[Casper] Casper Digest, Vol 34, Issue 6

[Don Montalvo]

"Smith, William" <William.Smith at merrillcorp.com> wrote:

> On 10/5/09 1:01 PM, "don montalvo" <donmontalvo at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>> The base Mac OS X software is installed using block copy if you
>>> create a
>>> package. :-) But then you don't get the flexibility of multiple
>>> configurations for one package file. :-(
>>
>> I'm not sure I follow. An image would be block copied to a target
>> computer. A pkg installer would be a file copy. Are you saying Casper
>> has a way of doing block copy using a pkg installer?
>
> Not using a .pkg or .mpkg, no. You can create a .dmg and this will  
> block
> copy. But only the first .dmg installed will do this when installing  
> onto a
> clean system.
>
> While I've not tried it myself, you should be able to add the  
> DVD .dmg to
> Casper Admin along with all Mac OS updates and then have it build  
> you a
> fully patched .dmg from that, which will block copy. Of course, you  
> can add
> other non-Apple items as well.

Ok, it's like the NetInstall workflow using System Image Utility, you  
can do
this with those tools as well.

>> Not sure if I'm confusing things. If we have an image containing OS X
>> and common applications/tools (essentially, stuff every computer at
>> the firm needs), can Casper deploy that image? Can the deployment
>> process include running pkg installs for additional software?
>
> Casper Imaging can deploy a .dmg file to a machine. That .dmg file  
> can be a
> monolithic image with Mac OS, applications, preferences, etc., or it  
> can
> contain a single file. Your choice.
>
>> Let's assume the worst - an unmanaged, sneaker net environment, no
>> consistency, and all users are set up with a local admin account.  
>> This
>> is not unheard of with new clients, as I'm sure most of you guys
>> know. :)
>>
>> None have a restore partition. They're all just starting to get the
>> recon agent installed (jury is open on when this will be done since
>> there doesn't appear to be an available Mac inventory list).
>
> I know of no tools that can come in and fully manage existing clients
> without some prep work. In this case, I consider a Restore partition
> to be part of an infrastructure to get full management capabilities
> with Casper.

I agree, if the solution is Casper.

There are other solutions that don't need a lot of prep work since they
can do a rebuild/upgrade in place. In essence, the necessary prep work  
is
limited to getting an agent out to the Macs. :)

> If I had my druthers (and I know this isn't a perfect world), I  
> would opt to
> rebuild all machines according to specs outlined with the client.  
> When you
> start with a known good system then you limit surprises. This  
> wouldn't have
> to happen immediately, but over time.

This is where Casper falls short. Once an agent is deployed to the Macs,
introducing consistency should be a simple matter of doing a rebuild/ 
upgrade
in place.

I'm hoping JAMF is following this thread and responds with some kind of
road map that includes rebuild/upgrade in place. I think this thread is
opening a lot of eyes. That said, I think Casper is a decent toolset,  
but
it lacks an essential function.

>> See my note above regarding a core image containing common  
>> applications.
>
> I hope I clearly explained how Casper Admin 7.0 can create the  
> monolithic
> image and that you can deploy this with Casper Imaging. You can always
> deploy a monolithic image and then push even more stand-alone  
> packages on
> top of that.

Yes, you have. It looks like Casper adds some functions and  
flexibility to
existing NetInstall processes.

>> I'd like to see a best practice document from JAMF outlining how this
>> can be done. Reimaging without having to migrate user data off a Mac
>> and back on is essential for large deployments.
>
> I haven't seen such a document. JAMF's Casper training is probably  
> where
> they go through what they consider to be best practices. That  
> training is
> not included with the purchase of Casper.
>
>> There's at least one solution out there that can handle this:
>>
>> http://www.lanrev.com/solutions/disk-imaging.html
>>
>> The question is, can Casper do the same? It seems to have all the
>> tools necessary to be able to. If not, it would certainly be worth
>> adding this kind of functionality to their road map.
>
> Casper does not offer this support. I've never used LANrev

LANrev is what NetOctopus would have been if Motorola didn't shut down  
the
Netopia software development team. ;)

> and I'm intrigued that a product can fully re-image a system drive
> while booted from it. I've not heard of such a thing.


FileWAVE can also do a upgrade in place as well...the white paper  
needs to
be updated since you can in fact do a Tiger>Leopard upgrade in place as
scripting takes care of the old roadblocks:

	http://www.filewave.com/fileadmin/PDF/Whitepaper_Imaging.pdf

	"FileWave performs imaging differently than traditional imaging such as
	the method of utilities like “NetRestore” or “Disk Utility”. FileWave
	images at the file level on an actively booted volume without the need
	to boot from a network or external drive.
	
	The client uses a multi-step imaging process. First, it downloads all
	files in the image fileset. Next, it erases all files that aren’t
	Filewave deployed or excluded. Finally, it activates the new image
	fileset and reboots the machine.
	
	User accounts may be preserved in Leopard to Leopard and Tiger to Tiger
	imaging scenarios; Tiger to Leopard user account migration is not
	available at this time."

It's possible to do a rebuild/upgrade in place. The process can't use  
an ASR
style block copy. It has to do file copy (pkg installs). If JAMF adds  
this
functionality to Casper, it'll be a viable option for some of our  
clients. It's
not, but I still need to understand it since one of our clients bought  
it.

I'm hoping this thread is helpful, or at least food for thought for  
the JAMF
folks. I've been watching Casper evolve over the past couple years,  
but it
seems like it took a wrong turn somewhere and forgot to provide us  
with an
essential functionality.

Thanks,
Don