Mac os x server and ad integration

[LukeC]

I have just started a new job. We are investing in a mac os x server and the school has around 30 or so i macs around and wondering what is the best way about backing up these macs as at the moment students save their work directly to the Imac and how to go about intergrating the mac server and clients with active directory. As well as the back end setup i was wondering how people image macs what software they use and hwo they go about doing it.

Thanks in advance

[Boon72]

are you looking to back up all the iMacs and the students work separately?

 

integration into AD is done by binding the Macs to the domain.

 

what is it your looking to do with the new Mac server?

[TomH]

For 30 iMacs it might be worth considering Centrify as a option for integration and manage them through your standard group policy tools, unless you have a specific need for a mac server such as extra storage / network imaging solution / update server in which case the classic golden triangle approach might be more suited.

 

As far as backup there are many options including Time Machine, and my favourite Crash Plan Pro.

 

The setup all depends on what the machines are used for and who needs to be able to restore files etc.

Edited March 25, 2010 by TomH

[jubbi]

I too am about to have a school go to mac. This is going to start with 13 staff macbooks and a macmini server. Then with any luck, a suite of 23 imac's. I've got schools where they have 3 or 4 and extending the schema worked ok, but this is the first time I'm going to be doing it properly. Any advise on things to do, what to avoid, anything at all is apreciated.

I tried to get on the howtomac site, but it seems to be down, although that could just be LLN being useless!