[Casper] Self Service Feature REQ

Thu Jan 8 09:02:39 PST 2009

Only you know your environment and workflow, but it would seem to my eye
that the process you describe would save work on the front end only to
create work on the back end.
As I see the options, you can take steps to ensure the software is only
deployed to the appropriate users or you can take steps to clean up after
any unauthorized or otherwise undesired installs.  If you use a password to
enable a self-service policy, people may (and by may, I mean will) share the
password with individuals for whom no licenses were purchased and you'll get
unwanted installs which you will then have to track down and uninstall.  If
you use groups, only those people logging in with the correct account will
get the install.

Again, you know your environment better than anyone on the outside, but it
appears from my point of view that the groups method will be the easiest in
the long run.

----------
Miles A. Leacy IV

 Certified System Administrator 10.4
 Certified Technical Coordinator 10.5
 Certified Trainer
Certified Casper Administrator
----------
voice: 1-347-277-7321
miles.leacy at themacadmin.com
www.themacadmin.com

On Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 11:49 AM, Thomas Larkin <tlarki at kckps.org> wrote:

>  Those are all good ideas, and ideas I have already thought of.  Here in
> lies the problem though.  There are 5 of us for 6,000 laptops.  I am so busy
> with other things I don't want to have to deal with doing custom groups for
> this and that because once I do this for one group of students pandora's box
> will be open.  Then every department will want it and i will be doing these
> lits all the time.
>
>  I would much rather create a self service install, put a password on it,
> give that password to the teacher then make smart groups that list all
> machines that have it installed.  Then I can track it down that way, and
> also have casper uninstall it on machines that don't need it.  Lots of
> educational software is developed very poorly for enterprise type installs
> and is a pain.  The licensing is also somewhat ridiculous and not caught up
> to schools that do 1:1 deployments.
>
>  To give you an idea I have about 100 laptops in repair at any given time
> and 100 spares issued.  Sometimes less, sometimes a bit more, it just
> depends.  I get them back I have to reimage them make sure it was fixed
> properly, make sure it can log in, etc etc.
>
>  Basically, I just want to keep it simple and make it as easy as possible.
>
>  Thanks for your guy's tips though.
>
> >>> "Miles Leacy" <miles.leacy at themacadmin.com> 01/08/09 10:36 AM >>>
>
> Presumably, you have a record of which machine was issued to whom (Ideally,
> that info is stored in the JSS).
>
>
>   In the case you describe, I would suggest creating a manual group of the
> 30 machines intended to receive the software.
>
>
>   This doesn't address your stated desire to give a client the ability to
> reinstall the app on any machine they use.  To do that may take a few steps,
> but I think you could get there with relative ease.  I am assuming you are
> using some variety of LDAP, likely Active Directory or Open Directory.
>
>
>   Here's what I'd do:
>
> 1  Create an LDAP group consisting of the people who should have this
> software.
>
> 2  a  Create a script that queries for the logged-in user's groups.  If
> your "accounting software" group is found, the script issues a custom
> trigger for the installation.  Run this script with a policy triggered by
> login, once per user.
>
>     b  If you want to keep the self-service aspect, have the custom trigger
> in the script above kick off the installation of an empty package instead of
> the accounting software.  Use the receipt from that empty package as the
> criterion for a smart group to which the self-service policy is scoped.
>
>
>   I hope this helps.
>
>
> ----------
> Miles A. Leacy IV
>
>  Certified System Administrator 10.4
>  Certified Technical Coordinator 10.5
>  Certified Trainer
> Certified Casper Administrator
> ----------
> voice: 1-347-277-7321
> miles.leacy at themacadmin.com
> www.themacadmin.com
>
>
>
>
>   2009/1/8 Thomas Larkin
>
> <tlarki at kckps.org>
>
>
>   So,
>>
>>
>>  It has come to my attention that certain users may need certain software
>> and licenses are limited.  Instead of me doing bunches of manual data
>> entries and finding out all the individual laptops (out of 6,000) and
>> creating a smart group out of them, I would like the idea of putting a
>> password on a self service install.  Then giving that password to that
>> class, and so the students in that particular class can install it with
>> their password.  Then make a smart group of all users that have that
>> application installed to track the licenses.  I was talking to a teacher who
>> wanted to buy 30 copies of some accounting software for a class.  I was
>> dreading the thought of me having to track down each student, the asset tag
>> of their computer, and creating yet another smart group, then I thought if I
>> could just put like a password on the self service install, the student
>> could install it them self with that password.
>>
>>
>>  I know that working in a 1:1 is way different but I have users that may
>> switch laptops due to hardware failure and I just want them to be able to
>> install it on whatever laptop they are given.  In many cases when a laptop
>> goes out for repair a spare is issued.
>>
>>
>>  Thoughts?
>>
>>
>> ___________________________
>> Thomas Larkin
>> TIS Department
>> KCKPS USD500
>> tlarki at kckps.org
>> blackberry:  913-449-7589
>> office:  913-627-0351
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>
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