Apple Releases OS X Server 10.2.4, Includes Many Enhancements

by , 8:00 AM EST, February 25th, 2003

Apple has released an update to OS X Server, bringing it up to version 10.2.4. The new version updates Workgroup Manager/Client Manager, Server Status, the Apache Web server, NetBoot/Network Install, QuickTime Streaming Server (QTSS), file services such as AFP, SMB, NFS, and FTP, Print Server, the sendmail mail server, Xserve support, and networking features, such as IP over FireWire. The somewhat lengthy list of improvements from Apple:

Enhancements

This update delivers many enhancements, as described below.

Workgroup Manager / Client Management

• User list display performance enhanced, especially when displaying large lists of users.
• Improved managed client login performance and reliability.
• Management of Mac OS X preferences can be disabled by someone with a local Admin account on a client computer by removing the Directory Services binding using the Directory Access application.
• When the root user logs in on a managed client computer, management is disabled for the duration of the login.
• "Other . . ." user now appears in the Login Window of a client computer when the computer is configured such that no valid users would otherwise appear in the user's list.
• Preference allowing you to "limit search results to x records".
• Preference allowing you to "search for all on empty search key"

Server Status

• Server Status provides more accurate graphic representation of Server CPU Usage and Network Traffic over time.

Web Server

• New Apache authentication module (mod_auth_digest_appl) handles digest authentication for WebDAV via DirectoryServices.
• Ability to process Rendezvous directives to Web server. This allows Safari users to browse for Web sites on a local subnet using the Rendezvous pop-up menu in Safari.

Netboot / Network Install

• The Network Image Utility is capable creating disk images with up to 10 GB of storage. This feature gives administrators the ability to image DVD content. Disk Utility is required to create images larger than 10 GB for use with NetBoot and Network Install. Netboot and Network Install images larger than 2 GB require Mac OS X 10.2.3 or later.

QuickTime Streaming Server

• QuickTime Streaming Server has been enhanced to provide greater security.

File Services: Apple (AFP), Windows (SMB), NFS, and FTP

• SMB: Improved handling of file copies larger than 4 GB to and from SMB share points.
• Enhanced NFS export to a specific subnet, in addition to World or Client IP list.
• The Inherit Permissions feature of Workgroup Manager copies execute bits from parent directories, if selected.
• Improves ability to save existing Microsoft Word files located on a Windows 2000 server share point.
• Improves ability to save Microsoft Word files on a Mac OS X Server share point, which sometimes resulted in the message "Word could not read from disk".
• Addresses issue in which clients using the LDAP plug-in and an "Authentication" search policy other than "Automatic" results in auths failure for AFP connections.
• Addresses issue in which trying to copy files to an auto-mounted group drop box results in the message "The operation cannot be completed because you do not have sufficient privileges for some of the items". (Managed Mac OS X clients were more likely to encounter this symptom.)
• Addresses issue in which AFP client cannot connect to Windows 2000 SFM "password protected" volumes. This issue could have resulted in a dialog requesting a "volume password," followed by a failure to connect to the selected volume.
• Better handling of Finder Comments field when using the Get Info command on any file or folder, allowing workflow and other applications using this information to perform normally.
• Addresses issue in which connection from a client to users' home directories can be broken if ejecting (unmounting) a second share point of the same server.
• Improves Finder experience when remotely viewing contents of folders in which filenames are being edited by two or more users over an AFP connection.
• Improves Finder experience when remotely viewing contents of a folder hosted on a uShare AFP volume.

Print Server

• Improved Print Queue performance when printing multiple jobs.
• Integrated latest LaserJet 4 Series of PPDs, providing improved compatibility.

Mail Server

• Sendmail has been updated to version 8.12.6.
• Improved support for Kerberos authentication via SMTP.
• Improved support for alternate locations of the mail database file; changes can be made in Server Settings.

X Serve

• if the security lock on X Serve is engaged, X Serve drives will not unmount when the drive handle is pressed. The drive indicator lights will remain green and drive operation should not be affected.

Networking

Mac OS X Server version 10.2.4 supports jumbo Ethernet frames (MTU up to 9 KB) on Xserve when used with supported PCI gigabit Ethernet cards.

Support for IP over FireWire. This enhancement enables Mac OS X Server to utilize high speed, low latency interconnects for clustering and IP failover solutions over FireWire. You no longer need to use ports on your gigabit Ethernet switch in order to use IP failover.

You can find more information about the update or download it at Apple's Web site.

Apple