File server OS in Mac/Windows envrioment?

[dbhnyc]

I have a ad agency client with an old xserve for a file server. They have 13 Mac users for creative work (Quark, CS4, etc) and 20 PC users doing account/administrative work. They also have a in-house Exchange server for email. They have 2 logins currently, one for file server and one for email.

It is time for a new file server and the big question is Windows or Mac for the file server. In the past my experience with hosting macs on a windows server was awful. We needed 3rd party software to make it work. But that was in the NT4 days. I have not tried it since.

Goals
Single logon (AD or OD/AD)
Mac and Windows users accessing same file shares.

I am comfortable using either server software.

Mac file server
Pros;
1. I have used it before and it works. (without AD)

Cons;
1. No xserve -> no redundant power supply
2. OS X server AD integration

Windows file server
Pros;
1. Single server OS
2. Proper server hardware

Cons;
1. Macs connecting via SMB

I think it comes down to what is the bigger headache, getting Mac clients to work with a Windows server or getting the Apple server to work with AD.

Thoughts?

Thanks

[mosx86]

[QUOTE][u]Quote by: dbhnyc[/u][p]I have a ad agency client with an old xserve for a file server. They have 13 Mac users for creative work (Quark, CS4, etc) and 20 PC users doing account/administrative work. They also have a in-house Exchange server for email. They have 2 logins currently, one for file server and one for email.

It is time for a new file server and the big question is Windows or Mac for the file server. In the past my experience with hosting macs on a windows server was awful. We needed 3rd party software to make it work. But that was in the NT4 days. I have not tried it since.

Goals
Single logon (AD or OD/AD)
Mac and Windows users accessing same file shares.

I am comfortable using either server software.

Mac file server
Pros;
1. I have used it before and it works. (without AD)

Cons;
1. No xserve -> no redundant power supply
2. OS X server AD integration

Windows file server
Pros;
1. Single server OS
2. Proper server hardware

Cons;
1. Macs connecting via SMB

I think it comes down to what is the bigger headache, getting Mac clients to work with a Windows server or getting the Apple server to work with AD.

Thoughts?

Thanks[/p][/QUOTE]

It’s probably easier to integrate the Macs into the PC infrastructure. If you’re going to be running directory services, Apple’s OD and SMB implementation are not compatible with WIn7. You’d have to use something like pGina on the PCs to get them to authenticate.

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