Mac OS X Lion Server For Dummies®

Chapter 9

Setting Up File Sharing

In This Chapter

• Looking at types of files sharing for Mac, Windows, and Linux clients
• Setting up file sharing
• Setting user and group permissions for share points
• Restricting access to services

For many organizations, file sharing is still the raison d'être for a server. It enables users to quickly and securely move files between computers sitting next to each other or in different buildings. It doesn't matter what computers an organization has because Lion Server uses the native file-sharing methods of Mac OS X, Windows, Linux/Unix — and now iPad. Apple refers to shared folders as share points; Microsoft calls them shares. But they're the same thing in Mac OS X Server.

If you have a beefy server Mac with lots of storage, you can set up file sharing so that users have their home folders on the server instead of on their Macs. Server-based home folders let them access their documents and settings from any computer.

This chapter describes setting up file sharing with the Server app. This includes setting options for file-sharing protocols and creating user permissions to control access to files and folders. Chapter 8 describes the types of permissions and how they work.