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Question

What do you use for server hardware?

  • November 5, 2015
  • 11 replies
  • 27 views
D
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I'm curious what others are using for server hardware. When we implemented Casper (2012 maybe?) and since Apple doesn't have any 'server class' hardware anymore, we didn't really feel comfortable putting a Mac Mini in the data center, even if it was duct taped to a rack. We ended up building out on a virtual Windows 2008 R2 base. The install process wasn't easy, even with the JAMF resource on site for the jump start, and upgrades have never been straight forward. We found out 3 years into running it that we were missing a couple of components that apparently aren't included in the manual installer which we had to do because we didn't want everything installed to C:/ (more on that here: https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/featureRequest.html?id=434 )

Long story to say I'd like to revisit putting it on apple hardware and I'd like to know what others are running, specs, size of deployments, etc.

Here at JMU I have

Hardware: VM's
OS Version: Windows Server 2008 R2
Memory: 6GB
Enrollment: ~780 computers (no mobile currently)
30GB in use on our Casper Distribution Point

Would you mind sharing what you use for the bold items?
I'm also curious if you have to update your OS X Server version each year, or how often people do that typically, and if you've had issues with that?

Thanks!

    11 replies

    bentoms
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    • bentoms
    • Hall of Fame
    • November 5, 2015

    @dave We still run on OS X server with some details, here..

    The JSS is running off of 2 MacPro's in a cluster.

    It ticks over nicely, we update the OS's when we want to & Server.app's.

    As we moved to caching servers we do not have the dependency on the Server OS being the same as the client for Software Updates & that was the only times we've been forced.

    mpermann
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    • mpermann
    • Valued Contributor
    • November 5, 2015

    @dave we host our JSS on a Mid 2011 Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM and (2) 500GB spinning disks. The AFP/HTTP distribution point is on the same box but is hosted on a Promise Pegasus 3TB RAID connected over Thunderbolt. We have around 800 computers and 700 mobile devices under management. The system has worked well for us since we put it into service in mid 2012.

    emily
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    • emily
    • Hall of Fame
    • November 5, 2015

    We have two 2012 Mac Mini Servers, clustered, behind a load balancer. Database is on a VM living somewhere in our datacenter. The Mac Mini Servers also host our JDS's.

    ekw | jamf @ jamf
    J
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    • jonscott
    • Contributor
    • November 5, 2015

    @dave We are mostly on VMs here too, outside of distribution points. All JSSs and MySQL run on RHEL6 on ESXi. Four distribution points are on older Mac Pros (3) and NetApp NAS (1), though that last is moving. vSphere is currently running on HP ProLiants and a couple Xserves for OS X. We're pretty small but spread across ~8-10 buildings. Also reposado is running on RHEL VM, and I'm doing some NetBoot from Linux VMs too. The plan is to move all ASUS, NetBoot, and distribution points to RHEL VMs running locally on non-Apple hardware. We aren't running caching server (but still using OS X Servers for a few other things...).

    Hardware: VMs
    OS Version: RHEL6
    Memory: 4 GB (JSS)
    Enrollment: ~400 + 25 mobile

    Oh yeah, DPs are around 400GB.

    S
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    • spotter
    • Contributor
    • November 5, 2015

    Our JSS lives on a new Mac Pro (32GB 1TB 8 core) rack mounted in the datacenter. Getting ready to add another to build a JSS cluster. Our JDS/SUS and NetBoot servers are on separate MacMinis rack mounted and well.

    Y
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    • yellow
    • Contributor
    • November 5, 2015

    Hardware: Currently still on some Xserves / 1 VM

    OS Version: Elderly OS X Server / Server 2012 R2

    Memory: 24GB / 4 GB

    Enrollment: 2500 Macs, 250 Mobile Devices / externals

    67GBGB in use on each of our 3 DPs / 0

    scottb
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    • scottb
    • Valued Contributor
    • November 5, 2015

    Have ~24 DP's that are all similar running other services such as SCCM as well.

    I
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    • itupshot
    • Valued Contributor
    • November 6, 2015

    Our JSS is happily running in a CentOS 6.7 VM hosted on VMWare ESXi.

    We then have two file distribution points (as AFP shares) on two Xserves (an Xserve1,1 and Xserve3,1). The newer one is also our SUS and Netboot. However, I'll be testing JAMF's SUS/Netboot on Ubuntu server next week.

    Hardware-wise, the Xserves are still good, but the older one is running Mac OS X 10.7.5, and can no longer be upgraded. So, my thought was to run Ubuntu Server LTS on these two machines since it will still be supported for a few more years.

    If we decide to just retire the XServes instead, then we'll be run the additional servers (SUS/Netboot, and file distribution points) on Linux VMs. Our SAN has plenty of space for these.

    A
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    • andrew_nicholas
    • Honored Contributor
    • November 6, 2015

    JSS hosted on virtualized Server 2012R2 with ~12 similar SMB/HTTP(s) DP's that function as SCCM DP's as well. NetSUS on local ESXi at important client sites that need to do onsite imaging and only one mac pro in the fleet used as the Master DP and onsite NetBoot client. Spinning up CentOS VM's to build out Reposado infrastructure.

    A
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    • Aziz
    • Contributor
    • November 6, 2015

    All virtual:

    Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard, dual core Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X5570 @ 2.93GHz with 16 GB RAM. Distribution point is also on Server 2012 R2 using IIS for HTTP downloads.

    Chris_Hafner
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    • Chris_Hafner
    • Jamf Heroes
    • November 6, 2015

    Presently we have two 2011 Mac Pro's with plenty or RAM and HW RAID. Those share duties running the entire environment. I have, however just installed a brand new Mac Pro (I will keep using Macs for NetBoot for the foreseeable future). You know, one of the mini SCUBA tank ones with super fast SSD onboard. It's running brilliantly.

    That said, I'll intend to shift MySQL and web host duties to VM in the future. So far as maintaining a high speed AFP DP and NetBoot, I'm sticking with Mac's for now.

    So to follow your example
    Hardware:
    2x Mid 2010 Mac Pro (SSD boot drives, Acera 1880ix RAID with 3 15k7 Cheetah drives stripped 0 for DP/Netboot duties, (Yes this is overkill for our environment but I've never had a performance issue that was hardware related... ever)
    1x MacPro Late 2013 with 1TB internal SSD... and that's it really. This unit is really a hot spare for the older two. Technically, it should be able to handle everything rather well. OS Version: Os X OS X 10.9.5 and OS X 10.10.5
    Memory: 32 Gigs in the Primary mid 2010 Pac pro, 16 in the other two servers.
    Enrollment: ~650 computers
    416.78GB in use on our Casper Distribution Point (x3 DPs)

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