Using VPP with Shared iPad

hsekiv
Contributor

I think I'm missing something simple here but how do you use VPP device based distribution with shared iPads? I receive an error in JSS stating "the MDM request is invalid"

Thanks

14 REPLIES 14

cdenesha
Valued Contributor II

@Wheelspinning There shouldn't be any difference with it being a Shared iPad. Try clearing the error and retrying, I think that worked for me before.

My testing has shown me that Shared iPad is just not ready... do lots of testing!!

hsekiv
Contributor

Thanks @cdenesha glad it is actually working!

I tried multiple times with the same error.

I even tried logging out of the student account, as well as restarting the device. The other parts of the shared iPad setup are working correctly, such as multiple classes, home screen layout, restrictions via configuration profile.

cdenesha
Valued Contributor II

I do remember getting an error trying to install apps while the user was logged in. Here are my notes from testing:

Apps will uninstall while Shared iPad is logged in, but will NOT install when asked to by MDM. Update Inventory works, profile installs work. If the iPad is Locked and Sleeping, an Update Inventory is Busy, and apps will still not install. NO Wallpapers NO ability to set Auto-Lock from 2 minutes At login screen, if you press 'Other Users' you can't get Recent Users back. no web clips

I was unable to update iOS OTA. I tried various combinations and orders, turning them off and on, etc. They did not install after the ScheuleOSUpdate command.

hsekiv
Contributor

Ok I just got it working!

  • logout of user
  • choose and assign app within JSS (mobile device apps)
  • notice spinning indicator next to WiFi symbol indicating data is being transmitted
  • I waited until the indicator was done, then logged back in with the same user and the app was there

Also, I also set a wallpaper while the user was logged out for the home screen and it did work.

Lastly, at login screen, if I press Other Users, the same icon on the bottom left changes to Recent Users which brings me back to the recent users and all classes screen.

Edit, just updated the iOS. I sent the command while it was logged out of any user.

cdenesha
Valued Contributor II

@Wheelspinning Awesome I'm glad it is going better for you.

'No ability for user to set Wallpaper' is what I meant. :)

I must have been blind for the 'Recent User' button!

I tested for quite awhile and couldn't get my new iPads to update iOS. Although they had never had a user logged in they were freshly enrolled..

alex_wyatt
New Contributor II

any idea about user-based installs? i haven't been able to get it to work at all (though device works)

cdenesha
Valued Contributor II

@alex.wyatt Managed Apple IDs can't own apps so user-assigned VPP isn't going to work.

alex_wyatt
New Contributor II

@cdenesha, maybe i misworded my question, here's a rewrite: how do i implement the Apple-promised (and demonstrated before my own eyes) feature of having separate users on a Shared iPad with different rights to apps, such that when one logs in, they see only the apps assigned to them, and someone else could see a completely different set of apps?

cdenesha
Valued Contributor II

@alex.wyatt Ahh, yes! This is called Shared iPad, the new multi user iOS ability. To get started, you'll need iPads with DEP, and in your PreStage you tell it to be a Shared iPad and how many users you want to split up the space for. Your users will need Managed Apple IDs created in Apple School Manager. Somehow you configure profiles for each student that show which apps they can use and their layout - I haven't done that part before.

alex_wyatt
New Contributor II

@cdenesha, that "somehow" is the part I can't seem to find anywhere lol

If I figure it out (going to do some experimentation on Monday), I'll be sure to post!

michael_devins
Contributor II
Contributor II

Great question @alex.wyatt. You are able to utilize the App Usage Restrictions on each Class within the JSS to define which apps should appear for your students. You can also utilize the Home Screen Layout on the Class within the JSS to define how the apps should be arranged. Apple's Shared iPad introduces user-level configurations for the first time on iOS. While these two types of configurations are also available as general Configuration Profiles (device-level), they are delivered per-user when you define them on the Class (user-level).

A couple of notes:

  • iOS can only support one Home Screen Layout profile. That means that if you try to specify home screen for a student that is in multiple classes, the device will only accept one of the configurations. We remedy this by combining Home Screen Layout profiles for any user that has multiple layouts defined across classes. Note: We do not attempt to merge device-level Home Screen Layout Configuration Profiles and user-level payloads built within the Classes.

  • iOS can technically support multiple App Usage Restriction payloads, however the device will only show the most restrictive (unity, overlap) of all payloads. For this reason, we again combine all of the App Usage Restrictions defined for a user across multiple classes into a single App Usage Restriction payload (user-level).

  • The App Usage Restriction and Home Screen Layout payloads available on Classes are only for Shared iPad and will not be deployed to any 1:1 devices. To deploy these payloads to 1:1 devices, you would build a standard Configuration Profile and scope it direct to the devices (traditional device-level payload).

  • It is possible to specify either of these payloads at the device-level or the user level (just not both). In other words, you could specify a standard home screen layout for all students (standard configuration profile scoped to the device) and then apply an App Usage Restriction at each Class level. Students would only see the apps they are allowed to see when logging in, however apps would be in the same location for all students, flowing sequentially across gaps.

  • This technical paper speaks to the Shared iPad and Class configuration: http://resources.jamfsoftware.com/documents/technical-papers/Supporting-Apples-Classroom-App-and-Shared-iPad-with-the-Casper-Suite.pdf

To support this functionality, you will want to make sure that every app possibly needed by students using a particular Shared iPad are scoped to the device via device-based assignments:

Simple example: Class 1 needs App A and App B while Class 2 needs App B, and App C. You would scope the totality of apps to your Shared iPad cart (A, B, C). You would then define an App Usage Restriction on Class 1 to only show App A and App B. Similarly, you would define an App Usage Restriction on Class 2 to only show App B and App C.

In this example, a student that is only a part of Class 1 could log in and see Apps A and B (and Settings, always settings). Additionally, a student that is a member of both Class 1 and 2 would see Apps A, B and C (the combined sum across all classes for that user).

One final note about user-based assignments on Shared iPad. Apple does have a new method to support user-based assignments for Managed Apple IDs that we will be adding support for this fall. While user-based assignments might be desirable for Apps in some cases, user-assignments will be critically important for iBooks, which must be user-assigned. Stay tuned for more details as this feature becomes available.

alex_wyatt
New Contributor II

We figured it out! It's all tied to the "Classes" function in JSS. Not sure why (some features make sense for that but others don't)...but hey whatever works

michael_devins
Contributor II
Contributor II

@alex.wyatt The reason that App Usage Restrictions and Home Screen Layout are reiterated on the Classes is due to the new nature of Apple's Shared iPad. These are user-level configurations instead of device-level configuration profiles. Traditionally, all iOS configuration profiles are delivered at the device level (and wouldn't change with different users logging in).

App Usage Restrictions and Home Screen Layout are among the few types of configuration profiles supported on the per-user level. These configurations could change per class, hence the addition to the Class object in the JSS. This design also allows us to combine and merge those configurations for students that are in multiple classes.

alex_wyatt
New Contributor II

The other thing I don't understand is why everyone doesn't already know about it...there needs to be more/clearer documentation! I talked with 3-4 support agents about this, and posted here, and talked with a school that had been running the ASM beta since spring, and no one knew about how to handle it!