Note: This article pertains to Mac OS X Server versions 1.x, which were released prior to May 2001.
The following are features of NetBoot:
- Single point of administration-You can use NetBoot software to manage all computers connected to the NetBoot server.
- Personal desktop-Users can log in to any computer connected to a NetBoot server and have the same Macintosh user experience.
- User authentication-Authentication provides a way to control who can log in to the computers connected to your server.
- Access control-You can decide which network resources (such as printers and applications) and which features of the Mac OS your users can access. Access control helps you to maintain desktop and network security.
A NetBoot network needs three types of software to make it work properly: administration applications, server programs, and the client operating system. Administration applications are needed to set up and manage your NetBoot server. Some of these administrative applications run on the server, and others are used from a network-connected client. Server programs run on the server under the Mac OS X Server operating system. Some of these programs don't have a user interface. Although server programs are not necessarily visible from a graphical perspective, it is necessary to know what they are and how they work to understand how your NetBoot environment operates. (You can use Process Viewer to check the status of a server program). The Mac OS used by client computers is downloaded from the server when a client computer starts up. The client Mac OS stored as a single image on the server. Every client computer uses the same Mac OS image. Management of this image can be used to administer all NetBoot clients.