Delivering Profiles

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 426.

Once created, profiles can be delivered in a number of ways:

▶ Via the user portal website—Users log in to the portal with their account credentials and are presented with the profiles assigned to them.

▶ Via an email to the user—The profile is a simple text file formatted in Extensible Markup Language (XML), so it is easily transported.

▶ Web link—The profile can be published on a website for users to visit and download.

▶ Automatic push—The profile gets automatically pushed to the device with no user interaction (the device must be enrolled for this to work). Automatic push relies on the Apple Push Notification service (APNs). This service is hos‐ ted by Apple and is provided to allow secure push notification to client devices. Once a server is configured to utilize APNs, client devices enrolled for management in Profile Manager check in with APNs and wait for notification signals to be sent by the Profile Manager via APNs. No data is included in the notification beyond informing the client that Profile Manager has something for it. This keeps data secure between Profile Manager and the client. Here is the push notification process:

1. An enrolled device makes contact with APNs and keeps a lightweight communication going between them. This happens any time the enrolled device has a network chance, as would occur when being turned on, changing networks, or switching network interfaces.

2. The Profile Manager service contacts APNs when it needs to notify an enrolled device or group of devices of a new or changed profile. APNs has the ability to send feedback to the Profile Manager service.

3. APNs notifies the device to get in touch with the associated Profile Manager service in which it is enrolled.

4. The device communicates with the Profile Manager service once notified.

5. The Profile Manager service sends the profile to the device.

A list of installed profiles is available in OS X in Profile preferences. An equivalent list is available in iOS when you tap Settings > General > Profiles.