Using Mac OS X Lion Server

Connecting from Clients

By now you’re probably thinking this is all pretty easy. Sure, we threw a little command line at you, but we also provided graphical means to achieve most of the same ends. Connecting client computers to shares is even easier than setting up the server portion of the shares. Each platform that connects to OS X is going to have a different way to do so. We’re going to look at using AFP to connect from Mac OS X, using SMB to connect from Windows, and WebDAV to connect from iPads, iPod Touches, and iPhones.

Configuring AFP Connections from Mac OS X

A Mac can tap into an OS X Server using any of the three services: AFP, SMB, or WebDAV. However, using AFP is going to be the most native means to access file servers of any ilk, including those running on OS X Server. When accessing shares from a Mac, you can specify which protocol to use in the address that is entered. If no protocol is specified, then OS X will by default use AFP (see, it is already the most native protocol).

The simplest way to connect to an AFP share is to use the sidebar from any Finder screen. In smaller networks, servers accessible to the client will appear (a result of Bonjour). Highlight the server and any network shares that are accessible to guests will appear, as well as buttons to Connect As… and Share the screen of the server (Figure 3-4). Click on Connect As… to establish a connection to the server, and when prompted, provide a valid username and password using the Registered ...