Getting Started

Welcome to the official Mac OS X Server Essentials training course offered by Apple Computer. This book serves as a self-paced guide and is designed to help you build the basic skills you need to effectively administer Mac OS X Server. Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Server Essentials details the graphical tools that Apple provides to configure system services.

The primary goal of this book is to prepare technical coordinators and entry-level system administrators for the tasks demanded of them by Mac OS X Server. To become truly proficient, you need to learn the theory behind the tools you will use. For example, not only will you learn how to use Workgroup Manager—the tool for managing preferences for users, groups, and computer accounts and lists—but you will also learn about the ideas behind preference management, how to think about policies and control of resources, and how to set up preference and policy management to support your environment.