Apple Remote Desktop - Manual (Page 13)

Chapter 1 Using Apple Remote Desktop 13
Client computers that boot from a NetBoot image get fresh system environments every
time they start up. For this reason, using NetBoot images is useful when a particular
computer is shared by several users who require different work environments or
refreshed work environments, or when you want to start a new experiment or use a
different computing environment in a cluster node.
You use ARD to set the startup disks of client systems to point to the NetBoot image,
and then restart the systems remotely using ARD. Users can also choose a NetBoot
image for startup by using the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences. With just a few
clicks you can reconfigure all the computers in a lab or cluster without having to
manually restart and configure each computer individually.
Distributing Configuration Files
Many of the core Mac OS services rely on the settings in configuration files. Use ARD to
distribute configuration files when you need to reconfigure services.
For example, if you add a new network printer, you can update the printer list of all
computers in the area by using ARD to copy an updated CUPS configuration file and
the PPD (printer definition) files to the computers.
You can also use ARD to distribute AppleScript files that automate PDF workflows, or
job instructions for computational clusters.
Using UNIX Shell Scripts
You can use ARD to distribute and run UNIX shell scripts on client computers.
For example, a script can mount an AFP server volume, from which it downloads a disk
image to client computers. The script might also download an install package and then
perform a command-line install.
On an Xserve in a cluster node, you could also run a script that mounts an Xserve RAID
disk designed for high throughput and then downloads large data sets for processing.
Distributing Drag-and-Drop Applications
You can distribute and install self-contained (drag-and-drop) applications by copying
them to one or more client computers. Use this approach, for example, to distribute
Safari application updates.
Verifying Installations
To check whether an installation has been completed successfully, use ARD’s remote
control capabilities.
For example, you can start an application remotely, or search for particular files. You can
also use the File Search report to verify that all files for an application are installed
correctly.