Mac OS X Lion Server is the next generation of Apple’s award-winning server software.

Designed for OS X and iOS devices, Lion Server makes it easy to share files, schedule meetings, synchronize contacts, host your own website, publish wikis, distribute podcasts, remotely access your network, and more.

Mac OS X Lion Server is now a set of applications you can purchase right from the Mac App Store. This way, anyone can easily and quickly turn a Mac running Lion into a server that’s perfect for businesses, schools, home offices and hobbyists alike.

Some features require an Apple ID and/or compatible Internet access; fees and terms apply.

NOTE: To purchase/download Mac OS X Lion Server via the App Store an Apple account is required.

Here are some key features of "Mac OS X Lion Server":

File Sharing:
· File sharing for Mac, PC, and iPad
· Standards-based AFP, SMB, and WebDAV file services
· Flexible file permissions
· Spotlight searching

Mail Services:
· Standards-based SMTP, IMAP, and POP server
· Push notifications
· SSL encryption
· Adaptive junk mail filtering
· Virus detection and quarantine
· Webmail with email rules and vacation messages

iCal Server:
· Share calendars, schedule meetings and events, and book conference rooms
· Standards-based CalDAV server for access from Mac, iPad, iPhone, and PC
· View availability with free/busy lookups
· Email invitations and notifications
· Push notifications

Address Book Server:
· Synchronize contacts with Mac, iPad, and iPhone
· Allow multiple users to access and update contacts
· Standards-based CardDAV server
· Push notifications

Profile Manager:
· Configuration and management for OS X Lion and iOS
· Over-the-air enrollment
· Mobile device management
· Web-based administration console
· Self-service user portal for clearing passcodes, remote lock and wipe

iChat Server:
· Secure encrypted instant messaging for your organization
· Persistent chat rooms
· Store-and-forward for sending messages to buddies who are offline
· Server-to-server federation
· Works with iChat audio and video conferencing

Wiki Server:
· Point-and-click page editor to change formatting and insert images, movies, and attachments
· Access controls
· Tags and comments
· Revision history
· Document sharing
· Quick Look previews
· Email notifications

Podcasting:
· Capture audio and video, record onscreen actions, and publish content
· Publish QuickTime audio and video formats, PDFs, and ePub documents
· Automatic RSS feed generation
· Media library and file management using Podcast Publisher

Virtual Private Network:
· Highly secure remote access for your network services
· Encrypted VPN connections for Mac, iPad, iPhone, and PC

Time Machine:
· Provide a backup destination for Mac computers on your network
· Deliver backup support for OS X Lion and Snow Leopard systems

Xsan:
· Block-level SAN file sharing with concurrent read/write access
· Xsan volume hosting and configuration
· Volume management, storage pools, striping, and volume mapping
· Real-time monitoring, graphs, and event notifications
· Metadata controller failover and file system journaling

Server App:
· Local or remote setup
· User and groups settings
· Real-time graphs of server usage and activity

What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

File Sharing pane in the Server application:
· display number of connected users
· list connected users
· disconnect specific AFP users with a message
· send a message to specific AFP users
· set a login greeting message for AFP users
· access to advanced ACL controls

VPN pane in the Server application:
· choice of enabling L2TP or L2TP and PPTP protocols
· sharing of address ranges between L2TP and PPTP (if PPTP is enabled)
· configure DNS name server addresses and domain names provided to VPN clients
· option to save L2TP or PPTP settings as a configuration profile

Web pane in the Server application:
· enable .htaccess overrides
· edit web sites' domain names
· map multiple domains into a single web site
· configure redirects and aliases
· specify custom index files
· choose SSL certificates for individual websites

Wiki Server:
· support for editing Wiki pages from an iPad running iOS 5 or later
· support for Active Directory groups
· improved reliability for certain timezones
· improved support for an administrator-s...