14 DAY TRIAL // With CES taking most of the spotlight in the tech blogosphere today, it’s not surprising that Apple’s Server update released yesterday evening flew under everyone’s radar (including our own). Better late than never.
Version 4.0.3 targets server/enterprise users with full support for OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, the latest operating systems powering Macs and iDevices, respectively. In the past, Apple would have released this update a bit earlier.
SMB3, redesigned Mail, improvements throughout
Updated for OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, the new OS X Server 4.0.3 can be downloaded by any Mac user for $19.99 / €17.99 from the Mac App Store as a single app that turns a normal OS X machine into a server.
Starting now, SMB3 is the de-facto file sharing protocol. By encrypting and signing data “in-flight,” SMB3 thwarts tampering and eavesdropping. In non-NAT’ed networks, Caching Server now supports IP address range registration for caching content, while Profile Manager now makes friends with Handoff in Yosemite and iOS 8, as well as push install of enterprise apps and media assets.
Mail Server has been assigned a new GUI for setting up email for multiple domains. Calendar Server now holds meeting room addresses, and Xsan volumes and clients have been simplified.
Network tests, Xcode, security
Network diagnostic tests are now performed to check that the server is accessible from the web. By checking your server’s host name, service ports and DNS MX records, these tests also verify reachability.
The Access tab of Server pane allows users to define Firewall and user/group-based service access controls, with the ability to apply restrictions for “all networks, local networks, this Mac, customised networks, and specific users and groups,” according to the release notes. Apple also mentions “Xcode Server compatibility with Xcode 6 [and] improved graphs and visual stats.”
According to the changelog, the 4.0.3 update further includes some security fixes, but considering that Apple mentions “the security side” of every update without necessarily including new patches, it’s quite possible that no vulnerabilities have been addressed this time around.