Apple seeds new OS X Server 4.0 preview for testing ahead of OS X Yosemite launch

Posted:
in macOS edited November 2014
Apple on Wednesday released to developers a new version of OS X Server 4.0 carrying improvements to previously announced features, including SMB3 file sharing and new management options for devices running iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.




According to the seed notes, Apple's latest OS X Server 4.0 build 14S323 brings a number of improvements to built-in systems like the server app, File Sharing and Profile Manager, all of which are designed to work with the upcoming OS X 10.10 Yosemite release.

Of note to enterprise users are Profile Manager features specific to Apple's recently released iOS 8 mobile operating system. With OS X Server 4.0, administrators have access to new payload settings and Mobile Device Management rules pertaining to cross-platform Continuity features introduced with iOS 8 and the forthcoming Yosemite. Along with tools offered in Apple Configurator 1.7, the new features offer more granular control over issued devices running the latest Apple software.

Apple requests developers to test upgrade and migration from OS X Snow Leopard and higher, as well as Xsan functionality.

Today's update comes one day after Apple issued the second OS X 10.10 Yosemite golden master build to developers, suggesting that the next-generation Mac OS will soon see public release.

Developers can download the latest OS X Server 4.0 release via Apple's Mac Dev Center.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,239member

    I would like it if Cook's Apple would make a sustained, long-term effort to get Macs into business environments. I think I perceive a greater willingness among corporate IT types to consider supporting Macs than there was 10 years ago. But it's not going to happen without a sustained push from Apple. 

     

    I hope this is a step in that direction. 

  • Reply 2 of 9
    I run a Mac server in a business environment with both PCs and Macs running off it and it's really good. Where I wish Apple would concentrate more is on releasing software that isn't so buggy. I'm not going to buy an iPhone 6 until they fix iOS 8.
  • Reply 3 of 9
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by Blastdoor View Post

    I would like it if Cook's Apple would make a sustained, long-term effort to get Macs into business environments. I think I perceive a greater willingness among corporate IT types to consider supporting Macs than there was 10 years ago. But it's not going to happen without a sustained push from Apple. 

     

    The IBM collaboration gives me hope for this, but honestly it’s Apple’s game to lose. And they’re losing big time.

     

    Everything is weighted in their favor. Macs require FAR less maintenance, have FAR less down time, last FAR longer, all equating to FAR less lost revenue for whatever company rolls them out. Coupled with iOS in mobile use cases, I can see no sane reason for any company not to migrate to the ecosystem and fear for the intelligence–and future–of corporations who do not. That Apple is not running away with this proven information is their problem.

  • Reply 4 of 9
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,796member
    I'd like to see a real Server OS (like 10.6 Server), not an add-on to an existing desktop OS.

    They also need to fix Remote Desktop. It needs to be totally re-written. The app now is basically unusable which sucks because it used to be a really good app.
  • Reply 5 of 9

    Well they did make a valiant run with Xserve but I think commodity servers running Linux have taken that market from Apple. Whether that is good or bad is almost beside the point, it is just the reality.

  • Reply 6 of 9
    dacloodacloo Posts: 890member
    [quote]I run a Mac server in a business environment with both PCs and Macs running off it and it's really good. Where I wish Apple would concentrate more is on releasing software that isn't so buggy. I'm not going to buy an iPhone 6 until they fix iOS 8.[/quote]

    Unrelated. There's an iOS section on this forum to discuss these matters. In that case, I'd suggest to elaborate.


    [quote=tallest skil]
    The IBM collaboration gives me hope for this, but honestly it's Apple's game to lose. And they're losing big time.

    Everything is weighted in their favor. Macs require FAR less maintenance, have FAR less down time, last FAR longer, all equating to FAR less lost revenue for whatever company rolls them out. Coupled with iOS in mobile use cases, I can see no sane reason for any company not to migrate to the ecosystem and fear for the intelligence-and future-of corporations who do not. That Apple is not running away with this proven information is their problem.
    [/quote]

    True. I see Synology making great strides in that field. Apple has almost everything in place already, so why not take the next step? They just need a server hardware product, and maybe a very good web interface to control the server in detail.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    fdogfdog Posts: 7member

    I think what bugs me the most about articles like this, given my paying apple dev fees and all, is that the only way I find out about this stuff since I briefly let my dev subscription lapse  is by reading appleinsider et al.  

     

    Used to get dev emails just prior to the lapse, but not any more...  Even Apple couldn't seem to come up with a fix for it, nor even figure out if they were even sending out any such emails any more, they seemed pretty clueless about the whole thing.

     

    Seems kind of like Barnes & Noble, if you let your membership lapse, away go the member extra discount coupons, you may get lucky if you bug them, or you may not.

  • Reply 8 of 9
    looplessloopless Posts: 324member
    If you just want a "linux" style commodity server for your network, then a Synology NAS works just great. Apple can't compete in that area. OS X server is targeted at a mainly Apple ecosystem where you need to manage Macs and iOS devices.
  • Reply 9 of 9

    OS X Server is very much a real server OS.  Mac OS Server 10.6 used the same codebase as the client version, so what Apple did was simply make the server components a download that can be installed from the Mac App Store, rather than selling two versions of the OS which were identical, except for the Server Admin, Workgroup Manager, and some other tidbits.

     

    So OS X Server is still definitely a server OS.  What I would like to see, though, is a full-featured e-mail server akin to MS Exchange included.  Apple makes most of their money by selling hardware, so they can more than afford to sell OS X Server for $19.99 and include a full-featured e-mail server.  All Apple needs to do now, pretty much, as another poster has said, is bring back a dedicated enterprise hardware product.  They also need to beef up their support offerings to enterprise, and they will have a great setup.

     

    Oh, and one more thing!  Apple should add full Active Directory Domain Controller support to OS X Server, and remove Open Directory.  This way, OS X Server can host Windows domains, as well as serve up configuration profiles to Mac and iOS devices via Profile Manager.  Open Directory is old technology and most setups have moved past it to Active Directory.  With this kind of setup, Apple can create a better Windows than Windows, while also tying in their Mac and iOS devices!

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