Casper implications of the Thunderbolt Display

[nkalister]

Hey list, I was reading anandtech's review<http://www.anandtech.com/show/4832/the-apple-thunderbolt-display-review/2> of the new thunderbolt display, and I'm wondering how casper will handle the ethernet controller that's built into the display. If you click on the link to the article, you'll see that the display's ethernet connection is independent of the machine's and has it's own MAC address. What would the best practice be for managing a machine with casper using this display?
Thanks
nick

[#2]

It will still see it is an ethernet port (it will show in System Profiler), so if you have policies based on it detecting ethernet connections you shouldn't have any problems. This is similar to the MacBook Air ethernet dongle, it has it's own MAC address as well. We don't have a ton of airs, but no problems with them.

Brendon Cunningham
Senior Technical Analyst
Desktop Engineering

[bentoms]

As it's similar to the airs, I presume you can add their MAC addresses as removal addresses into the JSS.

Regards,

Ben.

[nkalister]

Doesn't that just tell the JSS to ignore that MAC address? If the mac using the display only ever connects using the display, wouldn't that prevent any management at all?
What if the user occasionally also uses the built in ethernet? 2 entries for the same machine in JSS?

Sorry for the newb questions, I've only just begun with casper.
thanks
nick

[tlarkin]

MAC addresses are associated to the hardware in your database, which will also have a JSSID number as well. Entering a MAC address as a removable MAC address in the JSS tells the Casper Suite to ignore it and not tie it to any records in inventory.

-Tom

[nkalister]

Ah, ok, so ignoring the removable MAC address will not prevent management. Cool!
Thanks
nick

[bentoms]

IIRC, mac addresses aren't the only identifier the JSS uses to identify a mac client. i think serial number plays a part too.

When a mac is reconned, it submits a system profiler report.. (Which will include all it's Mac addresses)... The mac is then given a JSS ID.. Which it uses to indetify itself..

I could be wrong about how the JSS identifies clients.. Support will be able to advise.

Regards,

Ben.

[glutz]

My experience is that using the Removable MAC Addresses feature causes issues with deployment. For example if you don't use the Removable MAC Addresses and you keep using the same dongle or display it will drag that first machines information over the machines that you image leaving the others SOL because the machines identity is attached to that dongle or display. Now on the other end if you use Removable MAC Addresses now you run in to the issue of an ID that is not associated to the MAC address and now JAMF functions do not work because when it tries to run a policy it will fail because it is unable to find a matching JSSID for that MAC Address. I feel this is a really big deal especially if you are deploying lots of macs as we do for our enterprise.

It is nice to have Thunderbolt displays for Airs because of the gigabit network connectivity for the images but then our post imaging fails because policies are unable to run correctly. The JSSID should be attached to the machines SN. in the day and age of removable network adapters people could potentially have more then two and with the JSS being limited to two this becomes another issue. PLEASE FIX!

[rockpapergoat]

any update on this?

some folks at work just asked me about the t-bolt MACs and implications for management. we have some airs with new displays that will end up being their primary interface on the network.

what's JAMF's advice on this?

[jarednichols]

I'd imagine any Thunderbolt/USB Ethernet adapters need to be marked removable as do any MAC addresses for Thunderbolt displays. Thus my feature request: https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/featureRequest.html?id=366

[rockpapergoat]

ah, i see…

jamf, get on the stick here!

[nkalister]

Now on the other end if you use Removable MAC Addresses now you run in to the issue of an ID that is not associated to the MAC address and now JAMF functions do not work because when it tries to run a policy it will fail because it is unable to find a matching JSSID for that MAC Address.

I actually haven't seen this happen. I have a retina MBP- the mac address in it's record on the JSS is it's airport MAC. I always connect to the network using the ethernet in my thunderbolt display. Policies execute as expected when connected using the t-bolt display. Am I misunderstanding the issue you're describing, glutz?