1. Detach the client from the server and make it standalone (i.e. load its local library). Rip the CD into the local library (consider the local library as temporary, or "scratch"). Move the ripped files to the server or a central location if they haven't gone there automatically (use File Rename/Move/Copy - although since the local library is scratch then this isn't really necessary and you could use Windows Explorer to move the files). Reload the server's library on the client. If auto import is running on the server, wait for it to complete and import the new files. If auto import isn't running, log onto the server and run an import manually. Tag the files on the server, or wait for them to appear on the client and tag them on the client.
Personally I prefer a modified version of your first work around.
a. On the client, open the local library.
b. RIP the CDs you want to RIP into that library.
c. Tag and collect Cover Art on the client.
d. When all is done and I'm happy, copy the whole directory the CD was ripped into to the server.
e. Auto-import imports the new album all in one go, so no progressive import as files are ripped. Tags and Cover Art which are stored in the ripped files are picked up by the server library. Cover Art in the directory is also found.
f. When I am happy with it all, delete the music from the client library, and reload the server library.
I like to get the tags and so forth correct on the client before I add them to the server, and this way I don't have to correct anything on the server, it just picks up the new media and makes it available. As I do this on my workstation PC with a 30" screen, this sort of work is far easier to do, rather than on the 1080p TV screen.
Of course I could just remote into the server and share the optical drive on my workstation PC with it, but I don't like to be ripping files over the network. Plus I don't want to lock people out of using the server HTPC.