iPad Setup - IDIOTS GUIDE

[Joanne]

If this could be a sticky that would be great!! I'm going to post this unfinished and continue to update through the day. Ta.

 

Step 1 - Acquire iPads

Step 2 - Acquire mac to use to manage iPads.

Step 3 - Sign up to VPP.

 

THINGS TO CONSIDER WITH VPP: Sign up with your real name. Have the verification contact as the head teacher. Apple check the school website to 'verify' so make sure you have an up to date staff list and that your name is clearly on there with the IT Technician (or similar) job title next to it. Your head teacher name should be clearly visible on the homepage anyway, so hopefully this will speed things up. If you are struggling, call Apple Education on 0800 912 0207.

 

VPP CREDIT: Thanks to @Pyroman for this information

I've just talked to Apple and you can now use purchase orders to buy VPP credit via KRCS. The contact you need at KRCS is Tom Kirby 0115 985 1797. You can buy credit off them who buy it off Apple, who then send you an e-mail to redeem the credit!

 

Step 4 - Choose an MDM solution. I use http://www.meraki.com but there are lots of others out there.

 

SETTING UP IPADS

There are a number of ways to do it. I set mine up differently to the way I am going to outline below because I didn't know better.

 

APPLE CONFIGURATOR - download this from the app store on the mac. It appears simple to look at, but there are many ways in which you can set up iPads using this. I personally use this to update them to the latest iOS (prepare) and then use MDM to deploy apps. Check out the prederences - you can set custom lock screens (good for telling which group they belong to at a glance)

 

ITUNES - now you have updated all your ipads connect them to itunes. I'm a bit fuzzy here on what account you should use. I have set up an itunes account, but I wonder if I should be using my VPP address... ANYWAY... use itunes to slam the MDM app onto the ipads.

 

MDM APP - attach to your MDM. In Meraki this is a case of putting in a 10 digit code.

 

MDM - deploy apps using this. In meraki you can search for apps and deploy them. If they are paid for ones, you need to upload a spreadsheet of app codes. This will then be redeemed one by one. Advantages of using MDM for this is that you can (in Meraki anyways) re-deploy the apps to different iPads. I'm not 100% sure, but if you use apple configurator for this, the app is then tied to that iPad forever.

 

If people have different methods, please add them. Everything helps. Let's try and help people new to setting up iPads and save them all the hassle of trial and error. Once you find the method everything is EASY PEASY. It's just finding the one that works!! It's rather confusing to begin with, but once you get your head around it, it's like something just clicks!

Edited October 14, 2014 by Joanne

[Joanne]

So last week I ordered £100 worth of VPP credit from KRCS. Today I received an e-mail from apple. You have to click on a link, log in with the VPP details, download your redemption code, log on to VPP and redeem your credit. I was informed you have 90 days to do this, or the credit gets lost in apples MAHOOSIVE wallet. Once you have redeemed the credit, it remains in your VPP account until you have spent it up.

 

VPP CODES AND APPLE CONFIGURATOR

Here is a nice link which gives some information on deploying VPP apps with configurator: Apple Configurator: Using Volume Purchase Program (VPP) Redemption Codes - Apple Support

I haven't decided whether to use configurator or MDM yet. I need to check how Meraki does things and then I will make my decision.

 

ITUNES ACCOUNT AND VPP ACCOUNT

In the link above it stresses that you should use a different itunes account than the VPP account. I currently do this anyway, so good news for me. I didn't see any information about having a separate account per ipad, but will update if required.

[Duranis]

I have been asked to look at deploy iPads today and this was post was really useful as it was exactly the way I was thinking of doing it. One question though, did you need an APNS to use Meraki for app deployment and if so did it cost anything? I have seen that it was free but then it was mentioned somewhere I was reading that you need a dev account which was around $300 a year.

[Joanne]

I haven't paid anything for Meraki. You have to get a certificate from your VPP account and upload that to meraki... I'll detail that more actually. Forgot about that step.

 

OK here goes. In Meraki you go to Organization > MDM

 

There you will find instructions on how to set everything up for app depolyment. It is detailed as follows:

 

In order to use iOS devices with Systems Manager, you must upload an Apple MDM push certificate. To complete this process, you must have an Apple ID (any valid Apple ID will do, or click here to create one). Both the Apple ID and the certificate can be created free of charge.

Important notes:

This certificate must be renewed with Apple prior to its expiration date. Renewals do not require you to re-enroll devices.

At renewal, you'll need to know the Apple ID/password originally used to create the certificate. We recommend that you create a new Apple ID for your organization to manage this certificate.

If you revoke or otherwise create a new certificate (a different topic), the Meraki Management profile will need to be re-installed on each device.

For detailed instructions, read our help article about renewal ( http://kb.meraki.com/knowledge_base/renewing-an-apple-mdm-push-certificate ).

 

 

Apple VPP accounts

Read an overview of using Apple VPP Managed Distribution with the Meraki Dashboard.

 

This feature requires one or more VPP accounts from Apple. Accounts can be created for business or education.

 

You will need a VPP service token from this account (found on the account summary of your VPP account) in order to manage your licenses with the Cisco Meraki Dashboard.

 

 

Apple DEP Server Token

Read Apple's Device Enrollment Program Guide for a brief overview of Apple's Device Enrollment Program. ( https://kb.meraki.com/knowledge_base/deploying-vpp-apps-to-ios-devices-using-apples-managed-distribution-model )

Server Token generation:

Download your public key: Meraki_Apple_DEP_cert.pem

Upload your public key to Apple and download your server token: Apple Deployment Programs ( https://idmsa.apple.com/IDMSWebAuth/login.html?disable2SV=true&rv=2&appIdKey=09273cfd6b56a8ce5af52a0153d1d796d364e03a36c6e87ef21e92c77a83ef3f&path=/qforms/web/index/avs&language=GB-EN&country=GB )

Upload your server token (*_smime.p7m) to Dashboard:

Choose a default network devices should be assigned to:

Save this page.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Joanne

[Andie]

You can redistribute apps if you use configurator. As long as you purchase using vpp and load the redeem codes spreadsheet. When you untick an app in configurator then the app is uninstalled and the code is freed up on the database for use again. So goes the theory anyway as yet to try it.

 

You cannot register for vpp with an account that has been used in iTunes. It has to be a clean account. You will need your school vat number to register for vpp. The apple guide suggests you create lots of generic vpp facilitator accounts but go for just one to start with. You need access to the Mac to load apps into configurator and so only one person can do this at a time. Not sure if this is the same with meraki.

[Brimstone]

You can redistribute apps if you use configurator. As long as you purchase using vpp and load the redeem codes spreadsheet. When you untick an app in configurator then the app is uninstalled and the code is freed up on the database for use again. So goes the theory anyway as yet to try it.

 

You cannot register for vpp with an account that has been used in iTunes. It has to be a clean account. You will need your school vat number to register for vpp. The apple guide suggests you create lots of generic vpp facilitator accounts but go for just one to start with. You need access to the Mac to load apps into configurator and so only one person can do this at a time. Not sure if this is the same with meraki.

 

***Only when you put the iPad into Supervise Mode using Configurator**

[Andie]

***Only when you put the iPad into Supervise Mode using Configurator**

 

Indeed! Thanks for spotting the important omission.

[rad]

@Joanne and others

 

I have this set up and all working for Free apps, its easy.

Today I "purchased" the first paid app but dont have VPP credit/a spreadsheet

 

Edit - http://www.apple.com/education/it/vpp/

This link is the answer. You have to purchase from https://volume.itunes.apple.com/gb/store

and not through iTunes.

Edited January 9, 2015 by rad

[Joanne]

Just to update this thread... I think I have cracked Apple Configurator (I'm a slow one!!)

 

So set an ipad all nice how you want it.

In Apple configurator, right click device and select backup. Mine was called KS1 Image.

THEN when you do the preparing, and go onto supervise you can restore the backup... which then puts all the apps into the folders you had them in.

 

Missing some apps??

I was missing some that were deployed via MDM. I connected to meraki and low and behold the apps install automatically... IN THE CORRECT FOLDERS! Omg... I almost wet myself when it did this.

 

It's taken me almost 9 months to get to a stage where I am confident with reimaging and deploying apps... finally figured all this out this week. Any other things I find out along the way will get put onto this thread!

[MrFrostmaul]

Is there anyway when deploying apps via VPP to have them automatically go into specific folders? When using meraki as MDM

[Joanne]

Don't know at the moment. I think it might be a case of install it on one, put it in the folder, backup on configurator, roll out image on other ipads... then it should install in the right folder. Fear of removing them from the MDM though with that idea....

[Tammie]

Many thanks @Joanne for documenting all of this! I struggled to find a way to push out apps without a password prompt and found this page invaluable: https://meraki.cisco.com/blog/2014/04/be-a-ninja-systems-manager-silent-app-push/

 

I also use both Apple Configurator and Meraki, preparing iPads with AC and adding the Meraki URL in the Setup tab, so they appear on Meraki automatically.

[Joanne]

Awesome! Thanks.

 

I tried adding the URL in AC but it didn't like it for some reason. I will have to try again.

[Joanne]

REFRESHING

 

I've recently 'refreshed and updated' all our iPads... here are some things I had to take into consideration:

 

Uncheck the auto-update 'feature' in Apple Configurator.

Restoring a backup image is all good and well, but make sure the correct apps are selected in the apps tab... otherwise you end up with ALL THE APPS.

I've now added all apps to Meraki and assigned accordingly. Once they are connected, they all install into the correct folders (if you did that with the backup image). Eventually I want to do away with installing apps via Apple Configurator.

Use the SUPERVISE tab to refresh.... yeah, before, I prepared all my iPads and had to rename them all again. Foolish!

CHECK the names on the iPads anyway... I had some rogue numbers in there!!

[Joanne]

Got a nice website that could also help with setup:

 

Managing iPads in Education

 

Thanks to my friend Jay!

[Andie]

Got a nice website that could also help with setup:

 

Managing iPads in Education

 

Thanks to my friend Jay!

 

Thanks for this. It is quite a bit out of date (lots of iOS 7 articles), but it does at least explain the issues involved in various aspects of managing iPads which is useful if you need to make a case for using a particular method. Very helpful article about printing with iPads, although the solution recommended has changed name and changed costs (Fingerprint has become Presto and is now a subscription for full security version).

[Joanne]

No worries. I'm just gathering any info possible to be fair... (I didn't read it all )

 

For printing I have Konica Minolta copiers here, so I use the Konica Minolta app... PS Mobile. Works a treat! I'm pretty sure other manufacturers will have their own apps for printing too.

[jonathon28]

When pushing apps from Meraki, I've found it prompts for a apple password to download the app. Is there any way around this as we have over 200 ipads. Still trying to find best way of managing them alongside Apple Configurator.

[rickjames]

Got four iPads sitting at my desk now, so this will come in handy. Cheers.

[Bev]

Anyway to get around the Hello, choose a language etc screen when you update the ios?

 

I've just tried to add an App via Apple configurator, and they all needed an ios update. I now have to go into each ipad manually and select the language/country etc, and enter the WIFI password, even though I have a profile containing the wifi password (which is being picked up once they are connected to the wifi, useful!)

 

we currently have 24 iPads, I can just about manage to do this manually, if they roll out to 100s I will be swamped.

[Joanne]

I've not found one as of yet.... I've always done it manual styleeee because we have <50. iOS 9 is meant to be more deployment friendly.... but I wouldn't be holding my breath!

[MrFrostmaul]

With iOS 9 apparently you can push iOS updates sorta like Windows Updates and schedule them at certain times (like 3am) so updates while their asleep

[Joanne]

PUT INTERNET SHORTCUTS ON YOUR IPADS VIA MERAKI

 

Go to System > MDM > Settings

 

Choose your profile that you have assigned to your iPads.

 

Click on the Web Clips tab.

 

OMG THAT'S WHERE YOU DO THIS!!!

 

Fill in as appropriate.

 

 

THIS HAS MADE ME SO HAPPY!

[Tammie]

Joanne are you having one apple ID for all your iPads or do you have one per device? I seem to remember it was just the one...

[Joanne]

I am using one for all devices because all the seperate ones I set up won't log on!!!

 

HOWEVER, I have bought a mac mini and put mac server on and I'm looking at using profile manager. When you use this with iOS 9 you don't need apple IDs!! I will update my findings here. I need some time to do it though!