Parallels For Mac Tips

23-05-2021 admin

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In Part 1 of the Parallels Mac Management for SCCM series I installed the Parallels Configuration Manager Console Extension. I installed this on my site server ‘ConfigMgr’.

Parallels today is releasing the latest version of its flagship Parallels Desktop virtualization software that allows Mac users to run virtual instances of Windows, Linux, and even additional.

Part 2 focused on the installation of the Parallels Proxy which I installed on a remote server called ‘Parallels’ which I intend to use to install the Parallels roles.

Part 3 of the series concludes the ‘role’ installation, namely the NetBoot Server and OS X Software Update Service.

The Parallels NetBoot server is required for Mac Operating System Deployment. ‘NetBoot is a technology from Apple that enables Mac computers to boot from a network. You need to install this component if you plan to deploy OS X images to Mac computers. The component must be installed on a computer running Windows Server 2008 SP2 or later’ (see http://download.parallels.com/pmm/v4.5/ga/docs/en_US/Parallels-Mac-Management-for-SCCM-Administrators-Guide.pdf)

The OS X Software Update Service ‘allows you to manage Apple software updates
(patches) for OS X using the native SCCM functionality. The component must be installed on a erver where Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is installed’ (see http://download.parallels.com/pmm/v4.5/ga/docs/en_US/Parallels-Mac-Management-for-SCCM-Administrators-Guide.pdf)

As with the installation of the proxy in Part 2, certain pre-requisites are required, one being the standard Distribution Point role that is added in the SCCM console as NetBoot requires PXE to be enabled.

Pre-Requisites

The following pre-requisites need to be installed on the server that will host the NetBoot server:

.Net Framework 3.5
SCCM Distribution Point
PXE Point enabled on DP
WDS installed
BITS 4 installed

The following pre-requisites need to be installed on the server that will host the OS X Software Update Service:

WSUS installed
User account running the OS X Software Update Service added to the WSUS Administrators group
A WSUS Code Signing certificate is required from PKI

Installation

Start the installation by installing .Net Framework 3.5, I had already installed this feature as part of the pre-reqs for the Parallels Proxy.

Next, install the pre-requisites required to install the Distribution Point role. The SCCM Current Branch Supported Configuration documentation states the following are needed:

Distribution point

Windows Server roles and features:

Remote Differential Compression

IIS configuration:

Application Development:
- ISAPI Extensions
Security:
- Windows Authentication
IIS 6 Management Compatibility:
- IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility
- IIS 6 WMI Compatibility

Once installed I then added in URL Authorization from the Web Server>Security section.

BITS was then added.

After the Roles and Features are added load up ‘Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager’ from Administrative Tools and navigate down the ”Default Web Site’. In the main pane double click ‘Authentication’ and then enable ‘Windows Authentication’

Back in the main pane double click ‘Authorization Rules’

Ensure ‘Allow Users’ is set

WSUS Installation

Next re-run ‘Add Roles and Features’ in Server Manager and add in WSUS

I’ve removed the WID selection and highlighted Database.

I have selected to store the WSUS downloads in C:WSUS

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At this stage I have pointed the WSUS configuration to use the site database on my site server.

Once the role is installed remember that the Post Installation tasks need to be run from Server Manager – note the exclamation mark. Click and run the tasks.

WSUS Certificate

One of the pre-reqs required for the OS X Software Update service is to install a WSUS code signing certificate. This can be obtained from the certificate authority in your environment.

In Certificate Authority Console right-click Certificate Templates>Manage.

In the Certificate Templates Console right-click Code Signing>Duplicate Template.

Set the following properties on the template:

In the Compatibility tab:

set Certificate Authority to Windows Server 2003
set Certificate recipient to Windows XP / Server 2003

In the General tab:

set the Template display name

In the Request Handling tab:

Check Allow private key to be exported
Check Prompt the user during enrollment

In the Subject Name tab:

set Subject name format to Common name:

In the Extensions tab, double click on Key Usage and uncheck ‘Make this extension critical’

In the Security tab:

select Authenticated Users and grant Read and Enroll permissions

Once these options are set click OK and close the Template Console window.

In Certificate Authority Console right click Certificate Templates>New>Certificate Template to Issue.

Select the newly created template and click OK.

The template will become available to use.

Now go to the server where WSUS has just been installed, in my instance the Parallels server and run MMC.

Click File>Add/Remove Snap-in…

In the left pane of Add or Remove Snap-in window select Certificates and click the ‘Add >’ button.

select ‘My user account’ and click Finish.

Navigate to Certificates – Current User and right click Personal. Select All Tasks>Request New Certificate…

Click Next.

At the Select Certificate Enrollment Policy screen click Next.

Select the WSUS certificate and click ‘Enroll’

Click Finish to complete.

Export the certificate, to do this navigate to Certificates – Current User>Personal>Certificates. Right click on the issued certificate and choose All Tasks>Export…

Click Next.

At the Export Private Key window check Yes, export the private key and then click Next.

At the Export File Format window check Export all extended properties and then click Next.

Enter a password and click Next.

Export the file to a relevant location.

Click Finish to complete the process.

Click OK

On the server running WSUS, again the Parallels server in my case, run the following PowerShell commands as administrator.

Then issue the command

Finally we need to set up the update server and clients for locally-published updates.

To do this we need to export the certificate added via the PowerShell previously.

Open up a MMC console. Choose File>Add/Remove Snap-in…

Select Certificates and click ‘Add>’

Select Computer Account and click Next.

Click Finish.

Navigate to WSUS>Cerificates and highlight the Code Signing certificate. Right click and choose All Tasks>Export…

Click Next.

Do not export the private key and click Next.

Export as a .cer and click Next.

Export to the relevant location and click Next.

Click Finish to complete the process.

Click OK.

Now, navigate to the Trusted Root Certification>Certificates folder, right click and select All Tasks>Import…

Click Next.

Locate the .cer and import. Click Next.

Click Next.

Click Finish.

The certificate will be imported into the store.

Repeat the process for the Trusted Publishers folder.

If your SMS Provider is remote, and in my case it resides on my site server, ConfigMgr, then repeat the process of importing the .cer into the Trusted Root Certification and Trusted Publishers folders on that server as well.

DP Installation

Now go to the site server and in the SCCM Console go to the Administration workspace>Site Configuration>Servers and Site System Roles, right click and choose ‘Create Site System Server.

Add in the server to the the site system and choose the Site code from the drop down.

No proxy is required at this stage

Select the Distribution Point role.

The DP will be HTTP in this instance. Ensure the ‘Allow clients to connect anonymously’ checkbox is ticked to allow Macs to talk anonymously to the DP. Note in this image it hasn’t been but it MUST.

Assign the relevant drive letters for content location

This will not be a Pull DP.

On this screen, enable PXE, allow DP to responded to incoming PXE requests and enable unknown computer support. I haven’t selected ‘Require a password…’

Click Yes when warned about Port requirement – make a note if you need to open up firewall ports on the network.

Click through the wizard to completion.

Install the Parallels components

Now it’s time to run the Parallels installation file and add in the components that are needed.

When prompted select the NetBoot Server and OS X Software Update Point. Click Next.

Click Install

Click Finish but ensure the checkbox to configure is selected.

First up is the configuration of the NetBoot Server. As mentioned previously I have not installed a SMS Provider locally on my Parallels server so I have to point back to the SMS Provider on my site server at this stage. Click Next.

Enter the details of the service account to run the NetBoot Server service. For the rights required for this account see the following KB article http://kb.parallels.com/uk/117937

Select a path to store the NetBoot images. The default is pmmimages. Click Next.

Click Next at the summary screen.

Click Finish when complete

Finally the configuration of the OS X Software Update service is required.

Select an account to run the service. The account you choose must have administrative right on the local server and must be a member of the WSUS Administrators group.

So add the account to that group.

then enter the details into the configuration wizard. Click Next.

A pre-requisite check will be performed. Address any issues and re-run if necessary. Click Next.

Click Finish at the summary screen.

You’ll be notified that your configuration has been applied.

Now re-run the PowerShell commands, run previously, as administrator.

Then issue the command

You can re-run each configuration wizard, including the proxy config from Part 2 from the Parallels menu

MDM Server?

You may have noticed a MDM Server option when installing the Parallels Mac Management solution and that we un-ticked this previously.

The Parallels MDM Server enables you to deploy and enroll new Mac computers in SCCM using the Apple Device Enrollment Program. This component must be installed on a server located in DMZ. I will not be covering this role in this series.

Now that we have all our roles installed I’ll be taking a look, in Part 4, at how we can licence Parallels, discover Macs in the environment and get the Parallels Mac client installed on a device.

Platforms and Pricing

Parallels Desktop supports all Windows versions since Windows 2000, all Intel-based macOS versions (with some exceptions for licensing reasons), many flavors of Linux, BSD, Solaris, and a few other OSes. VMware Fusion and VirtualBox are even more flexible, and can run historical curiosities like OS/2 and NeXTSTEP. Also, unlike Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox have versions that run on Windows and Linux machines, while Parallels Desktop is Mac-only.

There's one other important difference: Parallels Desktop is a subscription-only product, so you'll have to pay $79.99 per year for the home-and-student version or $99.99 for the Pro Edition. VMware Fusion has a one-time cost (a model some consumers may prefer) of $79.99 for its standard version and $159.99 for its Pro version. VirtualBox is free for personal use and $50 for corporate use, but you get far fewer convenience features out of the box with this open-source product.

Get Started With Parallels

Parallels starts up with a menu for creating a new virtual machine or opening an existing one. This is where Parallels' focus on ordinary end users shines best. Unlike all other virtualization apps, Parallels doesn't expect you to have a Windows or Linux installer disk or disk image ready when you start it up, although it can use that image if you have one. Instead, Parallel's user-helpful menu lets you buy a Windows 10 download directly from Microsoft, or simply download a Windows 10 installer if you already have a license key.

Another set of options lets you install a Parallels system-export utility on your Windows PC, and export it to Parallels via a network (slowly) or an external drive. A scrolling list at the foot of the menu lets you download specific versions of Linux or Android, install a virtual copy of macOS from your Mac's hidden recovery partition, or install Windows from a Boot Camp partition if you have one.

Like VMware and VirtualBox, Parallels supports a Snapshot feature that lets you save a guest system in one or more configurations that you know works well, and then restore a saved configuration after making changes in the system that you don't want to preserve. However, Parallels is unique in supplementing this feature with a Rollback option that automatically discards all changes to a system when you shut it down, so it works like a kiosk system, returning to its pristine condition every time you power it up. This feature can be invaluable in testing, or in environments like schools where users are liable to leave systems a lot messier than they found them. If you used Microsoft's long-abandoned VirtualPC app, you'll remember this feature, and will welcome its return in Parallels.

Parallel's Performance

Compared to VMware, Parallels starts up Windows at top speed in testing. On my vintage 2015 MacBook Pro, Parallels boots Windows 10 to the desktop in 35 seconds, compared to 60 seconds for VMware. VirtualBox matches Parallels' boot speed, but it performs far fewer integration tasks while booting up. For example, VirtualBox doesn't provide printer integration and the ability to open Windows files with Mac apps and vice versa.

One reason for Parallels' bootup speed advantage is that Parallels uses an emulated PC BIOS that supports the Fast Startup option, and the others don't. The speed difference isn't nearly as obvious when running Windows apps after the OS starts up, however. Parallels feels slightly faster than its rivals, but not drastically so. Fast as it is, Parallels won't satisfy hard-core gamers because Parallels, like VMware Fusion, only supports DirectX 10, while VirtualBox only supports DirectX 9. There's nothing that Parallels can do about this limitation, which is the result of the Mac's limited support for OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) features.

By default when Parallels runs a Windows system, any files on your Mac desktop will also appear on your Windows desktop. This may sound convenient, but it's a feature that I always to turn off in Parallels' settings dialog. One reason I turn it off is that it leaves the Windows desktop cluttered. Another is that much of what I keep on my Mac desktop—like folders and apps—simply won't work when I click on them in Parallels' Windows desktop. Parallels tends to go overboard with integration features, turning them on by default whether you want them or not.

Another way Parallels goes overboard with its integration is its tendency to clutter up its dialogs and your Mac system with icons and folders that you probably don't want. For example, by default, it adds a folder full of Windows application to your Mac's dock, and a Parallels menu to Mac's menu bar—though you can turn these off by poking around the options and preferences windows. Some of Parallels' menus include links to a set of Mac-related utilities called the Parallels Toolbox; some of these utilities, like a quick disk-cleaning menu, are convenient, but you probably don't want all of them, and they have nothing to do with virtualization. Another link on Parallels' menus invites you to buy Acronis True Image backup software, which you probably don't need if you use your Mac's built-in backup features.

Parallel Computing

Anyone who wants to run a Windows app on the Mac should choose between our two Editors' Choice apps, Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. For IT managers, developers, and for many tech-savvy users, VMware is the best choice. For most home, school, and SOHO users who don't need VMware's unique cross-platform support and legacy features, Parallels Desktop is the fastest, most hassle-free way to run Windows apps on a Mac.

Parallels Desktop (for Mac)

Bottom Line: Parallels Desktop is an excellent way to run Windows apps on MacOS, especially for ordinary users. It's fast in testing, offers tight integration between Macs and guest systems, and supports many other OSes, too.