VPP Renewal Question

[jhathcock]

So I need to renew the VPP certificate for our cloud server and we don't have access to the apple id last year's was created with.  I tried uploading one from the main apple id that is admin for Apple School Manager but it says it doesn't match.

I know you can add another VPP token, do i just make a new one?  Will i have to reassign all the app licenses?

Suggestions? Thoughts? Prayers?

[sdagley · Accepted solution]

@jhathcock You should just be able to log in to your ASM account, click the button to download a new VPP token (in ABM that's under Preferences->Payments and Billing->Content Tokens), then upload that to your JSS Volume Purchasing configuration in Settings->Global->Volume Purchasing by clicking Edit then Renew Service Token and selecting the new token you downloaded from ASM (at least that's how it works if you're using ABM). No new certificate required

[jhathcock]

So just creating a new one.  But will I need to do anything with the app catalogs after that or does the server fix that internally?

[sdagley]

All the VPP content you already have added to Jamf Pro will remain

[jhathcock]

thanks. just wanted to make sure.

[jhathcock]

I did have to go in and reapply the license to some of the apps, but about 50-60% or more worked without intervention. 

[AJPinto]

I would suggest calling Apple over this. Messing with the VPP certificate can break a lot of stuff. Apple can assist in migrating purchases from one VPP AppleID to another. However this all must be done BEFORE the certificate expires. Though if your organization has ownership of the original AppleID, Apple can reset the password.

[BCPeteo]

Along the lines of this. The Jamf documentation states:

"Note: 

The content token expires in a year, and you will need the same Apple ID to renew it. By entering your Apple ID now, we can help you retrieve your ID next year."

https://learn.jamf.com/bundle/jamf-now-documentation/page/Setting_Up_Volume_Purchasing.html

Which seems to me that you must use the same Apple ID that you already have assigned to the VPP location in Jamf.  

I am not sure of the process to change this Apple ID is. Any one know? Do you have to contact apple?

[CavCurator]

I contacted Apple about moving the VPP token from the former admin's Apple ID to another Apple ID. They said they aren't able to, and to just download the token from another Apple ID in Apple School Manager, which seems to contradict the Jamf documentation.

I am going to check with Jamf support regarding this, since many forum discussions I've seen have said that it doesn't need to be from the same Apple ID.

[BCPeteo]

I wonder if you can just take over that apple ID as you can now make apple ID's into managed Apple ID's

[CavCurator]

Good point! Jamf support confirmed with me that you do not need to use the same Apple ID to renew the VPP token, so long as the Apple ID used to download the token has permissions to Apple School Manager.

Where it's a former admin's individual account, I am gonna try what they suggested first and hope for the best - fingers crossed. Thanks for the tip!