Setting up Time Machine using JAMF

[FueledbyCoffee]

Hi guys,

Quick one, what are the correct steps to set up time machine backups to a NAS device using JAMF? I accessed configuration profiles and saw time machine there, but it feels so unnatural that the settings are easily done. Considering that we are using a NAS, I was kind of expecting a username and password field for authentication, etc. 

[jamf-42]

Unless your NAS supports TimeMachine, a NAS with raid 5 (prob others) won’t work. If you’re after backup of local user data in enterprise I don’t think TM is the answer. 

[AJPinto]

If you need an enterprise backup solution, you will need a tool specifically for that job. Apple does not offer an enterprise backup solution. Unfortunately Time Machine is firmly in the consumer lane with little to no ability to manage it from an enterprise perspective. 

[mschlosser]

While Time Machine could be made easier to manage via the enterprise as others have stated, the stability of it has been improved with the move to smb and APFS sprasebundles for network backups. I backup multiple terabytes within my org using it and have been through many successful restores. 

As long as the gas supports Time Machine, per Apple's spec, you should be good. I'd recommend anything running DSM with the appropriate sharing settings configured.

Assuming the NAS is reachable from the client machines, the backup can be set using the following command when set from JAMF:

tmutil setdestination [-ap] smb://user[:pass]@host/share

[FueledbyCoffee]

Hey, sorry just gotten back to this, how do you set the frequency of the backups?

Also, did you use one account for all the users or you to create individual configuration profiles for each of them?

[Christian7]

Which would be some of the enterprise solutions that are out there and can be suggested as those that have worked well for your requirements?