iOS configuration profile and Exchange settings using Apple Configurator (AC)

[khurram]

We are supervising the students' iPads using AC. We have installed Trust Profile i.e. CA Payload and MDM profile on these iPads as part of this process. On JSS the Configuration profile is setup for Exchange purpose for these iPads. The problem is when the iPad picks up the Exchange payload it doesn't allow any field to be entered for Exchange settings, all the fields like email, username, password is disabled except password. Are we supposed to set up the exchange settings manually ? that would be quite painful. Please note that I have set up the keywords behind in Exchange payload like $EMAIL, $USER. I do have another configuration profile for teachers which is working fine but their iPads are not supervised using AC.

[khurram]

we urgently need the solution on this issue, is someone available to answer this query, this would be highly appreciated. Thanks.

[khurram · Accepted solution]

the following post helped sorting out this issue.

https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=8152

In Summary, the following is the solution.

We use Exchange here for our mail server and I got the joy of getting iPads out to admins for teacher evals. Basically to keep from having to hand setup Exchange, I used Casper, assigned the user to the iPad inventory record using LDAP lookup. In the Exchange profile, you use the variables calum_carey is referring to. The only thing the admins had to do was install the profile through Self-Service (you might end up pushing it out, but I used Self-Service. You then open Mail. It asked ONLY for the Exchange password and Mail started flowing in. I DID send out some documentation to our users that they might want to turn Organize by Thread off under their Mail, Calendars and Contacts settings on the local iPad, but that is an optional thing...our users tend to be annoyed by that function.

hats off to https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/viewProfile.html?userID=4696
i.e. blackhole mac

[khurram]

the following post helped sorting out this issue.

https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=8152

In Summary, the following is the solution.

We use Exchange here for our mail server and I got the joy of getting iPads out to admins for teacher evals. Basically to keep from having to hand setup Exchange, I used Casper, assigned the user to the iPad inventory record using LDAP lookup. In the Exchange profile, you use the variables calum_carey is referring to. The only thing the admins had to do was install the profile through Self-Service (you might end up pushing it out, but I used Self-Service. You then open Mail. It asked ONLY for the Exchange password and Mail started flowing in. I DID send out some documentation to our users that they might want to turn Organize by Thread off under their Mail, Calendars and Contacts settings on the local iPad, but that is an optional thing...our users tend to be annoyed by that function.

hats off to https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/viewProfile.html?userID=4696
i.e. blackhole mac

[ahopkins]

I fought with this when we had a staff iPad deployment. Couldn't get it to work. I know it's not the best way, but is just did a large group walk through to do the set up.

For some reason with our exchange, you have to save the settings, they don't work, and you go into advanced, and turn off ssl. For some reason, the advance tab doesn't show until you save the email set up

[ahopkins]

I fought with this when we had a staff iPad deployment. Couldn't get it to work. I know it's not the best way, but is just did a large group walk through to do the set up.

For some reason with our exchange, you have to save the settings, they don't work, and you go into advanced, and turn off ssl. For some reason, the advance tab doesn't show until you save the email set up

[khurram]

The following worked for me, the sequence of following steps matter.

1. save the Exchange profile in Self Service
2. Populate the payload ("User and Location") in JSS with the username and it will pickup the rest of the information
3. Install the Exchange profile from Self Service (you saved in Step 1)
4. Now it should ask you the password first and then you can change the SSL settings.

[John_Wetter]

We also source everything from LDAP. That way a device enrolls and within moments the person just gets prompted for their email password, web clips and apps push out to the device and poof! It's done! Works incredibly slick. @ahopkins, if you're needing to turn off SSL, that's scary. It certainly doesn't meet Microsoft's best practice for setup which is likely why you're having issues. I'd wonder if auto-discover services are configured correctly which can lead to issues for all kinds of things trying to connect to Exchange, especially 2010 and newer.

[cdenesha]

I have a scope for staff devices and a scope for student. I further have a smart scope for assigned staff devices and assigned student devices, with criteria of the previous scope and username not blank. My email configuration gets pushed automatically once I assign a user to the iPad and the user just has to enter their password.

I'm using the variables mentioned in the admin manual.

I also push a web clip as part of the same configuration with the login page for webmail, and I name the web clip $USERNAME so they always know their base username (some students forget or have middle initials etc.).

chris

P.S. Our students use gmail (GAFE) and if they cancel the first prompt for their password subsequent launches of Mail just say Cannot Get Mail. This is fixed by toggling the Mail switch in Settings and waiting 4 seconds; the user will be reprompted when Mail is toggled back on.

[bthomason]

Im having an issue with creating an Exchange profile. The Username and Password field are blank, and it's only prompting for Password, not Username. this is for Gmail - Exchange (m.google.com)

[Kevin]

This was working fine since 9.22. Now, since moving to 9.3, it is broken again.