iOS Update Best Practices for Business Devices

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Bonesaw1962 Author

Level 4

1,265 points

iOS Update Best Practices for Business Devices

We're trying to figure out some best practices for doing iOS software updates to business devices. Our devices are scattered across 24 hospitals and parts of two states. Going forward there might be hundreds of iOS devices at each facility. Apple has tools for doing this in a smaller setting with a limited network, but to my knowledge, nothing (yet) for a larger implementation. I know configurator can be used to do iOS updates. I found this online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QPbZG3e-Uc

I'm thinking the approach to take for the time being would be to have a mobile sync station setup with configurator for use at each facility. The station would be moved throughout the facility to perform updates to the various devices. Thought I'd see if anyone has tried this approach, or has any other ideas for dealing with device software updates. Thanks in advance.

Posted on May 19, 2014 12:21 PM

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Answer 1

nsdjoey

Level 3

961 points

May 27, 2014 1:53 PM in response to Bonesaw1962

Hi Bonesaw1962,

We've had our staff and students run iOS updates OTA via Settings -> Software Update. In the past, we put a DNS block on Apple's update servers to prevent users from updating iOS (like last fall when iOS 7 was first released). By blocking mesu.apple com, the iPads weren't able to check for or install any iOS software updates. We waited until iOS 7.0.3 was released before we removed the block to mesu.apple.com at which point we told users if they wanted to update to iOS 7 they could do so OTA. We used our MDM to run reports periodically to see how many people updated to iOS 7 and how many stayed on iOS 6. As time went on, just about everyone updated on their own.

If you go this route (depending on the number of devices you have), you may want to take a look at Caching Server 2 to help with the network load https://www.apple.com/osx/server/features/#caching-server . From Apple's website, "When a user on your network downloads new software from Apple, a copy is automatically stored on your server. So the next time other users on your network update or download that same software, they actually access it from inside the network."

I wish there was a way for MDMs to manage iOS updates, but unfortunately Apple hasn't made this feature available to MDM providers. I've given this feedback to our Apple SE, but haven't heard if it is being considered or not. Keeping fingers crossed.

Hope this helps. Let us know what you decide on and keep us posted on the progress. Good luck!!

~Joe

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Answer 2

Bonesaw1962 Author

Level 4

1,265 points

May 27, 2014 3:19 PM in response to nsdjoey

Joe, thanks for the advice and feedback. One of the things we are looking at is having a mobile upgrade/sync station that we would move throughout our facilities to the various devices. We could either connect them via USB to Configurator and do an update in just a couple of minutes,or perhaps have a mobile MAC mini/caching server that we would move about and have the technicians connect from the device to the update via an ad-hoc wi-fi network, created by the MAC mini. One of our challenges is that the devices we are concerned about are not controlled by a single user, but are used by multiple individuals so no one person has control over them. They may be located at say, a nursing station, or at some type of Kiosk. An IT Technician would need to be responsible for doing the upgrade. Thanks again for the ideas and comments and the way to block access to the update server. 😉

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Answer 3

Jun 19, 2015 7:55 AM in response to Bonesaw1962

Hi Bonesaw1962,

I was perusing some IOS mgt blogs and came across your post. I recently saw a site from a company that has developed a USB-over-IP appliance that permits remote gigabit network updates of iOS devices using Configurator. Take a look at www.usboverip.info. The ethersync appliance makes it possible to conduct remote updates to hundreds of iPads/iPhones in an unlimited number of locations, simultaneously. Quite remarkable. Have you heard of this product or used it before?

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Answer 4

nsdjoey

Level 3

961 points

Jun 19, 2015 2:28 PM in response to TennisPro2

Hi TennisPro2,

I haven't heard of that product before... however, it appears that a future iOS release may allow MDM's to control iOS updates:

"The public release notes contain a line I found to be quite interesting:

Quote:

MDM Known Issue The AvailableOSUpdates MDM command fails on unsupervised devices as an unknown command. The command succeeds only on supervised DEP-enrolled devices.

Does that mean MDM will be able to manage iOS updates with iOS 9? One can hope."

I think iOS 9 will bring many new and exciting enterprise features. Can't wait!!

~Joe

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