iPad Cart setup (Configurator 2? JSS? DEP? VPP?)

[georgecm12]

I'm scrambling here to try and get a 16 iPad Pro cart setup and out the door.

My goal is to have a workflow that a non-technical teacher can follow with a minimum of user interaction. Preferably, the teacher would load the devices in the cart and press a button and walk away, and the iPads would be ready by the next time the iPads are required.

I would want, at minimum, the following actions to occur to all iPads in the cart:
1) Devices erased of user data
2) A consistent icon layout applied
3) A lock screen and wallpaper image applied
4) One app loaded

I've worked with Configurator 1, and while it is a very finicky application, it usually produces these results. However, the App Store doesn't allow installing Configurator 1 to Mac OS X 10.11, and I'm not confident of its ability to work with newer iOS versions or iOS devices.

I've been working with Configurator 2, and it too has been rather unpredictable, but perhaps I'm not setting it up properly. I've tried using it in conjunction with DEP/VPP, and when it works, it works OK... but I've also gotten a rather "entertaining" variety of error messages in the process. Additionally, the devices come out set to the wrong time zone, as I skip the setup steps (so as to allow DEP stuff to execute properly), which results in Location Services being off.

I've also tried using Configurator 2 to prepare one device, back it up, then restore it to the others. I haven't gotten that process to work at all (the devices aren't supervised when they get restored).

I've read Jamf's PDF, and found it very thin and not particularly helpful.

Is there a good step-by-step document, resource, something that will help me get this setup properly? I'm ready to pull my hair out!

[cdenesha]

I can comment on Configurator 1 and OS X. The installer is determining that it cannot install based on a string comparison between 10.9 and 10.10 or 10.11. If you had it on an older Mac and upgraded it would still work.

Thus we've copied the .app file from an older Mac to the newer install and run it just fine on Yosemite and El Capitan.

[RLR]

I use a mixture of AC2, DEP and JSS. Although DEP is not necessary as AC2 can do most things.

The one good thing about DEP is it will put all the devices in the pre-stage enrolment in a particular Department if you choose. If you don't use DEP you will have to manually add them to a department. Or create a smart group based on a certain criteria. Having a department or smart group setup helps with scoping apps and profiles.

I've got AC2 applying the wall paper, adding the wifi config and enrolling it automatically in Jamf with DEP so they all go into a department. I then set the config profile and Apps to automatically install to any iPads in that Department.

The only things I don't skip during the setup process is the Passcode screen and the Location Services screen as this sets the time zone. Once the setup screen has been done which takes about 15 seconds per iPad, it will automatically install everything themselves. I do run into some errors on AC2 but usually an iPad restore fixes it.

It takes some time to add all the apps to the app catalogue but once it's been done you're ready to setup the ipads fairly quickly. Also, if any iPads get locked or disabled through the year you can quickly erase and set them up again.

[mjsanders]

I agree that both versions of Configurator are hard to understand if you are the occasional user.
For your goals both versions should work, but although v1 works on El Capitan (see other answer) V2 has the advantage of 'blueprints' that store a set of tasks you want to run on an iPad.
The user interface needs some time to get used to, but note two main differences between Configurator v1 and v2 are these:
-V1 can restore apps directly (over USB), while V2 will tell the iPad to get the app (using wifi, and if you are smart the caching server)
-V1 can restore a Backup (including apps and files) on a group of similar iPad's, V2 does not do that.
-V1 uses a (local) iTunes account to buy and download apps, V2 is designed to rely on the VPP program (but can still work with a single account, but that is not recommended by Apple)

For your choice : use Configurator V1, V2 or MDM it depends on lots of factors like the number and size of installed apps, local knowledge, wifi/internet access, JSS access, and type of usage of the iPad.
For a location with knowledable local admin and a slow internet connection Configurator will be better, for location with no local expert and fast internet, just DEP and jamf MDM can do the trick because easier to manage by you (using the JSS), and make sure the local admin knows how to wipe/reset the devices using the settings on the device, or the JSS.
Lots of possibilities, and each has small different options in the end result. If you are able to use Apple School manager you may have even more options, including the classroom app, but that may be overkill.

[cdenesha]

@RLR I'm intrigued that you apply a wallpaper with AC2 and are also doing an automatic setup into DEP. Does the wallpaper step come after the setup?

@mjsanders That is a well written, very good description for the differences.

[RLR]

@cdenesha I choose to apply the wallpaper with ac2 as it gives me the option in blue prints. Sometimes it doesn't work and I'll have to apply the wallpapers again. Is there a better way to do it?

[cdenesha]

@RLR No not that I know of - I didn't think AC2 could even do as you are saying when enrolling via DEP.

I was unclear - if you apply the wallpaper before the DEP step, I'm assuming it won't take as it isn't yet configured. But I might be wrong.. and I'm always wondering how iOS works.. so at what point do you normally send the command?

thanks,

chris

[RLR]

@cdenesha AC2 will enrol the device through DEP. I have a blueprint setup that I just apply and it does everything itself in one go. The only thing I need to do is to set a passcode and turn on location services.