Few servers come without the option to manage various services that most networks require. Lion Server is no exception to this rule. Most networks need network traffic routed into and out of the local network, services that automatically configure network settings for clients and DNS servers, useful for connecting to names of devices rather than IP addresses. These days, many also need to share usernames and passwords with third-party routers and firewalls and to provide secure connectivity to users when they are not on the local network (e.g., connecting to work from home).

Lion Server can provide all of these services. In this chapter, we’ll look at a basic implementation of each service, how to configure clients (if appropriate), and more importantly when to and when not to use Lion Server’s implementation of services and when to instead use something else.