Can an OSX server handle windows account administration and file storage?

Question

I want a server and I have a contract with a business to set up a network with the current systems and a new Mac Pro.

I have used OS X server before but not for a while so I need to know: Can I set up the network with Windows PCs and have the Mac Pro do user administration? Can the users use the Mac Pro for a networked drive to store there data on (they bought the Mac Pro with the hard drive bays full)?

Can any one give me advice on how to do it?

Answer 1

Network drive: Yes, OS X Server's file sharing provides both SMB (for Windows clients) and AFP (for OS X clients) protocols. (The 10.7 and 10.8 versions also provide WebDAV service, primarily for iOS clients.)

User administration: No, Windows computers pretty much only support user admin by Active Directory, and OS X Server doesn't provide that. Apple uses a similar-but-incompatible system for network-based user management called Open Directory. If you need to manage users on Windows clients, go with a Windows server.