Ed,
Thanks for your notes.
My use of the term "mobile" was a bit ambigious! When we create a user home for an account, we create it on a Mac Server and call it a "network only" account. A user logging in on a Mac will need access to this server for their home directory to be available.
For most of our laptop users, we use the "Mobile account" creation option on the Users & Groups system preference to allow the server based home to be replicated to the local mac, enabling access while off the network. For all of these "mobile account" users,
we then disable home synchronization… we need to figure out a more effective process.
Regards,
Andy
wrote:
Hi --
We have over 100 Macintosh computers —iMacs, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros —running various OS operating systems Snow Leopard (although those are down to less than a handful), Lion, and Mountain Lion (nearly everything is now Mountain Lion and the rest
will be by fall). They all access shares on our Dell PowerEdge 2900 server running Windows Server 2003 without difficulty. In addition, we operate an archive server using a Dell PowerVault 2900 running Windows Storage Server 2003 software without difficulty.
All of the Macintosh computers are DNS and DHCP connected through that same Dell PowerEdge 2900. All login via AD accounts on that same Dell. We have had this system in operation for 5 plus years without any significant problems. Some of the shares are regularly
accessed simultaneously via Windows 7 and Macintosh without problem. We use the Macintosh computers straight from the box —not special setup at all. I did setup each share specifically to be both a macintosh share and a windows share —same files, same contents
just two ways to look at it. Biggest issue was with a staff member or two who were so solidly from the Windows world that it took some time and persuading to get them comfortable with it. We also run one xserve running Snow Leopard which is part of the windows
AD domain. Everyone accesses it cleanly as well.
When you speak of mobile, I am not certain what you are referring to. We do run a vpn gateway for off campus use of some network based services including network based files for select staff members. It works fine for that but does not well support our
server based demographic and business systems —response lag issues —works to reference but not for serious data entry. Staff members use cellphones —primarily iPhones, to access some very basic network services: email, calendar, that sort of thing. And
the same for iPads.
As a side note: I used Dave in a previous job and was quite happy with it. I had planned to use it here but have not found a need for it.
Hope this helps.
Ed Feist, Ed.D.
Director of Technology
Montessori School of Denver
1460 South Holly Street, Denver, CO 80222
303-756-9441 ext.56 / 303-757-6145 fax
montessoridenver.org
I am trying to retire a 6 year old xserve with an equally old xserve RAID. We are looking at unified storage solutions from both Dell/Compellent and EMC. I have no personal experience with Mac's accessing non-mac file system storage, so I feel somewhat at risk.
Do you have experience with Mac clients accessing SMB/CIFS or NFS shares on either a Windows server or a NAS (in an Active Directory bound environment)? If so, I would appreciate your take on the following questions.
- Does Mac Mt. Lion, out of the box, have sufficiently robust smb connectivity to be able to access SMB/CIFS shares as primary file shares? If my day-to-day work depended on robust connectivity to a file share, would mac smb in Mt. Lion (whatever it is based
on) be production/enterprise ready?
- Can Mac Mt. Lion, out of the box, use a Windows or NAS share for a home directory over smb or nfs (in an Active Directory environment)? Can this be effective for both network-only and mobile users?
- Is there anything to be aware of when considering support of SMBv1 vs. SMBv2 when evaluating NAS solutions? Are there any "gotcha's" in SMBv1?
- Thursby Software produces "Dave", commercial software providing "commercial grade Microsoft DFS and Microsoft SMB/CIFS". What makes this product viable? Are there deficiencies in out-of-the-box SMB that make products like Dave necessary? I personally don't
want to add $20,000 to my storage project to outfit clients with additional software to make it all work.
- How viable is Microsoft's DFS Namespace for providing client access to file shares?
I am certain others have integrated Mac clients into a Windows data storage environment. If you are one who has done so, I would be grateful for a brief phone conversation. I don't need to know how to build a clock; I just need to know the time.
Thanks,
Andy Gerhard
Sr. Network and Systems Administrator
Cherry Hills Community Church
Cherry Hills Christian Schools
303-325-8207 (anytime)
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