Problem with System Center Endpoint Protection and clients bound to a JSS

[BGV652]

Hello,

I've discovered the following problem:
After installing System Center Endpoint Protection on my Macs (10.12.4) managed by a JSS I recognized a massive lag after the login of the user (because the SCEP.app is configured as a login item). During the lag the whole system is frozen for a couple of seconds (sometimes it takes up to 20 seconds). The system also freezes for some seconds if I start the software manually after a restart without having it configured as a login item.
Even a blank macOS with just the SCEP.app and the jamf framework installed causes this problem.

The system does not freeze if the client is not bound to the JSS and if the jamf framework is not installed.
Furthermore it does not freeze if the real-time file system protection in SCEP is disabled.

Configuring some protection exclusions in SCEP wasn't successful either.

Has anyone experienced the same problem or knows how to fix/prevent this issue?

[themacallan]

I've been testing a stock PKG install of SCEP (4.5.27.1) with a subset of 10 Macs (10.12.4, mix of MacBooks/iMacs) for about two weeks now. All enrolled in our JSS (9.98). Real-time file system protection is enabled. Fortunately there have been no issues like you describe.

If your JSS is accessible to the outside world, and you have a MacBook to test with, it may help to test externally to rule out your environment. Additionally, any difference if you are using Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi? Do you image your machines or do you use native deployment/DEP? You mention blank macOS, but I wasn't sure if that was a base image or an actual recovery partition / internet recovery install.

I recognize this doesn't solve your issue, but knowing that there is an environment similar to yours without the issue should help rule out some factors. Cheers and good hunting!

[BGV652]

Thanks for your reply.

I am also using SCEP (4.5.27.1) and have tested different models (MacBooks and Mac mini).
Maybe i should update my JSS (it is 9.97.1482356336 at the moment).
I'm pretty sure that it has nothing to do with our network, because I have already tested different network configurations (different networks; Ethernet plugged in/out; Wi-Fi turned on/off).

Unfortunately there is no difference between imaged machines or native deployments.
(By the way: With blank macOS i mean a machine completely installed via Internet Recovery or a disk prepared with createinstallmedia. Is that a also known as base image?).

At least it is nice to hear that there is an environment without those problems and that it should work without that issues in theory.

[BGV652 · Accepted solution]

The problem was caused by two policies configuring dock items at login.
After deactivating those policies the problem does not longer exist.