The new Parallels® Mac Management for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) version 8.6 keeps the only solution for managing Apple Mac devices on Microsoft SCCM in step with macOS’s latest major update, macOS version 11—Big Sur. In addition to providing support for Mac devices running Big Sur, Parallels Mac Management 8.6 also comes with some changes you might want to be aware of.
A large number of Big Sur users have encountered connectivity issues while trying to run Parallels 16 on their devices. While many forums have suggested running Parallels as root (by invoking sudo. Parallels engineers have been putting thousands of hours into Parallels Desktop 16 for Mac development and testing to make sure it fully supports macOS 11 Big Sur. Most of issues we ran into have been resolved, some have workarounds, and there are just few we’re still working hard on to resolve. 14 votes, 12 comments. 17.5k members in the MacOSBeta community. Welcome to /r/macOSBeta, Reddit's home for macOS beta software! Parallels Desktop Business Edition v16.1.2-49151 Parallels Toolbox v4.1.1-3698 After upgrading a Mac to Big Sur, the “Network initialization failed” message appears when starting a virtual machine. Shut down the virtual machine and quit Parallels Desktop.
Here’s an overview of the key changes that accompany the latest version of Parallels Mac Management.
Support for macOS Big Sur
macOS Big Sur is arguably the biggest update to Apple’s operating system for Mac devices in the past decade, as it reflects the gradual transition of the Mac lineup to Apple’s own in-house-designed processors. Since 2001, macOS versioning has been following the 10.x notation. The last of that breed, macOS Catalina was tagged version 10.15. macOS Big Sur is the first to bear version 11.
As soon as your business decides to migrate your Mac devices to the next generation of macOS starting with Big Sur, rest assured you’ll already have the capability to manage them on Microsoft SCCM when you use Parallels Mac Management 8.6.
Installation of Configuration Profiles
Configuration profiles provide IT administrators an easy way to enforce compliance requirements as well as configure settings, accounts, restrictions and credentials automatically on a large number of Mac devices. A typical configuration profile may contain predefined settings for passcode policies, Exchange account configurations, network settings, credentials, keys and many others.
In 8.6, configuration profiles can only be deployed to Mac devices running macOS Big Sur via mobile device management (MDM). This means those Mac devices should be enrolled in MDM first. You don’t need to change anything regarding configuration profiles for older macOS systems—they will continue working as usual.
Automatic MDM Enrollment
As with the installation of configuration profiles (see previous section), automatic MDM enrollment has likewise changed for Mac devices running macOS Big Sur. In the past, it was possible to enroll all Mac computers in MDM automatically without user interaction if they were already enrolled in SCCM. Now, in version 8.6, automatic MDM enrollment requires user approval.
This user-approved MDM enrollment process is carried out in the following manner:
- The administrator configures automatic MDM enrollment for Mac devices.
- The Mac user gets notified that the Mac should be enrolled in MDM.
- The user approves the enrollment.
Again, this applies only for Mac devices running Big Sur. Older Mac devices may be enrolled using usual methods of enrollment.
FileVault 2 Encryption for Mac Devices
One more change that affects Mac devices running on Big Sur is the enforcement method of FileVault 2 encryption. In the previous version, as soon as a configuration baseline is deployed to a device collection, Mac computers in the collection are evaluated immediately for compliance. If FileVault 2 is found to be disabled in a Mac, the user will be prompted with a message indicating that the device is about to be encrypted.
The user will then be given the option to proceed with the encryption or to postpone it. If the user chooses Encrypt, the encryption process will commence. On the other hand, if the user selects Postpone, the user will be prompted repeatedly (with gaps of a few minutes) until the user clicks Encrypt instead of Postpone. This can be very distracting if the user is still working on something.
In version 8.6, FileVault 2 encryption enforcement is delayed until the user logs out, thereby minimizing unnecessary distractions. The FileVault 2 encryption enforcement process now involves the following steps:
- The administrator configures FileVault 2 encryption.
- The Mac user gets notified that the Mac device is due for FileVault 2 encryption.
- Encryption starts on the next login or logout.
Enforcement of TLS Version for PMM Components
The Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol secures communications among Parallels Mac Management components as well as between Parallels Mac Management components and Mac devices. This ensures establishment of an acceptable level of trust before any two points commence data exchanges and protects all communication from network-based threats through data-in-motion encryption.
However, because lower versions of the TLS protocol have known vulnerabilities, TLS security can only be truly effective if those lower versions are avoided. In Parallels Mac Management version 8.6, it’s possible to manually control the minimum TLS version to be used in communications to ensure optimal security.
All these new features are available in all SCCM versions up to SCCM 2006 as long as they have the Parallels Mac Management version 8.6 plugin. Should you wish to try them out, you may grab your free trial copy of Parallels Mac Management now.
Parallels Problems With Big Sur
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As Apple’s Mac computers begin their two-year transition from Intel- to Apple-developed CPUs later this year, one feature that’s going away is Boot Camp — the Mac’s ability to boot directly into Windows and run PC apps natively. But Corel’s Parallels Desktop will still be there to let Mac users run Windows, and in this year’s version 16, it will thankfully be faster, more compatible, and easier to use than ever.
Like Parallels Desktop 15, version 16 is an emulator that allows users to load a complete operating system or individual apps within macOS, treating them as windows within the Mac environment. Once again, high-end Business, mid-range Pro, and regular Standard versions are available. With the latest Business version of Parallels Desktop, an IT department can create, deploy, and remotely manage a profile-customized Windows system that Mac users download in a compact file size and expand on their own machines.
A simpler Pro version includes the file-compacting feature used to more easily transfer virtual machines between computers, achieving as much as 20 times compression for Linux installs and 75% faster Linux git status executions. The standard version includes a manual Free Up Disk Space feature with archiving and space reclaiming options.
All three versions of Parallels Desktop 16 include significant 3D graphics improvements that let a wider range of PC, Linux, and even Mac apps run in emulated mode. The new release expands beyond the 200,000 Windows apps already supported in Parallels Desktop 15, adding enhanced support for OpenGL 3.2 apps on Windows, OpenGL 3 on Linux, and Metal 3D apps when running macOS Big Sur in a virtual machine. Collectively, the graphics updates give Mac users access to interior design, molecular modeling, and other PC apps that wouldn’t open under prior Parallels Desktop releases. Users with AMD Radeon graphics cards will also see up to 20% faster performance, though Macs’ more common Intel graphics chips won’t see similarly obvious gains.
Under the hood, version 16 has completely replaced the prior third-party system extensions with Apple’s Hypervisor, a massive task that apparently took the equivalent of 25 human-years of effort but results in a Big Sur-compliant, smoother experience for users. Corel’s elimination of deprecated kernel extensions in favor of Big Sur frameworks means Desktop will no longer have to ask for special passwords and permissions during installation and part of the virtualization will rely on Apple’s own code. At the same time, the software will support more USB devices, enable multitouch zoom and rotate gesture support in Windows apps, and benefit from other performance enhancements.
Parallels Desktop Mac Big Sur
Some improvements will be in the speed department, including Desktop launching twice as fast, 17% faster Windows startups and shutdowns, 20% faster Windows resumes, and 16% faster Windows downloads. Support for running Windows in “travel mode” extends a Mac laptop’s battery life by 10%, including disabling battery-chomping Windows updates while on the road. An enhanced Windows auto-pause feature can freeze the OS after the user’s choice of inactivity periods — ranging from 10 seconds up to one or more minutes — further extending battery life.
Desktop 16 also includes a number of cosmetic updates, including redesigned internal icons that match Big Sur’s and carryovers of native Mac folder and file icons in Windows when accessing OS-shared files. In the quality-of-life department, Corel has made Windows even easier to set up by removing a mid-install dialog box that could pause installations for no good reason. It has also added a “reclaim space on shutdown” feature that automatically reduces the virtual machine’s footprint when it’s not being used.
Parallels Desktop will be able to run macOS Big Sur within a virtual machine the day Apple’s OS officially launches, and any issues will be resolved in a rapid update. Desktop 16’s support for Big Sur as a host OS will come shortly after Big Sur is released to the public. Corel is including complimentary subscriptions to both the remote computer screen-sharing tool Parallels Access 6 and the Parallels Toolbox 4 utility grab bag as perks for Desktop users.
The standard Desktop edition costs $100 for a perpetual license or $80 for an annual subscription, with the Pro and Business editions each going for $100 per year as subscriptions. Prior users of the standard edition can upgrade to a perpetual version 16 license for $50 total or a new Pro subscription for $50 per year.
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