Snow 302: Mac OS X Deployment 10.6

This three-day course focuses on solutions for deploying software, ranging from the installation of individual files to the deployment of complete system images to multiple computers. Students then apply what they've learned to create a full deployment plan that includes testing, hardware and software deployment, auditing and maintenance.

The course also teaches students how to create a tiered Software Update server solution, as well as about third-party solutions to supplement tools provided by Apple. Students get hands-on experience in using tools such as Apple Remote Desktop, Disk Utility, PackageMaker, and System Image Utility and discuss the pros and cons of each for different deployment situations.

Who Should Attend

This class is for Mac OS X system administrators who need to know how to streamline the process of installing and configuring a large number of computers running Mac OS X.

Prerequisites

Students should have the following prerequisite knowledge prior to attending the course:

• Understanding of Mac OS X
• Basic troubleshooting experience or Snow 101
• Basic Mac OS X Server experience or Snow 201
• Experience with Mac OS X in a network environment
• Experience using the command-line interface with Mac OS X

Course Outline

Using the Deployment Planning Template; understanding primary deployment concepts; planning hardware deployment logistics; planning usage management

Mac OS X file deployment considerations; using archive files for deployment; using ARD 3 to deploy items; using disk images for deployment

Understanding Mac OS X installation technology; creating installation packages; using installation package actions, scripting, and snapshots; deploying and maintaining installation packages; third-party installation tools

Understanding system image creation, integrating systems with managed preferences, customizing a system prior to imaging, preparing a system for image creation, creating a cloned system image with Disk Utility; using System Image Utility to create NetBoot, Network Install, and NetRestore images.

Understanding System Image deployment, Understanding the NetBoot service, configuring the NetBoot service, configuring clients to boot with a network disk image, monitoring and troubleshooting the NetBoot service, deploying system images with NetRestore, configuring ASR network multicast, deploying systems with NetInstall,
and using System Image Utility workflow actions.

Postimaging client configuration techniques; postimaging server configuration techniques; third-party postimaging configuration tools

Understanding system maintenance concepts; using Apple tools for system maintenance; using the Apple Software Update service; third-party system maintenance tools