How to administer OS X Server remotely using Server App

You can install Server app on an OS X computer in order to administer a remote server.

In the following instructions, your "admin computer" is a computer running OS X, and the "server" is a remote computer running OS X Server.

  1. Enable remote administration on the server.
    • Select the server in the Server app sidebar, then click Settings.
    • Check the "Allow remote administration using Server" checkbox.
  2. Install the Server app on your admin computer.
    • If you purchased Server app from the Mac App Store, sign in to the Mac App Store using the same account, go to the Purchases tab, and click Install.
    • If you purchased a computer with OS X Server preinstalled, copy the Server app from that server to your admin computer. Note: You will need to repeat this step whenever you update Server app.
  3. The first time you open the Server app on your admin computer, do not click the Continue button in the "Welcome to Server" window. Instead, choose Connect to Server from the Manage menu.
  4. Choose your server from the list that appears, or click "Other Mac" and then click Continue.
  5. Enter the administrator name and password for the server you selected. Also enter the server's hostname or IP address if you selected "Other Mac" in step 4.

Once you have completed the steps to establish a connection to the remote server, Server App will automatically connect to it the next time you open the app.

Learn more

These instructions apply to Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion, but they use different versions of the Server app. Learn which versions of Server app you can use to administer OS X Server from another computer.

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