As noted by The Register, Google has open sourced its enterprise-class Mac OS X software deployment solution, Simian. The software can distribute applications and software updates across a network of a dozens or thousands of Macs, it can handle security patches and optional installations, it even provides a way to deal with updates issued by Apple. Simian is entirely based on OS X, as Google decided to move to Apple’s operating system after the vulnerabilities found in its previous Windows-based environment that allowed a Chinese hacker to enter Google’s internal secure network in 2009.
The tool uses a client based on Munki, a set of Mac deployment tools previously open sourced under an Apache 2.0 license. Munki lets you install software that uses not only the Apple package format but also Adobe CS3/CS4/CS5 Enterprise Deployment packages, and you can drag and drop disk images as installer sources. What’s more, it can be configured to install Apple Software Updates, either from Apple’s servers or your own.
Last, Simian is built on top of Google’s own App Engine, an infrastructure that allows to deploy and manage online applications. More information about Simian are available here.
