JAMF Software Podcast

Discussions of Mac OS security often focus primarily on the aspects of defending a network against external intrusions and vulnerabilities. To complement malware protection, the inclusion of a comprehensive backup solution that ensures data integrity and restoration capabilities is an essential component of a healthy and secure Mac OS environment. The Casper Suite readily integrates with many third party developer solutions including CrashPlan PRO, a product which ensures a continuous backup of all business data to multiple locations - onsite, offsite or in the cloud. We use CrashPlan PRO at JAMF Software and many of our customers do as well, so it is a perfect product to showcase the remarkable integration that is possible with best of breed applications and the Casper Suite.

In this JAMF Software solutions presentation, we focus on using native tools within Mac OS X and the Casper Suite to configure your server, enforce security standards and create custom reports to demonstrate regulatory compliance. The understanding that the Mac OS X is natively one of the most secure operating systems available is increasingly cited as one of the driving factors behind widespread adoption. This seminar explores techniques to further protect your enterprise using techniques including securing settings within the OS, reporting on the status of security control objectives, alerting on failure and remediation in either a manual or automated fashion. Please join Tedd Herman and Chip Pearson as they explore these topics and more: Defining Control Objectives, Strategies for deployment and ongoing enforcement, Reporting on the status of Control Objectives

John Wetter, Technical Services Manager at Hopkins Public Schools covers the basics of imaging using the Casper Suite as well as how their IT staff tackles the challenge of compiling approved images and deploying these images out to large groups of desktop and laptop computers - all while enjoying their summer.

Senior Systems Engineer Jonah Klevesahl previews a few of the feature enhancements in the forthcoming release of the Casper Suite version 7.2.

Managing Partner Chip Pearson discusses Macworld 2010 and the future of JAMF Software.

Mac administrators are becoming increasingly responsible for supporting iPhones and iPod touch devices. As more of these devices are acquired, the organization finds itself needing the same automation tools that exist for other company owned computing assets. The Casper Suite offers several tools for supporting iPhones and integrating them into the computing environment.

Track actual application usage on individual computers, groups of computers and by licensed software asset. Reclaim unused licenses and reduce your overall software costs.

Collect and maintain detailed inventory information on iPhone hardware and software. Inventory data is pulled from the computer an iPhone has been synced to and does not require the phone to be plugged in. Inventory data can also be gathered with the Recon Mobile App. And just like your Macs, you can look up warranty status for your iPhones via Apple GSX account integration.

Collect and maintain detailed inventory information on iPhone hardware and software. Inventory data is pulled from the computer an iPhone has been synced to and does not require the phone to be plugged in. Inventory data can also be gathered with the Recon Mobile App. And just like your Macs, you can look up warranty status for your iPhones via Apple GSX account integration.

Partition drives at image time with built in support for Boot Camp or restore partitions. Get the most out of your Mac hardware by deploying Winclone Boot Camp images automatically during the Casper Imaging process or as part of ongoing maintenance. Keep up with Apple hardware versions by using an original Apple installer disk image to build a base OS package. Get faster imaging times by combining OS and packages into a “compiled” configuration that can then be block copied, decreasing imaging time by up to 75%. Bind Macs to multiple directory servers at image time with built in support for Active Directory, Open Directory, and even third party directory plugins such as LikeWise, Centrify, and ADmitMac.

Once again the Casper Suite comes to the rescue for admins deploying and maintaining Adobe Creative Suite applications in an enterprise environment. Using native Adobe installers for CS4 products and updates, the Casper Suite allows you to deploy these titles quickly and easily.

Enforce specific preferences at each login (such as screensaver password, iTunes store, dock settings). The easy to use interface is fully customizable to work with third party applications that support Managed Preferences.

Set up and store binding information for Active Directory, Open Directory, and even 3rd party directory plugins such as LikeWise, ADmitMac and Centrify once in the JAMF Software Server. Then bind machines to one or more of these services remotely with Casper Remote, automatically with the Casper Suite policy engine or at imaging time. Prioritize the binding order for your environment.

Licensed software objects have long been a feature of the Casper Suite that allow you to track the number of copies of software deployed on your network against the number of licenses you own. This feature gets a user friendly boost in Version 7 with built in templates to define the contents of over 50 software packages you may track on your network, making the creation of licensed software objects that much easier.

This episode looks at JAMF Software's premiere package creation utility, Composer. Composer allows you to point-and-click your way through the package creation process in four simple steps.