Jeff I agree with you completely on the "manual". It seems that they do not go over any of the under the covers data about their services in the manuals. This data only becomes visible in the Apple developer forums it seems.
Do you know how things went at that location after you got things working? Which version of OS X were they running? I have heard on both ends that 10.5 was a huge improvement and 10.6 is supposed to be even better. The remote management tools are quite nifty and I have found that anything not able to be handled through their GUI to be accessible via ssh. Shawn On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 11:48 AM, Jeff Brown <[email protected]> wrote: > I used to work for a consulting firm that actually had both MS and Apple > techs. The mac techs were so excited about the I-Server and of course > convinced that it would lead the the short demise of all windows servers. > Their first install started at 4 pm on a Friday, they were replacing a SBS > with this new MAC. It NEVER crossed their minds that they might need an MS > tech to help at all with this migration. > > They called me at 5 p.m. on Saturday. NOTHING worked on either server. > > These were 2 FULLY certified MAC specialists who were approved to do > warrantee work for most everything Apple. > > The "manual" for the xserve looked like it had been written by a sales > person. It looks to me like no one in that whole org knows JACK about > networking. > > They had not even considered looking at the firewall portion..... well > anyway, maybe the guys I worked with were the biggest part of that problem, > but I don't think so. I think both of them were better than average for > MAC techs, but they were lost on server side, and the EASY interface didn't > do the job for them. > > It does have some COOL features. You can pull up any mac's current session > and watch them work without them knowing it... Wow. > > > > On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 10:28 AM, Jonathan Link > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Sure you are. >> Not that there's anything wrong with that. >> :-) >> >> -Jonathan >> >> On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 10:16 AM, James Rankin <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> Stick an Apple logon on a lump of Steve Jobs' vomit and Mac users would >>> claim it tasted like pumpkin pie, and looked much cooler than Microsoft puke >>> >>> This is from someone who is sick of hearing a colleague Apple fan-boy >>> bigging up their iPhone by showing us how "useful" it is, from the >>> lightsabre noises it can make to the fact that there is an app for >>> everything (including the cure for AIDS) >>> >>> Not wanting to reignite the old MS v Apple debate or anything :-) >>> >>> 2009/7/15 David Lum <[email protected]> >>> >>>> Your boss might want to consider how hard it may or may not be to >>>> find someone to handle the XSERVE thing as well, the talent pool will be >>>> smaller and (I would expect) the salaries to be higher. I know of some Mac >>>> users that love their Macs unless they need help with it, because so many >>>> folks are PC types.. >>>> >>>> Also "I have been told that 150 users can be better managed on two >>>> XSERVE's than on a Windows Active directory network" >>>> Have them define “manage”. I would expect it manages Mac’s better J. >>>> *David Lum** **// *SYSTEMS ENGINEER >>>> NORTHWEST EVALUATION ASSOCIATION >>>> (Desk) 971.222.1025 *// *(Cell) 503.267.9764 >>>> P.S. I have to LOL Za, I have a Optiplex 745 with 64-bit XP running >>>> VMWare Workstation and it is hosting my dev environment: SQL server, web >>>> server, misc. development servers (W2K8, Moss2K7, SCCM, etc) and a VM of >>>> Win >>>> XP. Of course, I can only power up about 4 VM’s at a time, but… >>>> >>>> >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: Vue, Za [mailto:[email protected] <[email protected]>] >>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 6:19 AM >>>> To: NT System Admin Issues >>>> Subject: RE: Apple vs Microsoft? >>>> >>>> Where does the boss get the idea that a Mac environment will be a better >>>> long term move? >>>> >>>> I still manage one Xserve. Attached to it is an Xraid with 16 hard >>>> drives. Used exclusively for data storage. One 400 GB hard drive failed in >>>> last 3 years. Controller B was also replaced on the X-Raid. The server is >>>> attached to a Win08 AD. Overall the system works well but I am just not a >>>> proponent of Mac OS. AD integration has greatly improved with the latest >>>> OS. >>>> >>>> A Dell Optiplex running Windows 2008 for under $1000 can handle 150 >>>> users but maybe your company has money to spend. Get two Optiplex'es and >>>> cluster them and attach a disk array. The cheapest single Xserve is >>>> currently $2999.00 and comes only with a 7200 160gig HD. Customize the >>>> system to your requirements and you are looking at $6000-$7000 per server. >>>> Just to remote into the server requires a $300 extra software. Crazy man.. >>>> I >>>> torrent the damn thing instead. :) >>>> >>>> I have a Dell Optiplex 745, 3.0 Ghz, 6/GB RAM, 2x250 GB HD set up as a >>>> 64/bit Win08 DC and print server for 23 networked printers. I have 160 >>>> users >>>> & 400+ students in the department. The darn thing is as quiet as my laptop. >>>> >>>> >>>> -Z.V. >>>> ________________________________________ >>>> From: Shawn [[email protected]] >>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 10:01 PM >>>> To: NT System Admin Issues >>>> Subject: Apple vs Microsoft? >>>> >>>> Does anyone here have any experience, good or bad, regarding the Apple >>>> XSERVE being utilized to host email, data storage, open directory, etc as >>>> an >>>> equivalent replacement for Microsoft Server? We are currently running SBS >>>> 2003 and have 40 users, but will soon be upping that number to 150. My boss >>>> insists that moving everything over to a Mac environment will be a better >>>> long term move, but I am a bit hesitant without having some outside data to >>>> back that up. >>>> >>>> I have been told that 150 users can be better managed on two XSERVE's >>>> than on a Windows Active directory network, yet I have had a rough time >>>> finding any direct comparisons. >>>> >>>> If any of you have experience running either a mixed environment with >>>> both OS X Server and Windows Server or just a pure OS X environment w/ Mac >>>> clients as well, I would be interested to hear what your take on this is. >>>> >>>> I would also be very interested to here from anyone that has done a >>>> migration from Active directory to Open directory, along with any >>>> challenges >>>> on the user end. What challenges did you face? Are there any specifics that >>>> you can offer regarding stability, administration, etc? >>>> >>>> Thanks in advance for any input you can provide. >>>> >>>> Shawn >>>> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ >>>> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ >>>> >>>> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ >>>> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ >>>> >>>> >>>> This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of >>>> the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged >>>> information. If the reader of this message is not the intended >>>> recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution >>>> or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly >>>> prohibited. >>>> >>>> If you have received this message in error, please contact >>>> the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the >>>> original message (including attachments). >>>> >>>> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ >>>> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> "On two occasions...I have been asked, 'Pray, Mr Babbage, if you put into >>> the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able >>> rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such >>> a question." >>> >>> http://raythestray.blogspot.com >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> >> >> > > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
