Apple Caching Server, How to check your Devices are Updating from there?

[dudleyar]

Hi,

 

Recently switched on Apple Caching Server on our Mac Server, I can see that it has downloaded 11GB worth of iOS Data, we have a fleet of 66 Shared iPads and roughly 150 1to1 iPads,

 

I want to know how I can check that these devices are looking at the Caching Server and receiving updates from here and apps, the Logs files do not appear to be clear enough! Also we have VLANs in place and Different Subnets, so how do devices on a different VLAN and/or Subnet know how to get to the Caching Server without some sort of IP Helper?

 

Regards

 

Andy

[badbot39]

in middle of same thing appears to just work but takes its time letting you know on the caching screeen bar. been round the houses with it but can only conclude it just works.?

https://help.apple.com/advancedserveradmin/mac/3.0/#apdC36C9994-1533-4DCB-9CFF-870CB0FADCDB

[badbot39]

try library/server/caching/debug.log should tell you a lot will let you know if i find anything more usefull

[dudleyar]

Thanks for your response badbot, I agree everything I have found suggests that it just works! I have looked at the debug.log file before and you can see various Apple URLs being accessed but what I cannot see it any IP Addresses of Devices accessing the Server to download content! Which would be helpful, as you say we just have to assume it is working!

[dudleyar]

I did also find this: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4804580

 

"When the Caching Server starts up (and periodically while it's running), it checks in with Apple, and Apple tracks the public IP address of your server.

When a client checks for updates, Apple cross-reference the client's IP address with the list of known caching servers. If it finds one it redirects the client to their local cache server.

 

Since this mechanism is transparent - there's no configuration or interaction on the user's part, the IP address has to match since there's no other way for Apple to know if the caching server is on the same local network as the client (even IP addresses just one or two digits off could be entirely separate networks)."

[badbot39]

Ok can confirm (ish) books are being pulled off the caching server but had to download them via itunes for them to be picked up by the caching server but the ipads flew through installing them via vpp.....still cant get a definative on apps as it could be our network/isp speed issue?

[dudleyar]

That is useful to know, are you using a MDM Solution? We use AirWatch here, so Apps are pushing out through that, but affectively they are still being grabbed from the App Store, so you would think they would still download from the Caching Server, we have a 200MB Internet Link, so I might try downloading the Word App which is about 400MB and see if it downloads faster the second time around on another iPad

[badbot39]

just using profile manager and configurator taken say a year to get working and semi reliable, still unsure whether there is a full ipad worth of apps and books in caching, but have had a full 30 odd apps downloading/installing at one rather than the usual 3 or so? i think a few still are hitting apple servers rather than the caching server lol still as vague as ever good old apple.

[GrammarAV]

The way we monitor where the iPads are grabbing the data from is by watching our firewall and seeing the IPs of the iPads pull down from the cache. I also check the network traffic on the server and you can see when kids log in on the iPads and in turn request the departmental apps assigned to them through AW.

 

We have definitely noticed a decrease of demand on our bandwidth here and there has been a slight improvement in download speeds, but when you have 25 iPads connecting to one AP you tend to be restricted by the capabilities of wi-fi more than your downlink.

 

However I believe that the Apple ID still needs to be verified by one of the two app store servers before downloading the App. Then again I could be completely wrong!

 

We use both AW and PM here and they both have their pro's but for ease Profile Manager wins by a country mile.