Essential Mac OS X Panther Server Administration

Chapter 28. Workstation Deployment and Maintenance

Much of a system administrator’s job revolves around managing network resources. The day-to-day issues of troubleshooting workstations, resolving application problems, and helping users with technical problems typically falls to the members of a technical support staff. That does not mean, however, that administrators are exempt from having to deal with workstations within a network. The responsibilities of ensuring that workstations communicate with directory and supporting servers, that users have the appropriate permissions to local items and proper managed preferences settings, that each workstation is configured properly as a part of the network, and that each workstation is secure and its software as up-to-date as needed all fall on an administrator’s shoulders, either directly or through an IT staff’s chain of command. Nowhere is the responsibility of the system administrator for workstations seen more clearly than in deploying new workstations or deploying new applications or software updates.

There are any number of ways to deploy and configure workstations within a network. The easiest way is to simply install Mac OS onto each workstation from the original install CDs, then install application software, and then configure each aspect of the workstation as needed. While this may be the easiest way, it is also the least efficient. A second method is to install the Mac OS and software and then use managed preferences or Mac ...