Parallels Mac Management for SCCM was awarded with the “The Best of TechEd award”. So for me worthwhile looking at and of course everything that integrates with ConfigMgr 2012 attracts my attention 😉 This blog is a review of Parallels Mac Management, let’s have a look. To upgrade Parallels Mac Management for Microsoft SCCM to a newer version, you need to uninstall the current version and then install a new one. To run the uninstaller, go to Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program and uninstall the Parallels Mac Management for Microsoft SCCM program. Learn more about Parallels Mac Management for Microsoft SCCM: This demo video of Parallels Mac Management c. For companies that already have Microsoft SCCM in place, Parallels Mac Management allows administrators to maximize investments they’ve already made and use SCCM as the single pane of glass to.

• Sccm Mac Os
• Sccm Mac Management Capabilities

At TechEd North America I came across the booth from Parallels and they were advertising with a product called Parallels Mac Management for ConfigMgr. Parallels Mac Management for SCCM was awarded with the “The Best of TechEd award”. So for me worthwhile looking at and of course everything that integrates with ConfigMgr 2012 attracts my attention 😉 This blog is a review of Parallels Mac Management, let’s have a look. In Part 1 we will have a look at the features, the components and how we are able to deploy the client.

In earlier blogs I wrote (here, here, here and here) about the native Mac OS X support in Configuration Manager 2012 R2, I have also showed the Parallels integration while being at the ConfigMgr.ch Community Event. Parallels Mac Management for ConfigMgr adds enhanced Mac OS X support to Configuration Manager 2007 and Configuration Manager 2012. In the table below you see the main features of the plugin to Configuration Manager.

In a scheduled new version the following features will be added;

Parallels Infrastructure

Besides the features above one very big advantage of the Parallels implementation is the fact that no Public Key Infrastructure is needed to be able to manage the Mac OS X devices. The Mac OS X devices are not threaten as a mobile device but as a “normal” configuration manager client. So what do we need to be able to enroll Mac OS X devices in ConfigMgr 2012?

Parallels Mac Management for Configuration Manager integration consist of the following components;

• Configuration Manager Proxy agent
• Netboot integration of PXE enabled Distribution Point
• Plugin with Configuration Manager console
• Parallels Configuration Manager Client

Configuration Manager Proxy agent

The Configuration Manager Proxy Agent is the middle-tier between the Parallels Configuration Manager client and the Configuration Manager 2012 Management Point. The Configuration Manager Proxy needs to be installed in each primary site or when using Secondary Sites you are able to choose if you want to install the Configuration Manager Proxy in the Secondary Site, installation in the Primary Sites are still mandatory. Try to install the Configuration Manager Proxy on the server where an SMS Provider is installed, this saves you manual configuration.

Netboot integration of PXE enabled Distribution Point

Netboot is used to boot an Apple Mac from the network, the netboot integration allows Mac OS X users to boot from the network via one (or more) of your PXE enabled distribution points.

Plugin with Configuration Manager console

The plugin allows you to manage the features from the Configuration Manager Console mentioned above.

Parallels Configuration Manager Client

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The client is not the Mac OS X client available from Microsoft. As mentioned, Parallels Mac Management for ConfigMgr comes with its own client which communicates via a self-signed certificate with the Configuration Manager Proxy with the Management Point.

The Parallels Configuration Manager client

Network discovery + automatic enrollment

To be able to discover Mac OS X devices we need to be sure that the following prerequisites are in place:

• “Local” admin user (domain joined machines can use a domain user that is administrator)
• Remote Logon needs to be enabled

After the prerequisites are in place we are able to enable the network discovery by configuring the TCP ports to scan, the subnets, the administrative account and the schedule.

After enabling network discovery, based on a subnet the Network Discovery process finds a Mac in the configured Subnet and will be registered as an IP Address. Next the discovery process pushes a client and the client will be installed and the client register itself to Configuration Manager.

Unfortunately the user is not able to trigger the client to connect to the Configuration Manager Proxy, but in the Console you are able to trigger a Machine Policy Retrieval and Evaluation Cycle.

Sccm Mac Os

Options for interaction with the client

Manual enrollment

Manual enrollment can be done by providing the user an URL where the installation source can be downloaded. By executing the DMG file, the client will be installed via a Wizard and enrolled into Configuration Manager 2012 R2.

More on this soon! Next time we will have a look at the manageability options that are offered and how you can use these to manage your Mac OS X devices.

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Sydney, Australia – July 28, 2017 – Parallels® today unveiled Parallels Mac Management 6 for Microsoft SCCM, which extends Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) functionality and enables IT managers to use one pane of glass to manage both PC and Mac® computers with ease, increased efficiency, and higher productivity.

Remote Wipe/Lock, which allows IT managers to lock a Mac or erase all data in the event it is lost or stolen, is a new data security compliance feature of Parallels Mac Management 6 for Microsoft SCCM, and now provides full Mac lifecycle management.

Parallels Mac Management 6 supports Microsoft SCCM’s software metering, which enables IT managers to monitor and collect software usage data from Mac clients and make money-saving business decisions based on that data. For example, now IT admins can determine how often Mac end users use each software application, which applications are used most frequently, and which licenses should be discontinued or renewed.

From an efficiency standpoint, Parallels Mac Management makes it easy for IT personnel to schedule software deployments and maintenance so they can minimise the impact on end user productivity, network bandwidth software deployments and maintenance in their organisation. IT managers can also schedule application installations and software package deployment when a Mac is not in use.

“The highest levels of data security are critical for businesses today,” said Jack Zubarev, Parallels president. “With the increased penetration of the Mac into the enterprise, IT admins need a quick and effective method to securely manage both Mac and PC computers through Microsoft SCCM. Parallels Mac Management 6 provides IT departments a variety of tools that make it simple to manage and control Mac computers and Mac applications.”

Customer feedback inspired many efficiency improvements associated with the new task sequence steps, which strengthen on-screen display (OSD) features including:

Sccm Mac Management Capabilities

Parallels Mac Management 6 for Microsoft SCCM empowers IT admins and system architects, as well as CIOs, to quickly and cost-effectively extend their current Microsoft SCCM infrastructure to control Mac and PC computers through one interface. IT departments now have more tools at their disposal to increase security, efficiency and even help drive business decisions without the cost of an additional infrastructure.

Resellers of Parallels Mac Management for Microsoft SCCM can receive a variety of free benefits when they visit the enhanced Parallels Partner Portal; it provides them with free dealer registration, usage-based pricing, waterfall discounts, and a host of resources to help them succeed. To learn more, please visit parallels.com/partners

Availability and Pricing

Parallels Mac Management 6 will be available on July 28 and starts at $30 USD annually per Mac.

About Parallels

Parallels is a global leader in cross-platform solutions which make it possible and simple for customers to use and access the applications and files they need on any device or operating system. Parallels helps customers take advantage of the best technology out there, whether it’s Windows, Mac, iOS, Android™ or the cloud. Parallels solves complex engineering and user experience problems by making it simple and cost-effective for businesses and individual customers to use applications wherever they may be—local, remote, in the private datacentre or in the cloud. Parallels has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Visit Parallels for more information.

Media Contacts
Brittany Lawrence, Text100 Sydney, brittany.lawrence@text100.com.au, +61 (0)2 9956 5733