Using Configurator to disable System Updates on Supervised iPads

Question

Level 1

101 points

Using Configurator to disable System Updates on Supervised iPads

We're being bitten hard by the inability of Configurator to restrict System Updates on Supervised iPads. Obviously shutting down the ability to install apps and in-app purchases does not prevent a System Update. In our case, a slew of students in a 1:1 program freely updated their Supervised iPads, and now a small set of crucial apps will not run in iOS8 and I will need to update their apps so they can get back to work.

Does anybody know of a workaround to keep System Updates from running?

We've been able to block the URL on our campus network, but this does not prevent our students from doing this on their home or other wireless networks.

Any help gratefully appreciated.

OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on Sep 18, 2014 9:45 AM

Reply

Answer 1

jbhnrh

Level 1

118 points

Oct 22, 2014 11:33 AM in response to derek smith1

Sadly no, however if devices are being taken home you should be able to setup a pac file/proxy setup that could potentially block the url for the Apple update server. Still there are ways around that though like a restore thru iTunes.

Apple's belief is that end-users have almost as much right as the owner to the device and therefore they have the right to update the IOS or opt-out of any MDM solution that is not tied to DEP.

Reply

Answer 2

Aug 25, 2015 6:51 AM in response to derek smith1

If the device is supervised, you can implement a Global HTTP Proxy PAC file to tell iOS to use a non-existent proxy server to look for updates. This will cause the updates to fail. Here's an example of the proxy file we use:

function FindProxyForURL(url, host)

{ if (host =="mesu.apple.com") return "PROXY 127.0.0.1:8080";

else return "DIRECT"; }

Reply

Answer 3

nsdjoey

Level 3

961 points

Aug 25, 2015 8:07 AM in response to derek smith1

Looking forward to the new features in iOS 9 which will make enterprise management a lot better!

http://blogs.air-watch.com/2015/06/enterprise-needs-know-ios-9-os-x-el-capitan/# .VdyD-L-HyyM

For devices using DEP and running on iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan, IT will have OS version control management. Customers will have control of when devices upgrade to new OS versions. This is especially helpful for IT to ensure that there is enough time to test all mission-critical apps before approving an OS update across a device fleet.

Reply