iOS Device Names: Best Practices

[dstranathan]

We have been managing Macs in Jamf for years but are going to start managing iOS devices in Jamf going forward.

We are brainstorming a naming convention for our devices. Thinking of automating the naming process with an Enrollment PreStage

Has anyone used PreStages to automate the process of naming iOS devices? Our Macs get named via DEPNotify and/or scripts in a very different enrollment/deployment workflow than our iOS devices.

Is it possible to have 1  PreStage for new iPhones and another PreStage for new iPads. Example:

I'm proposing that iPads get named "ipd-$SERIALNUMBER" via their PreStage, and iPhones get named "iph-$SERIALNUMBER". 

Does anyone use a similar process or have suggestions?

[hendersong]

I use different pre-stages for each device type. iPhones, iPads, iPods and AppleTV's have their own pre-stages. Makes it easier for me to keep track and I also have smart groups for each pre-stage. For the naming, I have the pre-stage name it the Serial Number during enrollment. Then I will use The MUT to change the names if needed. But usually leaving the SN as the name is the easier for me. Just all depends on where the devices will be used at… ie.. cart based or assigned to a specific user. 

[dstranathan]

@hendersongIn order to have a PreStage for each model type, do you have to assign your PreStages manually? I don't see a way to automatically assign a PreStage based on the model (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV etc).

[hendersong]

The auto assign option is done within Apple School Manager. It’s device specific so all new iPads get auto set to the iPad prestage and so on. 

[dstranathan]

For devices already enrolled/managed (i.e.; in production already and thus not eligible for a PreStage until its wiped again), can variables such as $SERIALNUMBER be manually set in Jamf device record?

[hendersong]

No unfortunately. In that case you’d need to upload the names to change them. I like using The MUT tools to get this done. 

[dstranathan]

@hendersong  Sorry, I didnt explain my question clearly:

Can variables such as $SERIALNUMBER be set in an existing Jamf device record? I have tried to use variables such as $SERIALNUMBER but when I save the record, Jamf displays "$SERIALNUMBER" as a literal string (i.e.; doesn't actually place the serial number in the device's name)

[hendersong]

Ah gotcha. You’re talking about the device name in the about screen. After the device is enrolled that variable will not work like it does during the prestage. However you can have the variable $SERIALNUMBER show up on the Lock Screen.  Places the SN on the lower part of the screen when the device is locked. I have set our iPads to do this along with asset tag info and another extension attribute.