Hello Everyone,
I've seen a few posts surrounding this topic, but haven't really found an answer that I am satisfied with quite yet. My team manages somewhere around 400 iMac / MacBook devices that are either located in a shared lab setting, or loaned out to users for an allotted period of time. Our user base loves these devices, especially students who are in more creative classes using Adobe products. Currently we are provisioning these devices with automated device enrollment and policies targeting Smart and Static groups. As a quick note, I am fairly new to Jamf, and Mac management in general.
I'm sure many admins in Higher Ed have faced this issue in Mac lab settings; how do we handle devices being used by multiple users? What I mean by that is, how can we provide a fresh OS and Mac desktop experience for each user as they sign on to a device? How do we prevent the device from filling up as users store their data there?
We currently utilize Deep Freeze, which wipes the iMac of any changes that occurred during a session as soon as a user logs out. However, this software is a logistical nightmare when it comes to updating software, patching macOS, deploying new applications and policies, and re-imaging/deploying devices. My goal is to somehow do away with this software and our current methodology used to keep the Mac lab devices clean for each individual use. The end user experience is currently seamless, they sign in and the desktop appears as an out of box (branded) experience, with all the tools they need at their fingertips. I would love to replicate this end user experience, while also enabling myself and fellow system admins to manage these devices in a more efficient fashion.
If anyone has any experience with this I would love to learn about it. I can also provide more information if that would help clarify anything. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!