Intro to macOS Server
macOS Server is an app, available from the Mac App Store, that provides three server-specific services:
Service | Purpose | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Open Directory | Open Directory service helps you integrate your server with an existing directory services implementation. | ||||||||||
Profile Manager | Profile Manager service lets you manage mobile devices and distribute configuration profiles. These profiles set up users’ Mac computers and their iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS devices to use your server as a mobile device management (MDM) solution. | ||||||||||
Xsan | Xsan service lets you create a shared storage area network (SAN) on your local network. | ||||||||||
Important: Some services in previous versions of macOS Server are not available in this version. To see if a service you’re using can be migrated to an open source alternative, download the macOS Server Service Migration Guide. For more information on changes to macOS Server, see the Apple support article macOS Server.
Additional apps commonly used with MacOS Server
In addition to offering services, macOS Server links to macOS apps—primarily software tools—to change service settings, check status, and perform other server administration tasks on Mac computers using macOS Server.
The primary app, Server, 
lets you manage users and groups and configure your storage area network.
Other apps, shown below, are available from the Server app’s Tools menu. These apps help you manage other more advanced functions of your server.
App | Purpose | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Directory Utility | Configure advanced connections to directory servers. | ||||||||||
Screen Sharing | Observe and control your server from another computer on the network. | ||||||||||
For more information, open the app you want to learn about, and choose Directory Utility or Screen Sharing Help.