changing time server settings on networked macs

[jd20075]

hi

 

all we currentley have 400+ macs on our network and due to a system improvments we have change the dc and time server is there away using ARD to change all mac to reflect the new time server without having to do them one at a time

 

many thanks in advance

 

jd20075

[chazzy2501]

you can set the time server in dhcp, I don't know if that a MS only addon though.

[AntonioRocco]

@jd20075

 

Hi

 

"is there away using ARD to change all mac to reflect the new time server without having to do them one at a time?"

 

Yes.

 

Launch ARD and select the client workstations. Click on the UNIX Icon. Click on the Template option - top right hand corner of the interface. From the pull down menu select System Setup and from the sub-menu select Network Time Server. It should present this command in the window:

 

systemsetup -setnetworktimeserver time.apple.com

 

Replace time.apple.com with the IP address of your NTP Server.

 

Explore the further options available via the Template pull down menu as you will find most of them useful. The systemsetup and networksetup command line binaries are extremely useful utilities and only a very few are available in ARD. To see the full options available for both utilities launch Terminal on any mac (client or server) and consult the manual pages for both:

 

man systemsetup

man networksetup

 

You can test a desired command on a single workstation first and copy/paste from the Terminal window into the ARD Send Unix Command window. Send the command as the 'root' User otherwise it won't work.

 

@chazzy2501

 

There are very little WPAD options supported in the OSX Interface. You can configure further WPAD options for OSX Server's DHCP Service beyond what's available in the interface by editing /etc/bootpd.plist. There are other sites but this one pretty much lists what is possible:

 

Adding DHCP Options in Mac OS X Server | Krypted.com

 

HTH?

 

Antonio Rocco (ACSA)

Edited January 17, 2012 by AntonioRocco