I'm happy to admit I do this. :) Lone sysadmin at a creative agency: almost all MacOS workstations, AD and other Windows servers, some LAMP thrown in for fun too. (hello LOPSA-tech, long time listener, first time caller.)
Here's the first tools I'd point you towards learning more about: https://code.google.com/p/instadmg/ For creating clean, never booted machine images www.deploystudio.com: For deploying images and automating workflows. Lay down a base image with DS, then automate installations in the workflow. http://code.google.com/p/munki/ excellent for keeping software and patches updated www.jamfsoftware.com Provides the Casper management suite- NOT free like the above, but very well liked by Mac Admins. If money was no object, I'd prefer to be managing my machines with it. http://www.apple.com/support/lionserver/profilemanager/ Profile Manager is the new way to manage configurations of OSX and iOS machines. Compared to Group Policy, it's comically limited and flawed, but Profiles are the new standard for these configurations. A few more links: http://www.macenterprise.org/ http://osxdeployment.com http://www.afp548.com I can send you to my most useful mac admin bloggers to- always a few useful tricks to be found. A couple of dozen of us hang out on ##osx-server on irc.freenode.net. Consistently a useful and friendly crowd- the authors/maintainers of instadmg and munki are frequently found there. -- Steve Yuroff @swy On 4/7/12 6:54 AM, "Tom Limoncelli" <t...@whatexit.org> wrote: >Google has been managing thousands of Macs 'enterprise style' for a >while and is releasing their tools. We use Munki (software and patch >distribution) and at Macworld SF 2011 Google¹ released and >open-sourced Simian, a project that builds on munki, providing a >highly-scalable server hosted on Google App Engine. >http://code.google.com/p/munki/ > >We've publicly stated that we use Puppet on our Macs. > >I'm not on the mac team but as a user I benefit from the combination >of the two. They often push out new software, configurations, and >even emergency patches all very seamlessly. > >Tom >Google NYC > > > contributed a lot to Munki (software patching distribution). >http://code.google.com/p/munki/ > >On Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 3:59 PM, Gilbert Wilson <gilb...@watchhouse.org> >wrote: >> Ah, and that reminds me that Penn State has a Macintosh sysadmin >> conference every year. There are lots of presentations (free to >> download) on managing labs of machines, etc. >> >> http://macadmins.psu.edu/conference/ >> >> Gil >> @boyonwheels >> >> On Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 3:43 PM, <da...@lang.hm> wrote: >>> I also seem to remember seeing a paper at either LISA or annual tech >>>within >>> the last year or so on centrally managing Mac systems. >>> >>> David Lang >>> >>> >>> On Fri, 6 Apr 2012, Gilbert Wilson wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> Before going down the path of purchasing third party solutions to >>>> manage your systems and/or firewalling your Macintosh population off >>>> from the rest of your network like they're some redheaded stepchild >>>> (no offense to Matt and our other redheaded colleagues!), take a look >>>> through Apple's documentation for 10.6 server. Yes, we're on Lion >>>> now, and many things have changed, but the 10.6 docs are more robust >>>> and complete. You should also take a look at the following Apple >>>> White Paper on managing 10.5 machines (again, it's changed a bit but >>>> the foundation is still there): >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>http://images.apple.com/education/docs/Apple-ClientManagementWhitePaper >>>>.pdf >>>> >>>> Historically, MCX is the basis for a lot of the configuration of the >>>> Mac. In Lion there's a tool called "Profile Manager." Reading up on >>>> the historical MCX stuff, Open Directory integration, and the new >>>> Profile manager should help a lot. >>>> >>>> http://www.apple.com/support/lionserver/profilemanager/ >>>> >>>> Another good resource is Google's Macintosh Operations Team. They're >>>> on Google+ and have released a number of the tools they use as open >>>> source. >>>> >>>> Main Page: >>>> https://plus.google.com/113021614344742332063/posts >>>> >>>> Announcement with links to the tools they use: >>>> https://plus.google.com/u/0/109088229817689076273/posts/M3zHnfEQMUw >>>> >>>> Those links and terms should give you a great headstart and figuring >>>> out what it is you need to do to get things humming along nicely. >>>> >>>> >>>> Gil >>>> @boyonwheels >>>> >>>> On Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 11:26 AM, Tim Kirby <t...@kirbys.org> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Much to my surprise and contrary to many years of prior stance >>>>> to the contrary, a "fast track" project has appeared at $WORK >>>>> with a view to "supporting" Mac laptops as an alternative to >>>>> the Dell windows systems - certain area, in particular in >>>>> engineering, have seen a proliferation of people bringing in >>>>> their own systems and I guess there's a sense that the powers >>>>> that be would rather provide and support $WORK owned machines >>>>> than have a network full of home boxes. Things such as cost >>>>> and the like are understood and will be factored in so when >>>>> managers sign up for employees to have such machines they will >>>>> know the impact on their budget... >>>>> >>>>> The more interesting aspect is what constitutes "support"; >>>>> the windows guys perspective they wax lyrical about group >>>>> policies, imaging systems etc. etc. ... which leads me to >>>>> ask whether any of this body have any useful experience in >>>>> "managing" such machines. I'm open to pointers to useful >>>>> resources, but I'm particularly interested in anyone who is >>>>> actually "doing" this at some level. >>>>> >>>>> And offline responses are fine if you don't want to admit >>>>> to it in public :) >>>>> >>>>> TIA >>>>> >>>>> Tim >>>>> >>>>> ps. I actually use a MacBook Pro and know it well - I just >>>>> haven't spent much time looking at the enterprise >>>>> solutions out there and don't have much time to do the >>>>> legwork, hence I'm reaching out to the community... >>>>> -- >>>>> Tim Kirby t...@kirbys.org >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Tech mailing list >>>>> Tech@lists.lopsa.org >>>>> https://lists.lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tech >>>>> This list provided by the League of Professional System >>>>>Administrators >>>>> http://lopsa.org/ >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Tech mailing list >>>> Tech@lists.lopsa.org >>>> https://lists.lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tech >>>> This list provided by the League of Professional System Administrators >>>> http://lopsa.org/ >> _______________________________________________ >> Tech mailing list >> Tech@lists.lopsa.org >> https://lists.lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tech >> This list provided by the League of Professional System Administrators >> http://lopsa.org/ > > > >-- >http://EverythingSysadmin.com -- my blog >http://www.TomOnTime.com -- my videos >_______________________________________________ >Tech mailing list >Tech@lists.lopsa.org >https://lists.lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tech >This list provided by the League of Professional System Administrators > http://lopsa.org/ _______________________________________________ Tech mailing list Tech@lists.lopsa.org https://lists.lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tech This list provided by the League of Professional System Administrators http://lopsa.org/
