OS X Snow Leopard Server Questions

I am looking to set up a new snow leopard server for a business. Does snow leopard support remote file sharing, for example when at a job site they take pictures and save them to the server to be used later. Also, how easy is it to set up user accounts with unique username/passwords for each person to log in to the server from anywhere (sometimes through a windows pc also), so that they could read and write to the server. Last, can you read and write to the server through an iPad or iPhone?

thanks

Remote File Sharing?

I'd go with the built in VPN to access file shares remotely.


User accounts are managed through Workgroup Manager. How easy do you want it to be?

Logging in and authenticating are two different things. I have not had experience with logging in to an OS X server from a windows PC. However authenticating to OS X resources ie SMB shares is no different than PC to PC authentication. If you want the windows PC to bind to the Open Directory domain I'm not sure how you'd do that without an existing Active Directory domain.

Take a look at these for some basic understanding.
Apple - Mac OS X Server Snow Leopard - Resources - Documentation

iPhones and iPads don't have readily accessible file systems. There are applications that can access network resources via WIFI connections for sending and receiving files via FTP for example.

Before implementing technology for a business perhaps you would consider consultation from a certified Apple resource. It might save you a few headaches and also give you a better understanding of what is possible, how to best implement it and how to keep it running for production purposes.

i looked at some of its features and it mentioned something about vpn with iphone/ipad, but i probably just read it wrong. how does vpn work, like with multiple users reading/writing to the hard drive on the server remotely

Start here
Virtual private network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

VPN services allow you to extend the services provided on your LAN to virtually any one with any VPN capable device that knows or has the proper authentication method. Once the VPN connection is established the end user will have access to what ever resources the network admin makes available. One of the big problems with OS X and the way it provides services is its use of Bonjour. Bonjour broadcasts network service availability but it cannot do this across a VPN connection so the end user will not be notified of LAN resources, they will need to utilize DNS resolution or static IP assignments.

Both iPhones and iPads support OS X VPN services. What you do with the VPN is up to you.