Chromebook Apps - deploy to device or user

[TwistedHelixis]

Just wondering what is best practice when pushing out Chromebook apps. Do you add them to the device or user OU?

 

I can see issues with either option.

 

Device OU, although we do have seperate staff & pupil device OU's I know its best not to apple to much based on device OU, in case the Chromebooks get used by someone else that needs different settings.

 

User OU, if we force out an app under the user and that user then logs onto their own personal chromebook at home using the schools account, it would then force out all the school software to their home device.

 

BTW we do deploy Android apps to our Chromebooks.

Edited March 23, 2021 by TwistedHelixis

[paulkerton]

Apps are deployed to users only. Deploying them on a device OU won't do anything unless the user is also in that OU.

[TwistedHelixis]

Apps are deployed to users only. Deploying them on a device OU won't do anything unless the user is also in that OU.

 

That's lucky, as that's what I have been doing so far :0)

[paulkerton]

That's lucky, as that's what I have been doing so far :0)

Well in that case, if you separate your Device OUs and your user OUs (which I would in the long run for your own sanity) the current OUs need to become the user ones, and create new ones for the devices!

[TwistedHelixis]

What I ment was, they are already seperate and I have been deploying the apps to the users OU, without knowing that was the only way it would work :0)

[j224]

I don't understand why people have device OUs.

[TwistedHelixis]

I don't understand why people have device OUs.

 

Makes it easier to track down a serial number

 

I belive there were a few device only settings not available for user but could be wrong.

[j224]

Makes it easier to track down a serial number

I belive there were a few device only settings not available for user but could be wrong.

 

Track down a serial? But you can go to Chrome > Devices and search for a specific serial?

 

I think you're approaching Google admin from a Windows GPO point of view. I think we had this conversation in another thread recently.

[paulkerton]

I don't understand why people have device OUs.

Because that's the recommended set up by Google, and because it keeps the user settings and the device settings separate. Sometimes the settings you want for a device are not related to the user's settings.

[Primus]

Track down a serial? But you can go to Chrome > Devices and search for a specific serial?

 

I think you're approaching Google admin from a Windows GPO point of view. I think we had this conversation in another thread recently.

 

I honestly don't think he is.

 

Google have recommended separate OUs for devices and users - unless that's changed and you've got a link to Google's documentation saying otherwise now and we've missed it?

[TwistedHelixis]

Track down a serial? But you can go to Chrome > Devices and search for a specific serial?

But if i dont know the serial and need to find it, and I know its a teachers device for example, I just look in the teachers device OU

 

I also seem to remember (ill need to check) that we had a couple of device spacific settings and I like to keep things like that seperated.

[j224]

OK, I guess it's just me not understanding it properly. If it's recommended by Google to have a separate User and Device OU then that must be correct.

 

For us- when I get a new device, I'll enrol it and then move it into either the Staff OU or Student OU, depending on who is going to be using it.

 

So if I'm looking for a serial, I can click the Staff OU or Student OU on the left and look down the list. If it's a teacher device, I also add their name in the 'Custom Field' of the device, so I could do a search for their name.

 

When I go to 'User & Browser Settings' I can apply a particular setting (e.g. custom wallpaper) to the top level OU, the child OUs (Staff or Student), or be even more specific and set a a different wallpaper for each year group- we have Cohort 2020, 2019, etc as child OUs of the Student OU.

 

When I go to 'Device Settings' I can do the same thing.

 

When I go to 'Apps & Extensions' I can do the same thing.

Edited March 24, 2021 by j224