14 DAY TRIAL // As every year goes, Apple is not only preparing a client version of Yosemite but also a server build for business environments. Equipped with specialized, server-centric apps and services, OS X Server sells for $19.99 / €17.99 in the Mac App Store.
Visitors of the Mac Dev Center are now greeted by a new listing: OS X Server 4.0 Developer Preview. According to Apple, “This is an OS X Server Preview for testing on OS X v10.10 systems.”
The Mac maker asks developers to review the installation instructions and other important details via the seed note linked right next to the description.
What’s new in Server 4.0
OS X Server 4.0 Developer Preview isn’t exactly a groundbreaking update, though it will adopt many of the new enhancements in OS X Yosemite, plus add a few of its own.
Apple has made changes in the Server application, where OS X Server can now perform network diagnostic tests to verify that your server is accessible from the Internet, while user/group-based service access controls can now be defined in the Access tab (Server pane). Same goes for firewall.
Admins can now apply access restrictions in multiple levels, such as for all networks, local networks, this Mac, custom networks, and for users and groups that they specify.
File Sharing gets the new SMB 3 protocol as default, which “helps protect against tampering and eavesdropping by encrypting and signing data ‘in-flight’,” according to the seed notes.
Profile Manager, another key component in OS X Server, has a bunch of new payload settings and Mobile Device Management (MDM) support for new iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite (mainly for the new features that the two OSes introduce). Many other services and apps have received maintenance and new features as well.
Devs asked to test migration, known issues
One of the trickiest things in upgrading a server is migrating data. More precisely, moving that data without hiccups. Not surprisingly, Apple tells developers to test out “Upgrade and migration from OS X Snow Leopard and higher systems using live data.”
Testers also have strict bug reporting procedures outlined in the seed notes. Various known issues are listed as well.
For instance, Open Directory users and groups may not appear when you first launch Server.app following a migration from an OS X Server 3.1.2. According to a person familiar with the documentation for this build, quitting Server App and relaunching it will easily fix the issue (but only temporarily).
To download OS X Server 4.0 Developer Preview, visit the Mac Dev Center with your credentials in hand.