When Apple recently announced that it was shutting down macOS Server, the move didn't come as much of a surprise. Apple has been deprecating and removing its core services for some time, and has moved others, such as the caching service, to macOS.
But let's take a moment to say goodbye and think about what we will do without him.
MacOS Server has a long and storied history. It predates Mac OS X by a year, initially released in 1999. One of its main features was Open Directory, which was released in Mac OS X Panther Server. It was Apple's answer to Microsoft's Active Directory, and was a powerful solution for managing Macs, user accounts, and all Mac-related settings. It has also integrated well with Active Directory, making it a great solution for mixed environments. from Mac and Windows.
Open Directory was one of the last services present in macOS Server.
At one time, it was a complete solution, especially for small and medium-sized businesses, after the release of Leopard Server 2007, which included a simplified configuration option. In fact, when Apple phased out several enterprise hardware products (the xServe and xServe RAID), the focus of macOS Server shifted from a product aimed at large enterprises to one that better served small, enterprise-focused businesses on a server. Mac mini (although any Mac can run macOS Server).
While low-end Macs as servers could reliably power small organizations, their hardware limited their use in large businesses. The Mac Pro was the only remaining Apple product capable of functioning as a true business server.
what was left standing
After Apple removed nearly all the features from macOS Server in 2018 and suggested a few alternatives for organizations still relying on it (most of those options were open source versions that Apple included in macOS Server), very little of the main product. The only services that still existed were Open Directory and Profile Manager. And Profile Manager was a lightweight Apple device management console that was more limited than competing enterprise mobility management (EMM) solutions.
What happens next?
Although macOS Server is no longer available through the Mac App Store, the company says that existing customers can continue to use it if they already have it installed. While this grant may be useful in the short term for Mac-centric or Mac-based organizations, it doesn't mean that macOS Server will continue and users will be able to continue to use it happily. It is little more than a life raft or plug.
Yes, you can use it, but not forever. You need to find a replacement as soon as possible.
What should you replace macOS Server with?
Since organizations have had four years to migrate most services, ideally to the cloud, the only services likely to need to be replaced now are Open Directory and Profile Manager.
Your best option for replacing Profile Manager is to use a third-party enterprise mobile management (EMM) provider. It is important to note that EMM solutions that can handle iOS devices and Apple TV can also handle Macs.
For Mac-only or Mac-specific organizations, options include JAMF, Kandji, SimpleMDM, and Addigy.
For small businesses, Apple has created a basic EMM tool called Apple Business Essentials; provides cloud-based Apple device management, but is limited to organizations with 500 or fewer employees.
Windows-based and multi-platform networks should consider EMM tools from the major vendor that is already part of their company's stack (Microsoft, VMWare, Citrix, Ciso, etc.) or choose another product if it offers beneficial features or user experience for you. . would like to have, but the main provider does not offer.
Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager
Apple offers cloud-based tools for large businesses in the form of Apple Business Manager and its companion Apple School Manager. Organizations often use them in conjunction with Managed Apple IDs as a user authentication and management solution. You can interact directly with these tools, and in some cases you may need to do just that, depending on your user/device authenticator.
Apple Business Manager, for example, can be linked to Azure AD. If you're using another cloud-based authentication solution (like Google Workspace or Okta), you'll need to check if it can integrate with Apple Business or School Manager. One reason to use a third-party EMM solution is that these tools typically manage the authentication and access capabilities of any user/device and manage and secure Macs and other Apple devices.
Go forward
While macOS Server has a certain nostalgia for people (myself included) who have used it for years, Apple has long ago made it clear that it intends to move out of the data center and into cloud services. The good news, though, is that you have plenty of options, even if your organization is still based on macOS Server.
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