We have put in our customer/ reseller number into our device management settings, but it says there are 0 devices. We should have two macs showing up. Also have a mdm server set up and would like to assign these macs to it.
How did you purchase the devices? If you purchased through retail then the units will not appear in ABM. Retail purchases cannot satisfy chain of custody.
For assets to be properly linked via chain of custody at purchase, they must be purchased through (1) Apple Business sales or and Apple e-commerce customer site (or Apple enterprise sales if you are very large), (2) through an EDU e-commerce site or direct from Apple education sales (if you are an EDU customer), or (3) through an authorized reseller who is aware of your ABM site and has been provided your organization ID. The reseller will also need to provide you with a reseller number that must be entered into your ABM. Oh, and many cellular providers can participate in this also. But you must have a business account and once again exchange the Org ID and reseller number.
By purchasing through these methods, you satisfy the chain of custody paper trail. The assets can clearly be linked to your legal business entity and this is essentially what ABM is; a trust formed between Apple and your legal business entity.
Reach out to your Reseller and request that they resubmit the assets for assignment to your ABM. If you have not provided the reseller with your Org ID, do so. If the reseller does not participate in DEP, find a new reseller.
If these are new machines running Monterey, you may have a way of rectifying the purchasing mistake or limitations of your reseller. You can use the new iOS release of Apple Configurator to sideload assets not purchased through automated chain of custody purchasing channels. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212858
This should allow you to sideload the Macs with relative ease into ABM. But please note, this is a terrible long-term solution. Sort out your purchasing process to make asset assignment automatic.
Linking ABM to your MDM is another topic. The exact process varies between MDM providers. However, the basic are that you create an MDM in ABM and assign assets to it. Then export the DEP token and import it into the MDM. The token must be refreshed annually. (Also, never, ever, Ever, EVER, allow your Push Cert to expire and make sure you always use the same Apple ID when renewing the Push Cert). Assets can be setup to auto-assign to your MDM when they are assigned to your ABM (through proper purchasing). But, once again, this loops back to making the right purchasing decisions.
If you have an Apple Store nearby, reach out to the business sales rep and tell them you have ABM and want to create a purchasing relationship for your business. You can also ask for an ecommerce portal to allow you to make purchase online. Hard assets purchased in this way will be assigned to your ABM before you receive them. This ensures that automated, zero touch deployment is possible. But that is all configured in your MDM.
For help with the MDM setup, there are likely plenty of capable Apple Consultant Network providers in your area. If you don't want to become an MDM expert, I encourage you to search for a consultant (Apple has a consultant finder available online) or talk to your local Apple Store for a recommendation. MDM setup does not require local talent so if you are in a location with limited access to an Apple Store, consider remote engagement.
Hope this is helpful. Welcome to the amazingly efficient world of Mac device management. Plan, test, revise. If you are doing this on your own, I strongly encourage spending some time testing out and learning about your MDM's capabilities and limitations. Setup the device, make changes, redo the process. Refine, discover, refine. Consider the long term. Consider securing the device while not restricting function.
Good luck in your journey,
Reid Bundonis
How did you purchase the devices? If you purchased through retail then the units will not appear in ABM. Retail purchases cannot satisfy chain of custody.
For assets to be properly linked via chain of custody at purchase, they must be purchased through (1) Apple Business sales or and Apple e-commerce customer site (or Apple enterprise sales if you are very large), (2) through an EDU e-commerce site or direct from Apple education sales (if you are an EDU customer), or (3) through an authorized reseller who is aware of your ABM site and has been provided your organization ID. The reseller will also need to provide you with a reseller number that must be entered into your ABM. Oh, and many cellular providers can participate in this also. But you must have a business account and once again exchange the Org ID and reseller number.
By purchasing through these methods, you satisfy the chain of custody paper trail. The assets can clearly be linked to your legal business entity and this is essentially what ABM is; a trust formed between Apple and your legal business entity.
Reach out to your Reseller and request that they resubmit the assets for assignment to your ABM. If you have not provided the reseller with your Org ID, do so. If the reseller does not participate in DEP, find a new reseller.
If these are new machines running Monterey, you may have a way of rectifying the purchasing mistake or limitations of your reseller. You can use the new iOS release of Apple Configurator to sideload assets not purchased through automated chain of custody purchasing channels. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212858
This should allow you to sideload the Macs with relative ease into ABM. But please note, this is a terrible long-term solution. Sort out your purchasing process to make asset assignment automatic.
Linking ABM to your MDM is another topic. The exact process varies between MDM providers. However, the basic are that you create an MDM in ABM and assign assets to it. Then export the DEP token and import it into the MDM. The token must be refreshed annually. (Also, never, ever, Ever, EVER, allow your Push Cert to expire and make sure you always use the same Apple ID when renewing the Push Cert). Assets can be setup to auto-assign to your MDM when they are assigned to your ABM (through proper purchasing). But, once again, this loops back to making the right purchasing decisions.
If you have an Apple Store nearby, reach out to the business sales rep and tell them you have ABM and want to create a purchasing relationship for your business. You can also ask for an ecommerce portal to allow you to make purchase online. Hard assets purchased in this way will be assigned to your ABM before you receive them. This ensures that automated, zero touch deployment is possible. But that is all configured in your MDM.
For help with the MDM setup, there are likely plenty of capable Apple Consultant Network providers in your area. If you don't want to become an MDM expert, I encourage you to search for a consultant (Apple has a consultant finder available online) or talk to your local Apple Store for a recommendation. MDM setup does not require local talent so if you are in a location with limited access to an Apple Store, consider remote engagement.
Hope this is helpful. Welcome to the amazingly efficient world of Mac device management. Plan, test, revise. If you are doing this on your own, I strongly encourage spending some time testing out and learning about your MDM's capabilities and limitations. Setup the device, make changes, redo the process. Refine, discover, refine. Consider the long term. Consider securing the device while not restricting function.
Good luck in your journey,
Reid Bundonis
Apple Business Manager- devices not showing up
