Mac OS X Server: Each User Connection Counts Against Server License Limit

A client computer may simultaneously connect to the server via Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) as two or more unique users. Each AFP user connection counts against the user limit allowed by the server license agreement.
Symptom

In Server Status, multiple user accounts appear connected from a single client computer.


Note: Only AFP connections count against the AFP user limit in the Mac OS X Server license.

Solution

Whether this occurs depends on how you have the server and user accounts configured.

For example, a user that has a network home directory and is also a member of a group with an automounted share point on the same server makes two connections. The computer connects to the home directory with the user's own user ID (UID), and the group share point using a Guest ID. Each connection appears separately in Server Status (10.2.8 and earlier) or Server Admin (10.3 and later), and both connections will count against the AFP user limit in the Mac OS X Server license.

In Mac OS X Server 10.0.3 to 10.2.8 this is correct behavior.But in Mac OS X Server 10.3, the Apple File Server should only count a single connection against the license for each computer that uses automounts. However, you must update to Mac OS X Server 10.3.3 or later for the correct behavior.
Published Date: Oct 7, 2016