Apple recently released the newest version of OS X: 10.8 Mountain Lion. They also introduced the new Mountain Lion Server, and I had a chance to upgrade and test it on my Mac mini Server at home. The previous upgrade process for Lion Server involved purchasing and downloading 10.7 and 10.7 Server and then installing them together.
With 10.8, this process has changed. You now upgrade to 10.8, and then download and install Server after the fact. Upon installation, it reads and imports the previous server settings. If you are doing this upgrade, make sure to have a clone backup before you start, and I also recommend backing up your Open Directory and independently backing up your OD users and groups just in case.
The biggest change is the disappearance of the Server Admin tool. Its functionality has been folded into the Server app itself. Workgroup Manager lives on, now a standalone installer. In an office setup, I also recommend purchasing and installing Apple Remote Desktop for remote management of client machines, although it doesn’t have to live on the server.
I will be doing more testing and setup in the future, and I will report back to Tech Tails after I do my first Mountain Lion upgrade on a working server for one of my clients this week.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this version performs and whether it makes server administration easier. If you need help with setting up or running a Mac server, we have talented consultants who can lend a hand (or paw).