So, the rumors were true. Or they weren’t. Or both.
According to Apple’s website, there will, in fact, be a Lion Server. However, it seems that it will not be sold in its own box, but rather Lion server is going to be a component of Mac OS X Lion.
Currently, there are only four paragraphs and three low-resolution screenshots available to the general public, but here’s what I’ve been able to glean.
- There will be no separate Server OS. Lion Server is a set of tools in Mac OS X Lion.
- Profile Manager – A system for “profile-based setup and management for Mac OS X Lion” and iOS. From the screenshot, it looks like Lion Server will provide iPhone Configuration Utility functionality for both iOS and Mac OS X Lion.
- Wiki – Apple devotes one of the four paragraphs to this item. They mention Podcasts, so this admin assumes that Podcast Producer or its replacement will be present.
- Wireless File Sharing for iPad (via WebDAV- another paragraph is devoted to this item. Only the iPad is specifically referenced.
- Other services mentioned: Users and groups, Push notifications, File sharing, Calendaring, Mail, Contacts, Chat, Time Machine, VPN, Web
My questions…
- What is a “profile” as defined by Profile Manager and what is configured and contained in/by it?
- Is wireless file sharing for iPad truly for iPad only? Is this an oversight in the Lion preview info, or are iPhones and iPod Touch devices left out in the cold by this feature?
- Does “users and groups” refer to the next iteration of Open Directory? I’d assume so, but Apple often surprises us.
- Since Lion Server is a component of the client OS, are there any charges for it? This seems unlikely unless Apple is changing its model. One possibility (and pure speculation on this Admin’s part) is that the server components could be a paid download from the Mac App Store. I doubt that Apple would introduce CALs.
To me, it makes sense that Lion Server is part of, or an add-on to, the client OS. Mac OS X Server has always been a superset of Mac OS X.
Apple’s Mac OS X Lion page:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/
The Mac Admin 