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Question

JSS Mac Server System Requirements?

  • May 31, 2016
  • 4 replies
  • 26 views
C
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As we gain more and more devices (Macs and iOS devices), I'm wondering how many devices it will take until we need something more beefy to run Casper. Currently, were running on a 2012 Mac mini with 1TB Flash, and 16GB of RAM (maxed out). I think I'm fine, but I just want to make sure. I also have an adjacent district that would also like to know this as they're also running it on a Mac mini and are going to start a 1-to-1 program with iPads (probably about 300 additional iPads).

I thought somewhere there was a paper that explained what kind of Mac (or PC) to run Casper on based on the number of devices enrolled, but I cannot seem to find it (if it actually existed).

Is there any idea of this?

    4 replies

    mm2270
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    • mm2270
    • Legendary Contributor
    • May 31, 2016

    At one time JAMF did have a diagram or chart that showed the basic requirements as they recommended them for tiers of managed devices. It wasn't specific to a Mac server though, more just general process, RAM and disk space recommendation for any server platform. I'm not sure where that document would be now, but you may want to ask your account rep to see if they can provide you with some recommended specs, or even a current version of that document.
    You didn't mention actual numbers too much. Like for example, how many overall devices are you managing right now, and how many are you expecting to grow by? That would be important information to consider when trying to do any planning.

    Also, I know JAMF considers "devices" to be either Macs or iOS devices, but in my opinion, you typically need a little more horsepower and memory for the tomcat server(s) and disk space for your Distribution Points when managing a lot of Macs vs a lot of iPads/iOS devices. They both add overhead of course, but keep in mind its possible for Macs to be checking in to your JSS and executing policies much more frequently than your iOS devices will be. And the potential for repeated inventory collection throughout the day on a large Mac fleet can really add up for a JSS. Also, packages and DMGs for Macs are generally going to be quite a bit larger (think MS Office and Adobe CC apps, not to mention any OS images if you need those), hence the need for more disk space for storage for your Macs.

    mvu
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    • mvu
    • Jamf Heroes
    • May 31, 2016

    This was from a few years ago, but I kept it.

    R
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    • rcorbin
    • Valued Contributor
    • May 31, 2016

    Talk to your rep. They have a pretty big PDF document that has different configuration options.

    That all said we have been able to do thousands of Macs and thousands of iPads from a late 2012 Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM and a 2.6Ghz Quad Core i7.

    Chris_Hafner
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    • Chris_Hafner
    • Jamf Heroes
    • June 1, 2016

    This is all great advice. The only thing I'll add is that a lot will depend on what you're doing with them (part of what @mm2270 is asking). We're only supporting ~650 OS X devices and I'm running WAY above these recommendations because we push large software installs without caching and have to run a high speed / high volume imaging sessions.

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