Apple Remote Desktop Focus on Task Server
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1 Contents Chapter 1 5 5 5 Task Server Overview Description Benefits and Requirements Chapter 2 7 7 8 9 Task Server Setup Planning to Deploy a Task Server for Reports Planning to Deploy a Task Server for Package Installation Setup Checklist Chapter 3 11 13 13 14 15 16 16 Task Server Scenario Preliminary Planning and Setup Setting Up a Task Server for Reporting Setting Up an Admin Console to Query the Task Server Setting Up Clients to Interface with the Task Server Using the Task Server for Reporti
Contents
1 Task Server Overview 1 Task Server capability is a powerful new feature of Apple Remote Desktop 3 that allows always-on administration of client computers. Description A dedicated Task Server acts as an always-on, automated administrator.
Chapter 1 Task Server Overview
2 Task Server Setup 2 Task Server can run on either an administrator computer or a dedicated remote computer that accepts jobs from the Remote Desktop application. Planning to Deploy a Task Server for Reports If you plan on using a Task Server to collect cached report data from client computers, make sure you have enough processing power, network bandwidth, and storage on the Task Server computer. You can run the Task Server on either the administrator computer or a dedicated remote computer.
For example, if you normally run a report every week, then set 1/7th of your clients to rebuild caches on day one, another 1/7th on the next day and so on. You could also stagger the cache rebuild over the course of the day. Â Have enough disk space for the report data cache on the Task Server. The file system report data that is uploaded to the report database for a client with 10 GB of files on the hard disk can easily reach 5 MB. With hundreds or thousands of clients, this can add up quickly.
Setup Checklist  Check firewall and network settings on the Task Server computer.  The Task Server needs to have either a manual IP address or a DHCP-assigned static address.  The Task Server needs to allow connections on TCP and UDP ports 3283 and 5900.  Install Remote Desktop with an Unlimited Managed Systems license on the dedicated Task Server computer.  If Remote Desktop is being launched for the first time on this computer, you can enable the Task Server in Setup Assistant. Otherwise, continue.
Chapter 2 Task Server Setup
3 Task Server Scenario 3 This chapter presents a scenario in which a dedicated Task Server is set up for use by a Remote Desktop administrator for reporting and AutoInstall. In this scenario, the Apple Remote Desktop administrator uses a mobile computer, and wants to use a Task Server so the mobile computer doesn’t have to be on the network all the time to capture report information. He also needs to use the Task Server to install software on the mobile computers used by the Sales department.
The following diagram illustrates the simple network in this scenario. A B C D Label Description A Administrator computer. IP address 192.168.1.10 B Workgroup server. IP address 192.168.1.2. Fully qualified domain name: taskserver.example.com C Desktop clients. IP address 192.168.1.20–192.168.1.40 D Mobile clients. IP address 192.168.1.60–192.168.1.
Preliminary Planning and Setup The administrator first makes sure that the network settings and infrastructure are configured properly. The administrator does the following: 1 He checks the network settings on the server. Passes: The server has as static IP address (192.168.1.2) and a fully qualified domain name in the DNS (taskserver.example.com). 2 He checks the firewall settings on the server.
4 When the Setup Assistant finishes, he launches Remote Desktop to configure this server’s Task Server. He goes to Remote Desktop > Preferences > Task Server, and selects “Use Task Server on this computer” and “Allow remote connections to this server.” 5 He uses Remote Desktop to verify that it finds the client computers. By selecting a scanner and scanning the network range he wants, he sees all the client computers he expects.
b Later, he chooses what report data to upload and sets up a preliminary automatic scheduled upload for his clients. 3 He uses Remote Desktop to verify that it finds the client computers and adds them to a list. By selecting a scanner and scanning the network range he wants (192.168.1.20– 192.168.1.70) , he sees all the client computers he expects. Then he adds them to a list by the normal method outlined in the Apple Remote Desktop 3 Administrator’s Guide.
Using the Task Server for Reporting Once the Task Server is set up in Remote Desktop on the administrator computer and the clients are set up to upload report data on a schedule, it’s easy to use the Task Server for reporting. On the designated schedule, the clients contact the Task Server and upload report data. When the administrator wants to run a report, Remote Desktop automatically contacts the Task Server for the report data and displays it.
