Mac OS X Lion Server For Dummies®

Chapter 16

Managing Client Accounts

In This Chapter

• Looking at account types and comparing the Server app and Workgroup Manager
• Creating, managing, and deleting accounts with the Server app and Workgroup Manager
• Importing and exporting accounts with Workgroup Manager
• Using Profile Manager to configure iPhones, iPads, and Mac clients
• Setting managed preferences to configure Mac OS X clients

When you install Lion Server, the Server Assistant creates a local directory of accounts containing the initial local administrator account. After the initial account, you can create more local accounts with System Preferences. This process is identical to managing accounts in Mac OS X clients.

The Server Assistant may have also created a shared directory of accounts and set up an Open Directory master, as described in Chapter 6. If your initial setup left you with only a local account, don't worry; you can still create an Open Directory shared domain. After a shared directory is created in Mac OS X Lion Server, use the Server app or Workgroup Manager to create and manage accounts. In this chapter, I describe how to use both utilities for this purpose.

Another powerful use of the server is to configure the computers of users and set policies on how they're used. You can do this in two ways, including using Profile Manager, a new tool that is launched from the Server app. You can use Profile Manager with iPads and iPhones, as well as Macs. The other method is using managed preferences in Workgroup ...