Profile Manager and enrolling devices

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Profile Manager and enrolling devices

Profile Manager Issue after Server 3.1.2

We have recently purchased, for our school district, hundreds of MacBook Pros, two Mac Mini’s with Server app running OS X Mavericks. MacMini1 Server App is using File Sharing, Profile Manager, Websites and Open Directory. Mac Mini 2 is running Caching, Contacts, File Sharing, Websites and NetInstall. We hired an contracted Apple Specialist who helped us build two images “Student” and “Teacher”. The specialist created a script on MacMini2 that allows us to NetInstall the images and binds them to our Windows Active Directory server. We are NOT using placeholders. The user ID is pulled from AD for the MacBook Pro. We successfully deployed 84 machines to our Teachers and everything worked great. When we logged into profile manager we saw that the 84 Teachers were visible in their respective “Device Group” called “Teacher MBPs”. Recently we started NetInstalling more machines and noticed that they no longer enrolled into the “Device Groups”. Instead they were enrolling into “Devices” but not going into the correct Device Group as they were before. Rebooted the servers, no change. The only thing that had changed is we recently updated the Server App from 3.1 to 3.1.2. Also, a few days prior to that we updated Mavericks to 10.9.3. Those are the only changes we’ve made so it seems Server 3.1.2 broke Profile Manager because our custom script was working just fine before.

Apple wants us to pay to play.

Any help?

Mac mini, OS X Mavericks (10.9.3), Server 3.1.2

Posted on Jun 3, 2014 2:01 PM

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Answer 1

AlvaSchools Author

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Jun 6, 2014 9:09 AM in response to AlvaSchools

.is this too long to read?

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Answer 2

Jun 8, 2014 10:56 AM in response to AlvaSchools

" . . . our custom script . . . "

I could be wrong but I'm thinking this is where your problem begins and ends . . . probably? How can anything customised from Apple's stock install be accommodated by any future updates? Simple answer is it can't.

I would start by contacting the Apple Specialist first to at least look at and possibly re-do the customisation.

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Answer 3

AlvaSchools Author

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Jun 9, 2014 5:34 AM in response to Antonio Rocco

thank you for confirming what I was thinking. how do I find what changes were made in 3.1.2 so I can adapt the script to fit? the apple spec has been gone to long and says that what he created is impossible and doesn't think it was supposed to work that way.

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Answer 4

Jun 9, 2014 10:22 AM in response to AlvaSchools

Apple usually provide a knowledge base article associated with the update which will list what changes have been made. However it won't necessarily list all the changes as some of them will be pertinent to the OS and Apple will guard these diligently.

As you probably already know, you've (unfortunately) ran into a problem that some institutions using specialists implementing customised scripts run into every now and again. It's a tough call as bespoke solutions for off-the-shelf products can deliver extremely powerful and far-reaching results as opposed to simply sticking with off-the-shelf. It's definitely safer sticking with off-the-shelf but sometimes being safe may not be the best thing to do.

It might be difficult to find help for your 'customised problem' on a forum like this as you may struggle supplying enough information for us to assist without giving too much away? Besides customised anything is always best looked at and understood at first hand.

Perhaps there's another specialist of similar quality/expertise in your area you could use?

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