking and protected memory for incredible stability and scalability. Q. How does Mac OS X Server provide greater scalability than AppleShare IP? A. Mac OS X Server is scalable in three key ways: • The core system supports over 1,000 simultaneous user connections. • The multithreaded file system can handle over 4,000 open files per process. • Advanced networking provides support for multiple 100-megabit-per-second network interface cards, allowing simultaneous full-bandwidth file transfers across multiple subnets. Q. Will there be future releases of Mac OS X Server? A. Yes. Mac OS X Server lays the foundation for Apple's future server software. Over time, it will incorporate features currently available only in AppleShare IP. Mac OS X Server will evolve into a bundle of services built on top of Mac OS X, similar to the way AppleShare IP currently builds services on top of Mac OS 8. Q. Will there be future releases of AppleShare IP? A. Yes, but Apple is not announcing specific plans at this time. Over time, Mac OS X Server will incorporate identical or equivalent functionality to AppleShare IP, and will become Apple's sole server operating system product. Q. Is Mac OS X Server the same as Rhapsody? A. No. Mac OS X Server leverages a number of the technologies formerly called Rhapsody. In addition, it includes some innovative services that were not part of the original Rhapsody project. Q. What is the foundation for Mac OS X Server? A. Mac OS X Server is based on a Mach microkernel that roughly corresponds to Mach 2.5. This microkernel is integrated with an implementation of BSD 4.4 to provide a full UNIX-style operating environment. Q. Is Mac OS X Server based on UNIX? A. Mac OS X Server is built on UNIX technologies, implementing most of the POSIX APIs, which makes it easy to port UNIX applications, particularly those from a BSD heritage. The main exception is applications with a graphical user interface, because Mac OS X Server doesn't include the X Window System UI toolkits. Mac OS X Server is built around a graphical interface, unlike traditional UNIX systems that rely on the command line. However, Mac OS X Server cannot be called a UNIX operating system, as it does not fully comply with the POSIX and X/OPEN specifications required for use of the UNIX trademark. Q. Does Mac OS X Server use a command line interface? A. The primary interface is a Mac-like user interface, allowing administration with graphical tools. For administrators who prefer the command line interface or make use of Telnet/rlogin for remote administration, a Terminal application and several UNIX shells are included, as well as standard tools such as NFS, FTP, Perl, Tcl, and Emacs. Q. Does configuring Mac OS X Server require editing configuration files? A. No. Mac OS X Server provides a friendly Setup Assistant and a rich set of graphical administration tools. Editing configuration files is not required for basic use of any of the core ser vices. However, certain UNIX-derived services such as Apache use their existing configuration files for advanced administration. Q. Does Mac OS X Server support remote administration? A. Yes. There are currently several options, each suited to different purposes. Users, groups, and mountable volumes can be managed via a web-based remote-administration tool, similar to the one in AppleShare IP Configuration information can also be managed from another Mac OS X Server system via NetInfo, the built-in Network Directory Service. In addition, UNIX-savvy system administrators can enable Telnet for command line-based remote administration. Q. What are the key services provided with Mac OS X Server? A. There are four primary services in this release of Mac OS X Server: • Apache Web server • WebObjects network application services • NetBoot and Macintosh Management server software for workgroup administration • Apple file services Q. What is Apache? A. Apache is today's most popular Web server, serving over half of the public Web sites on the Internet. Apache is an open-source HTTP server developed by the Apache Group (www.apache.org). The Apache source code is freely available, making it easy for a large community to assist in fixing bugs, porting to new platforms, and customizing for special purposes. Q. What version of Apache is included in Mac OS X Server? A. Mac OS X Server includes Apache 1.3.4, the latest version available at the time of release. We are working with the Apache Group to ensure that future versions of Apache will compile directly on Mac OS X Server. Q. How is Apache administered? A. Basic administration of Apache is very simple. The Setup Assistant and control panels allow for easy on/off configuration, as well as selection of the hostname and documents director y. For advanced configuration, you can edit the same configuration files used by Apache on other platforms. Q. What is WebObjects? A. WebObjects is the industry's leading application server, with a flexible, scalable architecture for creating and deploying network applications. WebObjects provides a dynamic object-oriented environment for creating applications that can draw their data from a database server and run their user interface on any standard Web browser. WebObjects makes it easy to develop personalized content, e-commerce solutions, and MIS applications. For more information, see www.apple.com/webobjects. Q. Which version of WebObjects is included with Mac OS X Server? A. Mac OS X Server includes WebObjects 4.0.1, along with a 50-transaction-per-minute deployment license. The deployment license can be used for testing or for low-volume usage, or it can be upgraded for full-scale Internet deployment. For the first release of Mac OS X Server, Apple is including all of the WebObjects developer tools. These tools can be used for compiling WebObjects network applications, database client/server applications, or UNIX server applications. The included license covers only the tools and runtimes for Mac OS X Server. WebObjects 4.0.1 for Windows NT and UNIX platforms will continue to be available as a separate product. Q. What is NetBoot? A. NetBoot is a revolutionary Apple technology for managing Macintosh networks. System and user files are stored on the server, bypassing the local hard disk drive, thus making it easy to centrally administer large networks of Macintosh clients. Mac OS X Server also includes Macin-tosh Manager, a tool for allowing users of both NetBoot and non-NetBoot client computers to access their personal files and desktop environment from anywhere on the network. Q. Which Apple file services are included? A. Mac OS X Server includes a high-performance native implementation of AFP, the Apple File Protocol, allowing it to share HFS Plus volumes with any AppleShare client over TCP/IP or AppleTalk. You need to update client systems to the latest AppleShare client (version 3.8.2 or later) to ensure reliability, performance, and security. User, group, and mountable volume information can be managed remotely using a Web-based remote-administration tool, similar to the one in AppleShare IP. Q. Can I transfer my AppleShare IP user and group information to Mac OS X Server? A. Yes. AppleShare IP includes the ability to export its user information, which can then be imported into Mac OS X Server. It does not export passwords and group information, however, so that information will need to be recreated. Q. Does Mac OS X Server support Windows clients via SMB file sharing? A. This version does not provide integrated support for native Windows (SMB) file sharing. However, Mac OS X Server can support Windows clients that function as AppleShare clients. Several third-party solutions should be available, including the free SAMBA server. Q. Is QuickTime streaming available with Mac OS X Server? A. A preview version of the QuickTime Streaming Server was included with Mac OS X Server. The final version of this software was released by Apple 19 April 1999 and is available for downloading from Apple Software Updates Online. Please see Software Updates Document Number 11366, or use the following URL to access the article directly: http://asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n11356 QuickTime 4 is required to view movies streamed by QuickTime Streaming Server. QuickTime 4 Pro is required to created streaming movies. Q. Is print spooling available? A. Yes. Macintosh customers can use the Desktop Printer Utility LPR support to connect to a Mac OS X Server print spooler. Mac OS X Server can spool files to any PostScript-capable network printer over either AppleTalk or TCP/IP. There are also a number of third-party print-spooling products available for the publishing industry. Q. How many clients can Mac OS X Server support? A. The Macintosh Server G3 with Mac OS X Server configuration running a single service, if properly configured, can support: • Millions of Web transactions a day • Approximately 50 NetBoot clients • Over a thousand AppleShare clients • Thousands of Macintosh Manager clients The actual number of clients supported depends on your network environment, usage scenarios, and hardware configuration. Q. Can Mac OS X Server run all these services at the same time? A. Not quite. Thanks to the power of preemptive multitasking, you can efficiently run multiple services on a single server. However, this requires more memory than running a single service, and it reduces the maximum load sustainable by any given service. The exact details depend strongly on your usage patterns. More information on optimal configurations will be available in Apple's Tech Info Library at til.info.apple.com. Q. Do all these services use the same user and group information? A. No. Apple file services (and NFS) use the native users and groups based on NetInfo, allowing the information to be shared among computers. Macintosh Manager maintains its own user and group information, as does Apache. WebObjects applications can be designed to work with Apache users and groups, but often verify against the underlying database used by the application. | |||||||||