Mac Server Administration Tools

Push notifications have permeated in no small part, due to the explosive growth of the mobile device. From smartphones to tablets to wearable technologies — chances are that on (or near) him or her at any given time.

This need to be connected at all times and have updated information accessible as it changes is the drive behind push notifications. The IM from a loved one, email from a co-worker, or breaking news updates from CNN are all made possible — in real-time — by push technology on 1st and 3rd-party servers worldwide. Here are the requirements for managing push certifications on OS X Server:. Apple computer running (1.0+).

Broadband internet connection (Ethernet or Wi-Fi). Apple ID Account. Now, let's take a closer look at how to setup push notifications:. Launch Server.app and select the server you wish to manage. Login with administrative credentials.

Click on the server name from the Server pane and click Settings ( Figure A). Figure A. Under Settings, check the Enable Apple push notifications box ( Figure B).

Server Admin Tools 10.5.7 This disc contains remote administration tools, documentation, and utilities that you can install on a computer other than your server. For detailed information on this update, please visit this website. Browse Downloads by Product.

Figure B. Click on the Edit. Button to login with the Apple ID that the push certificate will be linked to. Once you've entered the credentials, click on Get Certificate to complete the request ( Figure C). Figure C. When Apple's servers have fulfilled the request, a confirmation screen will appear indicating the Apple ID linked to the certificate and the expiration date. The certificates are valid for a period of one calendar year.

Click OK close the message and return to the OS X Server console ( Figure D). If necessary to change or renew an existing push notification certificate, follow the steps below:.

Launch Server.app and select the server you wish to manage. Login with administrative credentials. Click on the server name from the Server pane and click Settings. Next, clicking the Edit.

Button will bring up the current certificate status along with two choices: Change. (Step #5) and Renew. (Step #7) ( Figure E). Figure E. By clicking Change, a new certificate will be created to replace the one currently in use. Be forewarned, doing so will remove the previous certificate, and any devices using it to receive push notifications will need to be enrolled to accept the new certificate or else push service will be disrupted. To proceed, click Continue ( Figure F).

Figure F. You'll be prompted to enter your new Apple ID credentials. These will be used to generate a new push certificate from Apple. By clicking Renew, the existing certificate is only renewed for another year, extending its expiration date. This must be done prior to the expire date if you wish to prevent service disruption. You'll be prompted to enter the Apple ID used to create the current certificate, and then click Renew Certificate to process the request ( Figure G). Figure G.

The process is brief but varies, depending on the internet connection present. You'll be updated as to the status while processing ( Figure H).

Figure H. Once completed, the expiration date should change to reflect the new date, while all services relying on this certificate remain intact and unaffected. To check on the status of all 1st and 3rd-party certificates linked to a specific Apple ID, allows one to login with a particular Apple ID and view the status of certificates ( Figure I). Figure I. Along with reviewing statuses of existing certificates, you can also create a new certificate to be used with 3rd-party servers, such as those used by Mobile Device Management (MDM) or application-specific services. You'll first need a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from the 3rd-party server or vendor.

This file identifies the 3rd-party server to Apple, which in turn verifies its authenticity. Once that's complete, the resulting certificate file is linked to your Apple ID for use with any servers linked to that account ( Figure J). Figure J The task of managing push notification certificates is, like most Apple-designed products, integrated seamlessly and flows into one another.

It's a small task that pays off in spades once services such as begin to take advantage of its ability to have information — updated and synced — across all the various mobile devices. The focus of this article is applying push notifications to enterprise-related applications and services. Yet, I'd be remiss to not mention the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model, because the line between personal and company-owned devices continues to blur. Using your own device to perform job functions is imperative at times and almost a certainty at others., as highlighted by TechRepublic blogger Cory Bohon, showcase some the amazing things that can be done with push and 3rd-party applications to help focus the work-life balance. Have you setup push notifications in your organization? Share some of the tips and/or difficulties that you experienced by joining in the discussion thread below.

What are some of the best tools out there for managing a Windows domain from a Mac. Now I know there might not be many, but I have come across a few good tools that I dare not ever part with anymore.like CoRD. Are there any other real good ones out there.I would love to see something like some of the tools from Remote Server Administration tools for Windows on a Mac. So I wouldn't need an RDP session just to clear a print queue or reserve an IP. What tools do you use to manage your Windows domain from a Mac. Buy office 2019 home. (Please no Mac haters.seriously looking to expand my toolbox.).

I work for a company that is predominantly Mac, but I handle the VMWare/ Windows servers. I use a MacBook Pro, and what I've done is to set up a (headless) PC running Windows 8, that I RDP into (using the client available here: ). I like having the PC because I can leave it running and pack up my laptop and head home (unlike using a VM directly on my laptop).

Server Manager on Windows 8 is really cool, if you haven't checked it out yet I highly recommend it (honestly the only real reason I moved from Win7). I also use the 2x RDP client on my iPad to connect while away from the office (so I don't have to tote around a laptop on my weekends/ time off). Side note- I've never heard of CoRD, will be sure to check it out! VMware and Parallels can chew up lots of Disk I/O.

My clue to this was our MacBook Air folks weren't having any issues even though they had only 4 GB of RAM and the slower processors in the MacBook Airs to work with, while the MacBook Pro users with 8 or 16 GB of RAM and 7200 RPM drives were always complaining about their systems being slow when VMware was running. It didn't take long watching Activity Monitor to figure out what was bottle necking.

So we upgraded to SSDs and the Mac users are happy. If you are running a Windows virtual often I highly recommend going SSD. Most of the time I just have an RDP session open to our IT Utility server that has the admin tools, Exchange Management Console, etc.

Installed and pop open my VMware Fusion VM only when I need to do something like repair a PST file or access someone elses mailbox. I actually prefer Outlook 2011 on Mac to Outlook 2010 or 2013 on Windows. I work for a company that is predominantly Mac, but I handle the VMWare/ Windows servers. I use a MacBook Pro, and what I've done is to set up a (headless) PC running Windows 8, that I RDP into (using the client available here: ).

I like having the PC because I can leave it running and pack up my laptop and head home (unlike using a VM directly on my laptop). Server Manager on Windows 8 is really cool, if you haven't checked it out yet I highly recommend it (honestly the only real reason I moved from Win7). I also use the 2x RDP client on my iPad to connect while away from the office (so I don't have to tote around a laptop on my weekends/ time off). Side note- I've never heard of CoRD, will be sure to check it out! Lol haven't you heard, Rap and Heavy Metal don't mix.

Seriously thou, just run install parallels, install a windows 7 vm on the mac, and live happy using the right tools for the right job. Everything else will just leave you frustrated. (remember to make your Mac usernames the same as in AD, or nothing will work like file sharing etc.! So if in AD the user name is 'jsmith' then on the Mac user account creation use FIRST NAME = jsmith, Lastname=jsmith, username= jsmith) Edited May 1, 2013 at 23:22 UTC.

I would love to find some server management software for my MAC. My favorite solution right now is to use VMware Fusion with a Win 8 VM. Allows me to do everything I need with my companies virtual environment but still enjoy all the features of OSX for everything else at work. I use SecureCRT for MAC to manage our network. I tried using Office for MAC because I was tired of fighting mail.app and iCal when it came to scheduling meetings. I absolutely hated having a MS product installed on my Mac so I moved to using Office in my Win8 VM as well.

I use to use Cord, but grew tired of it. I tried to MS RDP tool for MAC for all of 30Sec then uninstalled it. Like Alaerus I love the Server Manager on Win8. It to is the only reason I switch from Win7 to Win8 on my VM. I tend to use Teamviewer from my iPad most often to do remote administration. I either use adminpak on my Win8 machine or again, or CoRD on my Mac (if I'm on site) to connect remotely.

Would seriously love some real desktop tools though to do AD remote admin rather than having to remote connect. Teamviewer on the iPad has been a complete god send, I use it nearly every day to be honest. For example - I'm sat in this woman's office right now having deployed an image to her PC using Fog, and used Teamviewer to do all of the AD stuff by remoting onto our headless DC. Of course, Teamviewer is on my Mac, but I tend to remotely connect TO my Mac more often than I need to do remote administration from it. IMHO, the ideal solution is to combine both approaches suggested above! Many is the time that my bacon has been saved by having a dedicated command-and-control workstation IN the server room, running my VM console client, running SpiceWorks, with a serial adapter running to critical switch/firewall.

And accessible through VPN from my Macbook Pro. But, having Parallels and a frequently used installation of Win7 and/or Win8 (or both) right on the machine is also great. This gives you the double-shooter advantage, and allows you to use the Windows version of the RDP client to control your server room workstation. Best of both worlds, in my opinion! VMware and Parallels can chew up lots of Disk I/O.

My clue to this was our MacBook Air folks weren't having any issues even though they had only 4 GB of RAM and the slower processors in the MacBook Airs to work with, while the MacBook Pro users with 8 or 16 GB of RAM and 7200 RPM drives were always complaining about their systems being slow when VMware was running. It didn't take long watching Activity Monitor to figure out what was bottle necking. So we upgraded to SSDs and the Mac users are happy. If you are running a Windows virtual often I highly recommend going SSD. Most of the time I just have an RDP session open to our IT Utility server that has the admin tools, Exchange Management Console, etc. Installed and pop open my VMware Fusion VM only when I need to do something like repair a PST file or access someone elses mailbox.

I actually prefer Outlook 2011 on Mac to Outlook 2010 or 2013 on Windows. In the Apple Windows world, having the two work together isn't the easiest thing to do. Luckily enough for me, we have a Citrix server so I can do everything I need through Citrix. I just found Angry IP Scanner has a Mac client so that made my life a hell of a lot easier. Also, I must recommend Microsofts new RDP app (you download it through the app store). Unlike the one that comes with Office 2011, it is actually usable.

Only tricky thing was right clicking with touchpad but that was user error on my part. I run a win7 machine in VMware fusion but it kills my machine. The only thing I really miss is the vSphere client running locally instead of through a VM, but its not the end of the world. Well, good luck running Mac software on Windows. I never get it when people fault Mac OS X for not 'just running' software that is not and never was coded for the Mac.

Do you expect - say, Apple Remote Desktop to run in Windows? For environments where there is an established and.TRULY. exclusive Windows environment (ie: Windows-only software), and especially where support is lacking - either knowledgeable or willing (!) - then it makes no sense to introduce a Mac/Macs. I use either hardware VPN (with IPSecuritas as the client component working very very nicely) or plug in the Windows VPN settings to the native (Mac OS X) VPN setup and it works 100% reliably, 100% of the time. That's now down to one location, because VPN at the network periphery is a far better practice. So - between VPN and the new Microsoft RDP, I can do most of all I need. On rare occasions, I fire up Windows 8 (with Classic Shell for the Start Menu) running via Parallels, and it causes only a very minor performance impact on the rest of my system, while running extremely well.

An update on a few tools that I have acquired since the inception of this thread. Was used to replace after realizing that it has much more functionality. Just got a beta version of (yeah that right.the same tool that we all missed from Windows) and I love it as well.may just replace Royal TSX once the real full version comes out. See about Royal TSX and how I was lead to RDM for Mac.you might get lucky too. I use an app called for ip scanning and packet sniffing Wireshark type of stuff for wireless surveying. Then I beefed up my command line to be able to do many many more things like (easier), I even got which is basically a PSexec translator. So these coupled with my Win8 physical machine running through a fullscreen RDP session in space 2 makes my IT Admin life a tad bit easier.

Just got a beta version of (yeah that right.the same tool that we all missed from Windows) and I love it as well.may just replace Royal TSX once the real full version comes out. See about Royal TSX and how I was lead to RDM for Mac.you might get lucky too. There are still a few seats available for the Beta of the new Remote Desktop Manager for Mac. If you are interested in taking the Mac version out for a spin, simply send me a quick message in my inbox and I'll send you the registration link. Edited Dec 20, 2013 at 17:33 UTC. DavidCSG wrote: Actually, you want Microsoft's latest RDP client for Mac: I do have it on my Mac and I like the extra features that is has to offer.namely dual displays and stuff, but in my experience.MS developed software never seems to work smoothly on OS X.

It has crashed too many times and sometimes would take years to connect.whereas the RDP clients from other vendors just seem to always work. I guess Microsoft's software development paradigm must be too opposite of that of Apple.so much so that devleopers from the two worlds must never meet.

My Mac would run smooth and fine all day until I open up MS Word or MS Excel or any other MS Office app. All of a sudden I would start having more and more spinning balls and eventually would have to Force Quit. Not all the time.but I am sure the only apps I have ever had to Force Quit were MS Office Apps.including the new MS RDP client.