Basic question re: Supervision for existing devices

[shaunoflaherty]

Hey guys, hopefully a quick and easy answer to this one.

Looking to bring a new client into Jamf Pro (+Connect) who has around 25 existing Mac's deployed nationwide. If we go through user-initiated enrolment, would those devices then be Supervised in the same way they would had they gone through Automated Device Enrolment (DEP)? Or will the answer to that vary by end-user OS?

All new Mac's purchased will of course be put through ADE/DEP to ensure they're Supervised from the outset. This is purely to onboard the clients existing devices with minimal disruption.

Thanks in advance 🙂🙏

[talkingmoose]

User-Initiated Enrollment won't enable supervision. Only Automated Device Enrollment can do that.

[shaunoflaherty]

Are you sure of that? As this Jamf Support article states that "Computers with macOS 11 or later are automatically Supervised when enrolled with Open Enrolment, making it easier to manage an already deployed Mac."

This has me believing: Existing Mac's on Big Sur or later, they're good and will be Supervised automatically once enrolled by the user ✅. Devices on an OS prior to Big Sur will need to be Supervised by configuring via AC2 if ADE/DEP isn't an option.

Thoughts?

[talkingmoose]

I glossed over that you were referring to macOS. Sorry about that.

I think you linked to the wrong page for your response. This one, though, is probably more appropriate since it’s from Apple.

https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/about-device-supervision-dep1d89f0bff/web

Device Enrollment, which is Jamf’s User-Initiated Enrollment, will supervise macOS 11.0 and later. The article makes me believe supervision requires the serial number be added to your account in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager, but it’s not clearly worded. It would make sense, though, because that’s the only way Apple can ensure your organization owns a Mac. I have no way to test this, unfortunately.

[DBrowning · Accepted solution]

Looking at a recent device that was manually enrolled, I see the following in the inventory report.

[shaunoflaherty]

Thanks, are you able to clarify what OS that was running please?

[DBrowning]

This was running Ventura

[shaunoflaherty]

Thank you

[jtrant]

Supervision used to require ADE enrollment in Catalina, but if I remember correctly this was changed in Big Sur (or a dot release of that OS) so that UIE enrollments were considered Supervised.

[shaunoflaherty]

Apparently so, thanks!