Manage device settings using packages
To configure the settings for a device, for example passcode, mail, and Wi-Fi settings, packages are used.
A package is a container for a specific set of settings, for example the Wi-Fi settings for an office branch. The package is added to one or more user groups in the domain hierarchy. All devices in the user groups, to which the package is added, will be assigned with the package settings.
When a package is added to a user group, the package settings are also automatically applied to every user group located beneath that user group in the domain hierarchy. That is, a user group inherits the settings from packages added to user groups higher up in the domain hierarchy.
It is possible to adjust a package, so that the settings will only be assigned to specific devices in one or more user groups, by using tags and smart filters, see Tags and smart filters.
If a device is moved to another user group in the domain hierarchy, the package settings for the old user group will be removed from the device, and the package settings for the new user group will be assigned to the device.
Package types
Basic packages and custom packages are used for device control, while application packages are used for assigning applications to devices.
Basic packages
Basic packages are preconfigured with settings that fit the most common needs for most customers, allowing for a quick and easy set up.
Basic packages are platform generic and represents the least common denominator for all supported platforms. To configure platform specific settings, such as security settings, custom packages can be used instead.
The following basic package types are available:
Basic passcode package - Secures devices by applying a basic passcode policy with the most common options.
Configurable settings: Minimum passcode length (4 or 6 digits), Maximum number of failed attempts before wiping the device.
Basic Wi-Fi package - Sets up devices to automatically connect to a WPA/WPA2 configured wireless network.
Configurable settings: SSID, Password
Basic mail package - Sets up the mail client with Microsoft Office 365.
Configurable setting: Target identifier.
Custom packages
Custom packages enable more customized settings than basic packages. Custom packages are specific to a single device platform and enable a more granular control of, for example, security settings or filtering.
When a custom package is applied to a user group, the package will be assigned to all devices in the user group that comply with the package profile. For example, if the package supports iOS, the package will be applied to all devices in the user group with an iOS device profile.
Application packages
Applications are assigned to devices using packages. Application packages differ from other packages in that they are dependent on, and connected to, an Apple VPP or Google corporate app store account.
To apply an application package to a user group, the following requirements need to be fulfilled:
The Snow Device Manager domain must be associated with an Apple VPP or Google corporate app store account.
The application must be eligible or white listed on the corporate account.
Applications are distributed via Google Play store and Apple App store exclusively.
View all packages in the domain
View all packages in the domain in the Packages overview view.
To go to the Packages overview view:
On the Category menu, select Packages, and then select Overview.
A list of all packages in the domain is displayed in the Packages overview view.
View all packages in a user group
View all packages in a specific user group on the Packages tab for the user group.
To go to the Packages tab for the user group:
In the Domain browser, navigate to the user group, and in the User group information area, select the Packages tab.
A list of all packages that have been added to the user group is displayed.
View details of a specific package
View details of a specific package in the Package detail view.
To go to the Package detail view:
Navigate to the Packages overview view and select the package from the list of packages.
The Details tab shows a list of all groups to which the package is attached.
The Configuration tab shows the configurations for the package.
Create and add basic passcode package to user group
A basic passcode package is used to secure devices by applying a basic passcode policy. A basic passcode package can be added to any user group, regardless of OS Platform.
To add a basic passcode package to a user group:
In the Domain browser, navigate to the user group to which the package is to be added.
On the Packages tab, select Add package and then select Passcode.
Enter the following package details:
Name: A unique name for the package.
Description (optional): A description of the package may be added. The description is used to distinguish the package from other packages in the domain.
Minimum passcode length: The minimum passcode length may be set to either 4 or 6 digits.
Maximum number of failed attempts before wiping the device: The function may either be set to Disabled, or set to a number from 1 to 10.
To add smart filters to the package, select Set smart filters (optional) and proceed according to Add smart filters to package. If the package should not contain smart filters, go to Step 5.
A smart filter limits the impact of a package to target only devices that are tagged, or not tagged, with specific tags.
Select Create package.
The package is created and added to the user group. The package settings will be assigned to all devices in the user group, as well as to all devices in the user groups located beneath the user group in the domain hierarchy.
Create and add basic Wi-Fi package to user group
A basic Wi-Fi package is used to set up devices to automatically connect to a wireless network. A basic Wi-Fi package can be added to any user group, regardless of OS platform.
To add a basic Wi-Fi package to a user group:
In the Domain browser, navigate to the user group to which the package is to be added.
On the Packages tab, select Add package and then select Wi-Fi.
In the Name box, enter a unique name for the package.
Optionally, in the Description box, enter a description of the package. The description is used to distinguish the package from other packages in the domain.
In the SSID box, enter the SSID for your WI-Fi network.
In the Password box, enter the password for your Wi-Fi network.
Under Additional settings,
Select the security type for your Wi-Fi network: None, WEP, or WPA/WPA2.
The default setting is WPA/WPA2.
Use the Hidden network toggle to either allow or disallow the device to connect to the Wi-Fi if it is a hidden network.
The default setting is Enable hidden network, allowing the device to connect to a hidden network.
To add smart filters to the package, select Set smart filters (optional) and proceed according to Add smart filters to package. If the package should not contain smart filters, go to Step 9.
A smart filter limits the impact of a package to target only devices that are tagged, or not tagged, with specific tags.
Select Create package.
The package is created and added to the user group. The package settings will be assigned to all devices in the user group, as well as to all devices in the user groups located beneath the user group in the domain hierarchy.
Create and add basic mail package to user group
A basic mail package is used to set up a mail client with Microsoft Office 365. A basic mail package can be added to any user group, regardless of OS platform.
To add a basic mail package to a user group:
In the Domain browser, navigate to the user group to which the package is to be added.
On the Packages tab, select Add package and then select Mail.
Enter the following package details:
Name: A unique name for the package.
Description (optional): A description of the package may be added. The description is used to distinguish the package from other packages in the domain.
Target identifier: The target identifier for the mail client.
To add smart filters to the package, select Set smart filters (optional) and proceed according to Add smart filters to package. If the package should not contain smart filters, go to Step 5.
A smart filter limits the impact of a package to target only devices that are tagged, or not tagged, with specific tags.
Select Create package.
The package is created and added to the user group. The package settings will be assigned to all devices in the user group, as well as to all devices in the user groups located beneath the user group in the domain hierarchy.
Create and add application package to user group
To add an application package to a user group:
In the Domain browser, navigate to the user group to which the package is to be added.
On the Packages tab, select Add package and then select Create application package.
The Application view, with a list of available applications, will appear.
Note
For an application to be listed as available, the Snow Device Manager domain must be connected to a Google EMM, Apple VPP, or Private AppStore service, and the application must be eligible or white listed for the domain within the service.
The services that your Snow Device Manager domain is connected to are visible above the list of applications. The services are configured in the Domain administrator.
If an application is not listed although it is eligible or white listed for the domain, use the refresh button at the top of the Application view to update the list of applications.
Select an application from the list of available applications, and select Enter package details.
In the Name box, enter a unique name for the application.
Optionally, in the Description box, enter a description of the package. The description is used to distinguish the package from other packages in the domain.
For Private AppStore applications:
In the App .apk-file location URL box, the URL for the location of the .apk file is displayed.
Select or clear the Allow user to uninstall the app check box.
For Google EMM or Apple VPP applications:
Select the license assignment settings for the application:
Assign license and install application: The application is installed on the targeted devices.
Only assign license: The application is made available for installation on the targeted devices. The end user can choose whether or not to install the application.
Optionally, select Add configuration to configure the application. See Application configuration for more information.
Not all applications are configurable.
To add smart filters to the package, select Set smart filters (optional) and proceed according to Add smart filters to package. If the package should not contain smart filters, go to Step 9.
Select Create package.
The package is added to the user group. The application will be assigned to all the devices in the user group that comply with the package profile. The application will also be assigned to all package profile compliant devices in the user groups located beneath the user group in the domain hierarchy.
Note
If a non-free application is included in the package, one license or seat will be consumed for each device on which the application is successfully installed. When there are no licenses left, the application installation will fail for the remaining targeted devices.
Application configuration
Some applications designed for enterprises include built-in settings called managed configurations that IT admins can configure remotely. For example, an application may have the option to only synchronize data when a device is connected to Wi-Fi, and an email application can be configured with the user's email address, mail server, and domain. It is possible to use SDM domain user and device parameters dynamically to set these values.
Examples of user parameters that can be used for configuration:
Field | Example | Format in configuration |
|---|---|---|
User.Email | jane.doe@maildomain.com | [$User.Email] |
User.Phonenumber | 46123456789 | [$User.Phonenumber] |
User.Realname | Jane Doe | [$User.Realname] |
User.Firstname | Jane | [$User.Firstname] |
User.Lastname | Doe | [$User.Lastname] |
User.Name | jandoe (AD user name) | [$User.Name] |
Device.WifiMacAddress | 40:83:1d:54:10:00 (the address of the device) | [$Device.WifiMacAddress] |
Note
For Android applications, the available configuration is rendered as fields. For iOS applications, a partial PLIST needs to be provided manually.
<dict> <key>com.microsoft.outlook.EmailProfile.EmailAccountName</key> <string>TestAccountForSnow</string> <key>com.microsoft.outlook.EmailProfile.EmailAddress</key> <string>[$User.Email]</string> <key>com.microsoft.outlook.EmailProfile.ServerHostName</key> <string>snowsoftware.com</string> </dict>
Add existing package to user group
To add a previously created package to a user group:
In the Domain browser, navigate to the user group to which the package is to be added.
On the Packages tab, select Add package and the select Add existing packages.
Select to add one or more of the packages in the list, and select Confirm.
The package is added to the user group. The package settings will be assigned to all devices in the user group that comply with the package profile. The settings will also be assigned to all package profile compliant devices in the user groups located beneath the user group in the domain hierarchy.
Edit package settings
When the settings of a package are edited, the updates will affect the devices in the user groups to which the package has been added, as well as the devices in the user groups located beneath those user groups in the domain hierarchy.
To edit the settings for a package:
In the Domain browser, navigate to the user group to which the package has been added.
On the Packages tab, select the package from the list of packages that have been added to the user group.
The Configuration view for the selected package will appear.
Edit one or more package settings, and select Save changes.
Or, alternatively:
On the Category menu, select Packages, and then select Overview.
Select the package from the list of all created packages in the domain.
The Details view for the selected package will appear.
Select the Configuration tab.
The Configuration view for the selected package will appear.
Edit one or more package settings, and select Save changes.
Remove package from user group
To remove settings from the devices in a user group, the package containing the settings must be removed from the group. A package must always be removed from the user group to which it was directly added. When the package is removed from a user group, the package settings will be removed from all devices in the user group, as well as from all devices in the user groups that have inherited the settings from that user group.
To remove a package from a user group:
In the Domain browser, navigate to the user group from which the package is to be removed.
On the Packages tab, and from the list of packages directly added to the user group, select the package or packages to be removed from the user group.
Select the More options
menu and select Remove package.
Or, alternatively:
On the Category menu, select Packages, and then select Overview.
Select the package from the list of all created packages in the domain.
The Details view for the selected package will appear, with a list of the user groups to which the package is added.
Select the checkbox for the user group from which the package is to be removed. More than one user group can be selected.
Note that the Package origin column for the user group must display the value Direct.
Select Remove from group.
Delete package from the domain
To delete a package from the domain:
On the Category menu, select Packages, and then select Overview.
The packages overview will appear, with a list of all created packages in the domain.
Select the package or packages to be deleted, and select Delete.
A preview of the number of devices which will be affected if the package is deleted, appears.
Select Yes, delete package.
Add smart filters to package
A smart filter limits the impact of a package to target only devices that are marked, or not marked, with specific tags.
A smart filter is made up of one or more queries that determine the scope of the filter. A typical query might for example be Devices where Tag Equals Manager. A package with a smart filter with this query will target devices marked with the tag Manager.
To add a smart filter to a package, create the package according to the instructions for the package type, and after selecting Set smart filters (optional), do the following:
In the Query group area, modify the information in the four boxes defining the query:
In the first box, select the type of object which is the target of the query.
Currently, the only available object type is Device.
In the second box, select the criterion for the query.
Currently, the only available criterion is Tag.
In the third box, select a condition for the criterion. Available conditions are:
Equal - The smart filter will target all devices in the user group that are marked with the tag name specified in the fourth box.
Not Equal - The smart filter will target all devices in the user group that are not marked with the tag name specified in the fourth box.
In the fourth box, select a tag name.
Optionally, add more queries to the smart filter. The queries are combined with AND or OR operators.
To add an AND query, select + Add AND Query Group.
A new query group is added to the smart filter. Query groups are combined with an AND operator.
To add an OR query, select + Add OR Query in an already created query group.
A new query is added to the query group. Queries in a query group are combined with an OR operator.
You can delete a query or an entire query group by selecting the X or Trashcan icon to the right of the query or query group.
When you have created all the queries for the smart filter, proceed with the instructions for creating the package.
A package contains a smart filter with two queries in a single query group:
Device where Tag Equals Manager
Device where Tag Equals Security
Since the queries are in the same query group, they are combined with OR. The package will target devices marked with the tag Manager. It will also target devices marked with the tag Security.
A package contains a smart filter with two queries in two separate query groups:
Query in query group 1: Device where Tag Equals Manager
Query in query group 2: Device where Tag Equals TestDevice
Since the queries are in separate query groups, they are combined with AND. The package will only target devices marked with both the Manager tag and the TestDevice tag.