Author: aucadmin

To Bind or not to Bind, that is the Question

Marcus Ransom, RMIT UniversityPart of XW16

Binding a Mac to a directory service is the traditional way of providing authentication and authorisation in education or enterprise scenarios. Directory services such as Open Directory or Active Directory were designed when computers stayed connected to a domain 24/7 but this is often the exception rather than the rule these days. What are the options for providing integration with corporate directory services for different deployment scenarios and what sort of questions should we be asking when we are deciding on how to set up our fleet?

Marcus has been integrating Apple devices into various enterprise environments for over a decade, from small design studios through to large one to one iPad programs. In his current role as the Lead Apple Technician at RMIT University, he is responsible for the integration and support of the Apple fleet into the wider University. Understanding the changing Apple ecosystem and developing a community amongst Apple system administrators are two objectives that motivate him to improve the way Apple devices are supported and perceived in the wider IT environment. Marcus co-ordinates Melbourne Apple Admins (http://melbourneappleadmins.org.au) and also co-presents the MacAdmins.org podcast (http://podcast.macadmins.org)

Which Version is This?

Duncan McCracken, Mondada Pty LtdPart of XW16

While Major-Dot-Minor-Dot-Point-Sometimes-Dot-Revision is a widely accepted standard, it doesn’t appear to be widely used. Couple this with the need for developers to not store this information in the recommended places. Add a BYOD scenario.

Patch Management may seem like an impossible achievement.

This session will provide some interesting tips and tricks on where to look for version information, how to handle the inconsistencies between different versions of a product and, most importantly, how to leverage this information in your management suite to provide a consistent patch-level in your environment.

Duncan is the Technical Director of Mondada Pty Ltd, an organisation leading the way in creating installation packages for OS X deployment solutions.

With over 20 years working with Apple and associated products Duncan as a consultant and has worked with some of the leading integration companies at home in Australia and around the world. He is known for his willingness to adapt to new playing fields through embracing different technologies, and his knack for creating modular, re-usable solutions.

Duncan is an Apple Certified Trainer and has spoken at various Apple-centric conferences around the world, including MacSysAdmin, MacWorld and MacIT.

Mac Support and The Serenity Prayer

Peter Wells, UNSW AustraliaPart of XW16

A sequel to last year’s presentation, we’re continuing to focus on what’s best for our customers, even if that means constant or drastic changes.

When supporting Macs in an enterprise environment, it’s worth remembering the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference..

Peter Wells is a Desktop Analyst currently working with UNSW Australia. He is also a technology commentator, writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, and hosting the international edition of The Daily Tech News Show. He was previously front page editor for MacTalk, Australia’s largest Apple Community.

Beginner Bash

Tony WilliamsPart of XW16

This workshop will start with understanding, setting up and using the command line before moving on to simple shell programming before finishing with LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons. Along the way we’ll cover the ‘defaults’ command, flow control and looping, command results, chaining commands, and regular expressions among other topics.

It is open to anyone with or without experience using the command line.

Tony is an integration engineer and he is responsible for the design, installation and support of a disparate range of systems, mostly Macs and iPads. With over thirty years in the industry he has had a myriad of roles including C programmer, Unix system administrator, IT Manager, support specialist and Associate Editor of Australian Macworld.

WWDC Student Scholarship Travel Assistance

Applications are now closed for this program.

If you’re a currently enrolled student at an Australian or New Zealand University, and you’ve won an Apple Student Scholarship to attend WWDC 2016 (results announced May 9), we might be able to help out with your expenses. We’ve allocated 3 student support scholarships of $1500 each to assist with airfares and/or accommodation. Conditions apply, and applications close May 27 at 5pm (Sydney time).

Apply here »

X World 2016 Call for Presenters

X World is our annual training event for OS X and iOS system administrators and support staff, and will be held at UTS, Sydney. This year the event will run July 7-8.

We are now calling for presenters who wish to offer sessions and workshops at this year’s event. If you have a background in the installation, configuration, deployment, or on-going administration of OS X based systems, or experience in iOS deployment, management and app development, or if you work in related areas, we’d really like to hear from you. Presenters receive free registration to X World, and qualify for subsidised flights and/or accommodation.

This call for presenters closed Monday May 2, 2016, at 5pm Sydney time, but late submissions will still be considered. Offers can be made by completing the submission form.

More information, including ticket pricing, final dates, and the event program details will be posted shortly after the CFP closes.

CreateWorld Reboot

Earlier this year we conducted a survey on the future of CreateWorld. We’ve learned that February isn’t the preferred time for most respondents, and a focus on professional development opportunities and workshops is likely to result in a more successful event. The next step is to form a new organising committee with fresh ideas and a preparedness to deliver a new CreateWorld, using the survey input as guidance. If you value CreateWorld, and want to help see it continue, please email createworld AT auc.edu.au and let us know a little about yourself, and how you’d like to help.

Integrating OS X Server & AD (Workshop)

Joe Bazzano, Victorian Department of EducationPart of XW15

This workshop covers the integration of Windows Server 2012 R2 and OS X Server. It will include basic fundamentals of DNS, and how Active Directory is integrated with Open Directory and Profile Manager to manage users and groups in a mixed Windows/Mac Environment.

After covering how to configure Open Directory and Profile Manager, attendees will learn how to configure pay loads for pushing out printers, network shares, restrictions and more, and how to enrol devices such as iPads and MacBooks into Profile Manager. We will also touch on the Apple Configurator supervision process.

Finally, there will be an introduction to the VPP and how to deploy VPP Apps via Profile Manager on iPads.

Joe Bazzano was previously a teacher at RMIT University and Holmesglen Tafe in the area of Information Technology and Computer Science, where he specialised in Networking, Server Operating Systems and Web Development.

Currently he works as a Specialist Technician contractor for state schools in Victoria. His day to day job is to assist with server support and networking issues in schools, and he also specialises in BYOD deployments of iPads and MacBooks in schools using software such as Meraki, Profile Manager in conjunction with Windows Server 2012 and the latest OS X Server.

Linux Infrastructure to Support OS X Clients

Duncan McCracken, Mondada Pty LtdPart of XW15

For some of us the requirement exists to find an alternative to OS X Server running on enterprise-class hardware. This issue seems to be more pertinent as our Xserves are now reaching retirement age.

Fortunately there is a multitude of solutions available in the Linux world, but it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which flavour of linux to use, or which packages will be required for your solution, or what the dependencies of these all things are.

This introductory session with some effective practices for implementing Linux servers in an OS X environment. We’ll cover the basics of how to get an instance of Linux up and running, then how to manage and extend this installation to provide some of the services traditionally implemented using OS X server.

Duncan McCrackenDuncan is the Technical Director of Mondada Pty Ltd, an organisation leading the way in creating installation packages for OS X deployment solutions.

With over 19 years working with Apple and associated products Duncan as a consultant and has worked with some of the leading integration companies at home in Australia and around the world. He is known for his willingness to adapt to new playing fields through embracing different technologies, and his knack for creating modular, re-usable solutions.

Duncan is an Apple Certified Trainer and has spoken at various Apple-centric conferences around the world, including MacSysAdmin and MacWorld.