[Casper] Dealing with laptops that are on/off the network

[Thomas Larkin]

This right here would be an excellent situation for a dummy package,
versus last time checked in to the JSS.  You could then have a script
that either deletes the dummy package or adds it based on check in date
to your network.  So once a machine checks in the dummy package gets
deleted then base a smart group off that dummy package. 

That way you could keep track, you can also keep track of machines by
system build or OS version in the JSS, so that would be another way. 
You can build a smart group off of that as well. 

Then you can have a custom policy trigger that installs updates or what
not and base that off the smart groups.  I have done something similar
to catalog all my Windows installations on my Macs.  It worked out quite
well.


___________________________
Thomas Larkin
TIS Department
KCKPS USD500
tlarki at kckps.org
blackberry:  913-449-7589
office:  913-627-0351





>>> "Smith, William" <william.smith at merrillcorp.com> 04/27/09 12:49 PM
>>>
From: "Nesbitt, Sean M." <sean.m.nesbitt at lmco.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:07:46 -0500
To: <casper at list.jamfsoftware.com>
Subject: [Casper] Dealing with laptops that are on/off the network

> I have some users who have company laptops, however, they do not use
them as
> their primary computer. In fact, these company laptops are only
sporadically
> on the company network. As a result, the laptops are significantly
behind in
> updates once they access the company network.
>
> I would like to set either a procedure or policy that would catch
these
> laptops once they initially logon to the network, yet, I have been
unable to
> find an acceptable solution. I am wondering if other users have this
situation
> and how they have dealt with it.

You might want to set up a task/policy combination to have your machines
phone home on a regular basis. I have mine set for every 30 minutes but
we
have less than 300 Macs here. I usually just monitor a Smart Group page
for
machines that haven¹t been on the network for X number of days and
contact
those individuals to set up time for updates.

You may also be able to create an Ongoing locally cached policy with a
script that will display a message to the user after X number of days
that
he needs to contact you for updates. Display it once per day at first.
Then
maybe four times a day after a another week has gone by.

If these machines are not owned by a specific user you then consider a
check-out system and keep the laptops yourself until needed.

--

bill

William M. Smith, Technical Analyst
MCS IT
Merrill Communications, LLC
(651) 632-1492

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