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- Where does one get Casper training? I called JAMF and they only offer Jumpstart training if you purchase their solution. Doesn't seem fair to the client, since JAMF is essentially forcing techs to learn on the clients' dime. JAMF also suggested 6 or more months of real experience before going for certification. There seems to be a HUGE lack of resources for techs who want to learn Casper...I would think JAMF would see the value in providing training, if only to help their product get out there. Are there any Dallas area Casper user groups?
JAMF offers a Certified Casper Admin course that many on the list (including myself) have taken. It's a really good way to get best practices under your belt and unlearn some bad habits you may have been unknowingly doing. I'd consider myself an advanced user and had been using Casper in production for about 6 months before taking the course and still got a lot out of it. Highly recommended.
- I see several Casper suites. I'm currently most interested in imaging/packaging/distribution. I've got years of imaging, packaging and distribution experience, so it shouldn't take long to learn the JAMF toolset. Can one buy the Casper suite to run in a LAB environment? Training is fine - but you do need to LAB test before deploying (initially, changes, etc.).
The Casper Suite is really all in one, but it comes with a bunch of different modules depending on the function you're performing. I always test things in a "lab" environment - usually a few machines I have around for testing (the old one, the really dirty funky config, the brand new clean one) and some users who like getting beta stuff and having the newest thing. Even though I rarely run into a problem, it's just A Good Idea
to test before deploying, no matter what you're doing.
- Can I get some input from those who have deployed Casper to managed/integrated environments? How is AD/OD integration impacted by Casper? Can our clients continue to use OD for policies? Can our legacy packages/scripts be used if Casper is deployed?
I haven't used OD for a few years, but it leaves AD alone. If your machines are already on AD, fine. If not, fine. In fact, you can use Casper to insanely easily add your machines to AD. Once set up, your first level techs can do it it's so easy.
- How comfortable is everyone that Casper isn't going to be the next NetOctopus? Is there more than one person steering Casper development? Or is there a chance one person can leave JAMF to start his own company, and leave all Casper deployment folks out in the cold?
Maybe someone from JAMF would like to answer that one, but I don't see them going anywhere, especially some of the clients that they're gaining now and the further market share that Apple's gaining, especially in DOD and Government where regulatory/statute issues mandate system management.
Thanks,
Don
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 11:40:19 -0500
Be easy on you!? Pshaw! ;-)
1. Where does one get Casper training? I called JAMF and they only offer
Jumpstart training if you purchase their solution. Doesn't seem fair to the
client, since JAMF is essentially forcing techs to learn on the clients' dime.
JAMF also suggested 6 or more months of real experience before going for
certification. There seems to be a HUGE lack of resources for techs who want
to learn Casper...I would think JAMF would see the value in providing
training, if only to help their product get out there. Are there any Dallas
area Casper user groups?
The Casper suite does have several resources for learning on your own. The
manual is probably the most complete resource for this but I'm not sure it's
available outside purchasing the suite either. That's freely available to
anyone here
<http://www.jamfsoftware.com/libraries/pdf/products/documentation/Casper_Sui
te_Documentation.pdf>
They also have this mailing list, which has been invaluable to me
personally. It's peer-to-peer support mostly with occasional jump-ins from
the JAMF folks.
JAMF is also expanding its knowledgebase, which is here
<http://jamfsoftware.com/kb/index.php>.
The JumpStart program is great to help you quickly get your site(s) up to
speed but it's not really training. It's a dose of caffeine to help you
quickly implement many of its features that you'd likely not look into or
research right away.
They offer a Casper Certification course, which is only available to
customers. This is not just what-does-what but really "here's how to use
your screwdriver 14 more ways you'd never thought of".
2. I see several Casper suites. I'm currently most interested in
imaging/packaging/distribution. I've got years of imaging, packaging and
distribution experience, so it shouldn't take long to learn the JAMF toolset.
Can one buy the Casper suite to run in a LAB environment? Training is fine -
but you do need to LAB test before deploying (initially, changes, etc.).
The full suite can inventory, image and manage Macs. If you only need
imaging then the Imaging Suite may be ideal for you
<http://jamfsoftware.com/products/imaging-suite>.
JAMF does offer evaluations, I believe.
3. Can I get some input from those who have deployed Casper to
managed/integrated environments? How is AD/OD integration impacted by Casper?
Can our clients continue to use OD for policies? Can our legacy
packages/scripts be used if Casper is deployed?
Casper 7.0 enables you to bind to AD and OD and even specify the order. It
also includes built-in MCX management (rather than using OD), which has been
wonderful for our needs.
4. How comfortable is everyone that Casper isn't going to be the next
NetOctopus? Is there more than one person steering Casper development? Or is
there a chance one person can leave JAMF to start his own company, and leave
I don't know JAMF's full internal workings, but the core group of folks has
been there for about 5+ years. They've only grown in terms of the support
they offer and I can only speculate that development, while being headed by
one person, is now done by a few folks.
As for steering development: That's been done by its customers. Probably 90%
or more of what's in Casper today has been at the request of its customers.
They really listen. :-)
--
bill
William M. Smith, Technical Analyst
MCS IT
Merrill Communications, LLC
(651) 632-1492
Of course I’ll chime in! My comments below as well, but pretty much everyone has nailed it down.
Craig Ernst
Systems Management & Configuration
----------------------------------
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Learning & Technology Services
Old Library 2109
105 Garfield Ave
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Phone: (715) 836-3639
Fax: (715) 836-6001
----------------------------------
ernstcs at uwec.edu
Craig,
The usage of 'sick' is very appropriate in the context of describing Casper.
-Tom
Thomas Larkin
TIS Department
KCKPS USD500
tlarki at kckps.org
blackberry: 913-449-7589
office: 913-627-0351
On Sep 3, 2009, at 1:06 PM, Ernst, Craig S. wrote:
Of course I’ll chime in! My comments below as well, but pretty much
everyone has nailed it down.
On 9/3/09 11:40 AM, "don montalvo" <donmontalvo at gmail.com> wrote:
....snip]...
4zlxUOB0TBp5MuvyJrUs
Craig Ernst
Systems Management & Configuration
----------------------------------
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Learning & Technology Services
Old Library 2109
105 Garfield Ave
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Phone: (715) 836-3639
Fax: (715) 836-6001
----------------------------------
ernstcs at uwec.edu
Craig,
My apologies, I never had a chance to respond to your email. Many
thanks for your input, it's very helpful.
Don
You should ask @tlarkin if he's still using his Blackberry
oh lord jamf should just delete the mailing list posts here....
I think I still have an email archive somewhere with most everything.
