Creating a Mac mini server at home, looking for suggestions...

[Finnegan_Murphy]

I am running into issues at home with multiple Macs, multiple users, storage issues, and managing updates. I know enough about all of this to be dangerous.

What would be the best way to manage all this using Mac server? What I envision is each user being able to use any device (iMac, several MacBook Pros, several MacBook Airs) and login to an iCloud-associated account pulled down from the server. I want their Photos and Music libraries stored centrally and accessible from any device into which they they login. I want to be able to push updates to the attached devices from the server (and not rely on multiple teenagers and a wife who never update their computer).

I do not need media streaming or storage outside of the individual accounts’ Photos and downloaded Apple Music libraries, nor do I have any reason to use HomeBridge for non-HomeKit devices.

My thoughts are using a new Mac mini running Mac Server with some sort of external HD setup (a Drobo, maybe?) attached to the network via Ethernet.

Is this possible, and where would I go to find instructions on setting it up?

 

[adam9c1]

One thing you can do is utilize the Mini for content caching, and also enable iCloud content caching.
This will accomplish several things:
Save on bandwidth (all clients will communicate with the server first before they reach the App Store or iCloud) If the content is local on your network it will be downloaded, if it is not local the server will download and keep a copy for other clients to grab. This used to be a feature of the Server for macOS, however it has been moved to the client OS.

Will you be managing any iOS devices?

I strongly vote against managing any devices with the Server for macOS. It is a very lightweight MDM designed to be more of a proof of concept than anything else.

You may want to look at other MDM solutions such as:
Jamf Now
Simple MDM

Perhaps someone else can chime in and help out.
There is not much out there in terms of a MDM scaled for home with rich tools for a sys admin / network guy who wants to geek out at home.

Also take a look at circle with Disney if you need that sort of parental controls.
And also look at https://www.munki.org/munki/

 

[palebluedot]

I think part of what you want (because I am also thinking of doing this with my 2012 Mini when I upgrade to 2018 Mini) is Profile Manager. https://support.apple.com/profile-manager

I intend to use it to push group policy and MDM to all of my family's Macs and iPhones for updates and the like.

For file sharing, you can use the built in OS X file sharing. Use iCloud content caching as well.
[doublepost=1546886726][/doublepost]

One thing you can do is utilize the Mini for content caching, and also enable iCloud content caching.
This will accomplish several things:
Save on bandwidth (all clients will communicate with the server first before they reach the App Store or iCloud) If the content is local on your network it will be downloaded, if it is not local the server will download and keep a copy for other clients to grab. This used to be a feature of the Server for macOS, however it has been moved to the client OS.

Will you be managing any iOS devices?

I strongly vote against managing any devices with the Server for macOS. It is a very lightweight MDM designed to be more of a proof of concept than anything else.

You may want to look at other MDM solutions such as:
Jamf Now
Simple MDM

Perhaps someone else can chime in and help out.
There is not much out there in terms of a MDM scaled for home with rich tools for a sys admin / network guy who wants to geek out at home.

Also take a look at circle with Disney if you need that sort of parental controls.
And also look at https://www.munki.org/munki/

Correct me if I am wrong, but from what I have read from Mac Sysadmin folks on Reddit, the Apple MDM solution is a proof of concept that is BEST used in a home (e.g. 5-10 users) as opposed to 100+ user systems where Jamf Now may be more appropriate.

 

[adam9c1]

Perhaps you can get yourself a copy of the older version of Server for macOS and run older macOS version.
Older Server versions had more features. Not sure if you have the old installers or not.

If you do decide to use Profile Manager, have a super good backups.
That's my .02

 

[jasnw]

Take a look at the krypted site (http://krypted.com/). I've not visited it for a while, but when I was setting up a Mini home server I got a lot of good information there. My own server setup has pared down to simply a centralized location for sharing photo libraries and machine backups (using CCC), but when I started I was gung-ho to try to use all the available bells-and-whistles. That site was a real help.

 

[palebluedot]

Take a look at the krypted site (http://krypted.com/). I've not visited it for a while, but when I was setting up a Mini home server I got a lot of good information there. My own server setup has pared down to simply a centralized location for sharing photo libraries and machine backups (using CCC), but when I started I was gung-ho to try to use all the available bells-and-whistles. That site was a real help.

Is MM Server still an OS? I think it is just the 20 dollar Mac AppStore app now, right?

 

[jasnw]

That's all it is, and every new version has less functionality than the previous one. The macOS server is, and I believe always has been, just a GUI interface to a collection of tools that a server would typically run. I am pretty sure that you can do just about anything the server app can do with the tools that come with macOS, you just need to spend more time in Terminal running things from the command line (which is where the krypted site comes in handy).

 

[palebluedot]

That's all it is, and every new version has less functionality than the previous one. The macOS server is, and I believe always has been, just a GUI interface to a collection of tools that a server would typically run. I am pretty sure that you can do just about anything the server app can do with the tools that come with macOS, you just need to spend more time in Terminal running things from the command line (which is where the krypted site comes in handy).

Except for Profile Service, right? That's the only reason I am considering buying it. for a centralized work group and MDM system for a small (3-4 person) user base.

 

[jasnw]

Better get guidance from someone who has set up and run Profile Service on a Mac network. Not something I've ever been interested in or done.