Self Service iOS app taking ~ 3 mins to install

[thejenbot]

Deploying the Self Service iOS app v. 10.7.0 and running JSS version 10.8.0-t1539715549 - cloud hosted.

All config profiles go through on the device, and then three minutes later Self Service installs. When looking in Management at first I'm seeing the Install Self Service App command has a timestamp in the Date Issued field, but Date of Last Push is blank. It sits like that for some time, and any attempt to Send Blank Push is in vain.

Once the app has downloaded, of I delete it and update inventory, I see the same lethargy. Then if I delete the pending command and update inventory again, the app installs within seconds - which is what I would expect to see in the first place - none of this waiting around for several minutes. But to have to be that hands-on to get this app to install the way it should seems ridiculous.

We're about to deploy hundreds of devices to kids, and for them waiting for three minutes for something to happen might as well be three hours. Any thoughts?

[ndeangelis]

I see this in our deployment as well. Is your network behind a proxy?

[jared_f]

I have also experienced this. I have setup a smart group for devices that don't have Self Service. Then scoped out the Self Service Web Clip as a temporary Web Clip based on that smart group.

[claudiogardini]

Try switching off the automatic Self Service installation in jamf Settings and buy and distribute the Self Service app like any other App. From our experience this works pretty reliably.

[thejenbot]

@ndeangelis we are not behind a proxy, no. @claudiogardini this is how we deploy self service - through our app catalog. see below for more details on why.

back in november i created a case with jamf and they said that it needs to update in inventory for the device to realize that it needs the app (obvi), and my response was "at first even if i force the update inventory though, it doesn't take the push. it sees that it needs the app, but it just sits there and doesn't go out. i can cancel the command and update in inventory again and the same thing happens - it still takes 3 minutes to install. if i cancel again and update inventory it goes through right away. i shouldn't need to be that involved to get the app on the device, and it never used to take 3 minutes to install before."

i was then told by engineering that if we are installing as a VPP app, 3 minutes would be a normal time for the license to get applied to the device. and that if we were to use the built-in method to install on all, then that would cut down on this - but since we use managed Apple IDs, that will not work.

good idea @jared_f, i am going to implement that myself. not sure why engineering couldn't come up with that, but whatevs. i don't agree that 3 minutes is normal, because i created this post three dang months before i got a #metoo.

luckily we aren't seeing the same slowness on a regular basis anymore. now it's more sporadic, and typically if it hasn't installed and i feel that it's been plenty of time and i'm out of patience, as soon as i get into the jss and am navigating to where i would send a blank push - the app starts to install, without my intervention...

[Matt_Roy93]

If you are pushing the app out using VPP there will always be some delay depending on the number of devices needing the license. If you keep forcing an inventory update it will sometimes speed up the process but unfortunately it takes time.