Could you please provide guidance on what is required to set up an Apple MDM server from scratch? Specifically, I would like to understand the necessary steps, tools, certifications, and best practices involved in the process. Any resources or documentation you could recommend would also be appreciated.
When developing a new MDM server you'll definitely need the Device Management reference. The Apple Platform Deployment Guide also has many useful articles about how device management behaves from the MDM admin's point of view. And there's many WWDC sessions over the years explaining various topics related to device management. which you can view in the Developer app.
You're going to need an Apple Developer Program account, or an Apple Developer Enterprise Account. You'll also likely want an Apple Business Manager account and/or an Apple School Manager account.
I also suggest joining the MacAdmins Slack community, particularly the #mdmdev channel. There's a large community of people who have developed MDM servers. It's often useful to search past threads there for answers to questions. And you can post questions here in the Apple Developer Forums, and search past topics here as well.