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EN : Using Deep Freeze Cloud Console : Deep Freeze Mac Service : Deep Freeze Mac (APFS)
Deep Freeze Mac (APFS)
Deep Freeze Mac (APFS) is compatible with versions of macOS starting from macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 with APFS formatted drive.
You can configure settings for Deep Freeze through the following tabs:
Volumes Tab
The Volumes tab is used to specify the volumes to be Thawed on your Mac. Enter the name of the volume and click Add.
Installing Configuration Profiles
Starting with macOS Big Sur, Deep Freeze can no longer install the configuration profiles to disable automatic software updates or prevent Standard users from performing software updates.
Click Download Required Configuration Profiles to download the two configuration profiles:
• Disable Notification.mobileconfig – This file will disable software update notifications.
• Disable Auto Update.mobileconfig – This file will disable automatic software update installations, as well as allow software update installations to be performed only by admin users.
You can install these profiles using the following methods:
• Manually
• Apple Remote Desktop
• Mobile Device Management
Installing the Configuration Profiles Manually
 
1. Open Disable Notification.mobileconfig file by double-clicking it.
2. On macOS Monterey and earlier systems: Open System Preferences and click on the Profiles.
3. On macOS Ventura: Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Profiles.
4. On the Profiles pane, click on the Install… button to install the configuration profile.
5. On the confirmation dialog, click Install button
6. Enter the administrator password to authenticate.
Repeat the steps for the other configuration profile.
Installing the Configuration Profiles Using Apple Remote Desktop
 
1. Copy the two configuration profiles to the target computers.
2. For each of the target computer:
> Select the computer from the All Computers list and control the computer.
> Navigate to the folder where the configuration profiles are copied to.
> Perform steps 1 to 5 of installing the configuration profiles manually.
Installing the Configuration Profiles Through Mobile Device Management
If you are using MDM to manage the computers, you can push the configuration profiles to the computers running macOS Big Sur.
ThawSpace Tab
The ThawSpace tab is used to allocate ThawSpaces where data is retained persistently on Frozen computers. Administrators can create a User ThawSpace for each User, or a Global ThawSpace that all users can share. The ThawSpace tab displays only the users that have ThawSpace.
Global and User ThawSpace names should not be modified. If a ThawSpace is renamed, Deep Freeze can no longer associate the ThawSpace to the volume.
It is strongly recommended not to delete Global and User ThawSpace volumes using a third-party tool. If a ThawSpace volume that has been deleted through a third-party tool is recreated even with the same name, Deep Freeze can no longer associate the ThawSpace to the volume.
Creating ThawSpaces
To add a Global ThawSpace, select Global ThawSpace in the ThawSpace Type and click Add.
To add a User ThawSpace, select User ThawSpace in the ThawSpace Type, specify the User name, and click Add.
Deleting ThawSpaces
To delete ThawSpaces, click the (X) icon at the end of the Global or User ThawSpace. Check the I understand by enabling this option, everything within the existing ThawSpaces will be permanently deleted. There is no going back. Click OK.
Deleting ThawSpaces will remove all existing data within the ThawSpace.
Passwords Tab
The Passwords tab allows administrators to manage the Deep Freeze passwords. There are a maximum of four passwords permitted.
Select the Enable Deep Freeze Password to enable users to log in to Deep Freeze using a Deep Freeze password.
To add a password, specify the Description and Password, then click Add.
To delete a password, click the (X) icon at the end of each password. Click Yes when prompted to confirm that you want to delete the password.
Select the Allow users to change local policy to allow users to modify the settings locally on the computer. If this option is not selected, users cannot modify settings locally and Deep Freeze Mac will be managed only from Deep Freeze Cloud.
Maintenance Tab
The Maintenance tab is used to schedule a Maintenance Period for computers.
Administrators can create, edit, delete, enable, and disable Maintenance Schedules through the Maintenance Tab.
To create multiple individually named Maintenance Schedules, complete the following steps:
 
1. On the Maintenance Tab, click Add.
2. The Add Schedule dialog is displayed. Specify or select the following:
> Name – the default is Schedule 1. You can modify the name or leave it as it is. The schedule name has to be unique.
> Days – select one or more days by clicking Mon to Sun.
> Start – select the start time.
> End – select the end time.
> Select Install Apple Software Updates to install any available Apple Software Updates.
The Install Apple Software Updates option is disabled on Macs with Apple Silicon architecture. The updates can be performed using System Preferences > Software Update.
Maintenance schedules upgraded from Deep Freeze Mac 7.3 with this option enabled will be automatically disabled when run/executed.
> Run script – select this option and specify the name of the script.
Scripts must have already been added through Deep Freeze Mac or the command line.
> Select Lock Out User to prevent a user from accessing the computer during the Maintenance Period.
> Select Shutdown After Maintenance to shut the computer down after the Maintenance Period is complete.
> Select Show message x minutes before maintenance starts to provide a message to users warning them that the computer will be taken over at a specified time, and enter the warning time in the field provided. Use the text box to enter a custom message for the user, explaining that the Maintenance Schedule will take place at a specified time; by inserting %d as a variable into the message, Deep Freeze will automatically display the number of minutes until the Maintenance Period begins. (Again, %d is a variable corresponding to the number of minutes between the current time and the time that scheduled Maintenance will begin.)
The minimum time allowed for a Maintenance Period is 10 minutes.
There is a minimum 10-minute interval required between schedules.
Ensure sufficient time for the maintenance activity to complete. Insufficient time will lead to the failure of the update.
3. To save any changes made, click OK.
Advanced Options Tab
The following configuration options are available:
User Experience
• To hide the Frozen icon, select the Hide Frozen Icon in menu bar checkbox.
• To hide the Thawed icon, select the Hide Thawed Icon in menu bar checkbox.
• To set the computers to restart when a user logs out, select the Restart instead of Log Out checkbox. (This option does not work if Fast User Switching is enabled.)
Apple Remote Desktop
• To display the computer status (Frozen or Thawed) remotely in Apple Remote Desktop, select the Show Status in Apple Remote Desktop checkbox and select the desired Information Field. The computer will now write Frozen or Thawed to the selected Information Field during boot time.
• To view this status information in Apple Remote Desktop, select Edit > View Options and select the matching Computer Info Field (1–4). computers will now show their current status, and groups of computers can be sorted by this status column.
Existing Deep Freeze Mac Customers
• Convert Deep Freeze Mac On-Premise to Subscription licensing to manage from Cloud – select this option to manage the Deep Freeze Mac computers from Deep Freeze Cloud. This option will convert Deep Freeze Mac On-Premise license to a subscription license.
 
This option is only applicable to existing Deep Freeze Mac users who are on a Perpetual license. Once this option is selected, the Perpetual licenses are converted to Subscription licenses. Reverting to a perpetual license will require uninstalling Deep Freeze Mac Service (with subscription license) and re-installing Deep Freeze Mac (with perpetual license).