Mac mini enough horsepower for institutional NetBoot?

[dferrara]

Hi Nation.

We're slowly phasing out a 2009 Xserve that has served us admirably as a primary NetBoot server. I don't think we're ready to explore using Linux for NetBoot. We have an upgraded Mac mini ready to go (16 GB, SSD, i7) with similar multithreaded performance, but part of me is nervous to leave behind a server-grade product for the mini.

We have a lot of computer labs, and upwards of 30 computers might need to be imaged at a time. Our environment isn't particularly well-suited for PreStage or other strategies, like staggering the imaging process.

Thoughts? Is there an argument here for a Mac Pro? Is the bottleneck entirely throughput?

Thanks!

[bentoms]

@dferrara A mini will be fine.

To get 30 booting of it at once though, I'd modify the rc.netboot file on the NetBoot.

[dferrara]

Thanks @bentoms. We're currently using AutoCasperNBI with the modified file. Many kudos unto you.

[sgoetz]

We use mac mini's all the time to image macs with no issues. We also fully upgraded them as high as they would go and use the AutoCasperNBI modified file. To help with network constraints we purchased a 10 GBe thunderbolt adapter at our primary site. The tech has done about 20 Macs at once in about 15 minutes.

[dferrara]

Thanks much @sgoetz.

[stwrz]

We get about 25 Macs at a time with our Mini, and it's about four years old.

[davidacland]

On top of network bandwidth, there is also a lot of demand on the internal disk as the data is read. My personal preference is for NetSUS as the resources can be scaled up much more easily with a VM. That being said, a Mini with an SSD would do a good job for the price.

[itupshot]

@sgoetz 20 Macs in about 15 mins?

Are you guys deploying monolithic images? My Casper Imaging process takes almost a half hour per computer for a Configuration that only has MS Office, Acrobat Pro, and a couple of smaller packages to install after base OS image. I was told by JAMF Support that this is normal.

It takes a lot longer when I have to install the Adobe Creative Suite as part of a Configuration.

I was getting 5 minutes per computer when I was deploying monolithic images using DeployStudio.

We're using one of those 2009 XServes as Netboot, SUS, and Master Distribution Point for Casper Admin. I'd definitely like to get my old imaging speeds back, but I think I can only do it with monolithic images.

[bentoms]

@itupshot mine takes about 90-120 minutes.

I've outlined my workflow here.

But if we image a SSD'd Mac on a 1 gig connection it's typically done in 45 minutes.

[davidacland]

I had a similar conversation with a client recently. They didn't understand why modular imaging takes so long and asked that we test everything.

We normally have SMB DPs and Netboot. As you would imagine, Netboot wasn't adding much time at all. We tested booting from an external drive while still using the SMB DP, the total deployment time was almost identical.

The only things that made a difference were deploying to an SSD Mac and deploying from SSD Thunderbolt drives. For ad-hocs we're deploying in 10-15 mins from a LaCie SSD thunderbolt drive, vs ~2 hours from Netboot/SMB.

[itupshot]

@davidacland I have noticed that SSD Macs and Fusion Macs tend to take less time. It's still a much longer time than the under 10-minute imaging I used to achieve with DeployStudio. However, we used to cheat a bit by using monolithic images, and just tacking on updates into the workflow. We also had to replace "drag and drop" apps post-imaging.

One advantage that I like with modular imaging on Casper is that you can replace a package (whether DMG or PKG) from the start very easily when there is an updated app. It just takes 3-4 times longer to finish the imaging process, though.

[sgoetz]

I use AutoDMG to make just the Never Booted Before Apple OS. In the configuration I set up I have the following Apps.

AD Laptops
Adobe Flash
Adobe Reader
Computrace
Druva
Firefox
Fonts
Self Service (Our is branded)
Google Chrome
Lync
MS Office
Parallels
Postimage script (Makes a bunch of preference changes

Both the netboot server and the Distribution Point (SMB) have the 10 GBe Thunderbolt adapter.

[Chris_Hafner]

I love the back and forth between the broad understanding of modular vs monolithic imaging. Mostly because I've seen folks refer to a number of methods using these terms somewhat interchangeably. I've even seen folks call a booted OS .dmg a monolithic image even when 40 packages, .dmgs and scripts are installed with either casper imaging or DeployStudio. For speeds sake I would bet that those of us imaging large volumes of units in a short period of time are "compiling" modular "configurations" thus making them monolithic (temporarily) for a specific deployment. If you're using Casper Imaging the compiled (block copy monolithic image) get's blown away as soon as you update a single piece of the configuration. Thus making it modular again.

I know most of you know this but I wanted to point it out for those that will happen along this thread at some future point.