Apple Configurator 2 and restoring backups

I have followed the various steps as zoranp3 and I came to a different conclusion. What zoranp3 describes, does indeed work, if you restore onto the same iPad that you used to create the backup. It does not work on any other iPad.

I just tried it out myself with 2 iPads.

I supervised my Master iPad, installed Apps, created Folders and (the thing I always do in such tests) created a note in the Notes.app.

I created the backup of my Master iPad.

Also the new Blueprint. I added Apps, Profiles etc to the blueprint. Also the restore of my Master iPad Backup.

Now I reset both my iPads to factory settings, to have a clean start.

When I apply my blueprint to both iPads, I get the following result:

1) The first iPad (which was physically my master) restores and works flawlessly. It comes up supervised. The iPad is ready to use as expected, showing the lock screen.

2) The second iPad restores but throws an error, that installing the WiFi-Profile requires User interaction as its not supervised (error can be skipped). AC shows that this iPad is not supervised. It shows the Setup-Assistant. Apps are installed, but no Profiles.

What I can do, is now select the second iPad in Apple Configurator and supervise it using the Prepare button. This will NOT wipe the device, as it has not yet been used (Setup Assistant not done). I can then see, that my WiFi Profile did indeed not install (as it was skipped before - now it would install flawlessly, as the iPad is now supervised).

The summary is:

- The goal of restoring data (App placement in folders, also App Data) to many supervised iPads can be achieved, but not in one step

- It does matter, if you restore on the same iPad or on a different one (as a side note: if an iPad is MDM enrolled, the MDM enrollment works if restored to the same iPad while it breaks when being restored to a different iPad). Reading Apples Security Whitepaper on iOS might help understand the background. (Keybags, Backup etc.) Read here:

https://www.apple.com/euro/privacy/d/generic/docs/iOS_Security_Guide.pdf

The way to do it is to restore the backup, then supervise. As long as you do not touch the Setup Assistant, supervision wont wipe the iPad.

Thanks for the detail on your workflow - very very helpful! One thing I am struggling to find information on is the ongoing updates to apps and ipad ios. If we set up using the workflow above, and managed distribution (VPP) in time how do we

1) update individual apps to all the ipads?

2) update the ipad ios

3) a tech told me that the only way to update ios remotely is to use DEP - which we are enrolled in now just this week. - any thoughts on if that is right?

4) if we are enrolled in DEP, can we just not set up / use DEP for these ipads and set them up as per your workflow link to meraki add device?

Hi

Thanks for your valuable post. I'm a total newbie here, and looking for some help.

DO you have any expertise with educational iPads?

what I'm looking for is info as to whether I can purchase an educational iPad from apple, make that my master backup device, and then clone that to other iPads that weren't originally bought for educational use. Any idea if that would be possible?

any and all help appreciated.

HI, great step-by-step instructions. having to prep 90 ipads for our school is not easier-sort of. After step 11, I try to Prepare the devices and I get a warning that says Configurator could not perform the requested action because "XXX" is already prepared. I actually did this once with no luck. I even went back to step 10 and Restored the devices and started over with the same results.

Any suggestions?

thanks

YoU did it! Thank you so much!!! I cannot tell you how much sleep I have lost over this -- and in my case it's only for 5 iPads! 5 FIVE !! So, I do have a lingering question, but I have no idea if you'll see it. If I have a returning ipad that I need to wipe and resend out with the standard image, as you've laid out for me, do I have to go through steps 9-13? In older configurator there was a refresh process, that was ONE STEP!

But a shred of my sanity is in fact restored! thanks to EVERYONE on this thread, becuase it has been my life saver!

Hi,

thanks a lot for the great workflow, but unfortunately I am still failing with step 7.

I executed steps 1-6 on the "master device" (a supervised and preconfigured iPad).

Now I connected a new iPad and did step 7. I created a blueprint with

- modify device name

- add profile

- prepare supervise devices

- restore from backup, using the backup from step 6

Applying the blueprint to the new iPad

(1) Message "iPad has already been prepared, click erase to restore the backup".

(2) click "erase"

(3) after quite some time it fails with following message: "an unexpected error has occured, this profile can only be applied to a supervised device (MCInstallationErrorDomain - 0xFA1(4001).

If tried these steps multiple times, with one "master iPad" and several new devices. Always same results!

Any help is appreciated.

Another vote for the great instructions from ccsdtech. I had to add a new iPad to a collection of managed ones I set up in 2015 with the original Configurator without access to the prototype, only a backup and and old config file. This got me through that. Thanks!!

Hi Trevor,

What we used to with AC1.x, you can forget about it in AC2.

AC2 creates more work for your, while AC1.x was much simpler, quicker and better to use.

If you want to have your iPads supervised, then forget about the backup procedure. Whenever you try to restore from 'master' iPad backup, it will change your iPad to unsupervised. To apply blueprint, it will install selected apps, but it won't install your profile, because the iPad is not supervised.

To supervise your iPad, you have to select Prepare and follow the steps, BUT, this procedure will supervise your iPad and also will remove your backup ('master' iPad backup). As you can see, the AC2 is not good as AC1.x was.

After supervising (preparing) all iPads, get ready to go through all of them individually through 'new' iPad settings, creating folders, etc, etc.

I've given up on AC2. If you can use AC1.x then stay with it, till Apple doesn't fix those issues, if they ever decide to.

Trevor,

The solution I was able to find for this issue was to make sure that backup is supervised from the AC2. However, this means preparing a device and then creating a whole new back up with all of the settings and app settings that you require. Once that backup is supervised you can re-apply it to other devices by putting it in your blueprint(s) and they will be supervised as well.

ONE CATCH: I have found that a backup is tied to a specific device. For example, lets say I create a supervised backup called Backup 001 from a device. Then I use that same device to create another backup, Backup 002. Backup 002 will then replace Backup 001 in your list of backups because they came from the same device, and it doesn't matter if you change the name or do it on a different date. So if you need 7 different backups for seven different roles you will need to create them from 7 different devices. However, it does seem to be ok to apply a backup from Device A and apply it to Device B, then save the Device B backup.

Hope this helps.

For what is worth, I came across a competitor to Configurator. I have not used it.

GroundControl is an alternative to Apple Configurator. "Enterprise-scale iOS provisioning, update, supervision, intelligent policies...all in the cloud."

https://www.groundctl.com/

Trevor,

My Workflow:

1) Restore/Update a device

2) Prepare your device to a supervised state

3) Install any or all applications that you need for your backup

4) Apply application settings within the apps themselves if needed

5) Apply desired settings and restrictions as needed

6) Back up your supervised device

7) Build your blueprint (in no particular order): Modify device name and wallpaper as desired, add apps, add profiling, and set your blueprint to restore from the backup that you created.

Applying a blueprint that has supervised backup incorporated into it to an unsupervised device will make all subsequent devices supervised, with all of your settings intact. During the process to apply the blueprint you'll be prompted to restore and supervise devices.

Keep in mind that you can only create one backup from a specific device. If you need to make a different backup you'll need to grab a different device to do it. Good news is that you can apply a backup to a different device, modify the backup on that second device, and save it as another backup.

Hope this helps.

I might be wrong, but are you sure this works for you Stealth.

My Workflow:

1) Restore/Update a device - I've done this

2) Prepare your device to a supervised state - this will delete above settings and will redownload latest iOS

3) Install any or all applications that you need for your backup - Done this and added to my blueprints

4) Apply application settings within the apps themselves if needed - tried this as well

5) Apply desired settings and restrictions as needed - using one profile for all my iPads

6) Back up your supervised device - yeap, done that

7) Build your blueprint (in no particular order): Modify device name and wallpaper as desired, add apps, add profiling, and set your blueprint to restore from the backup that you created. - do you add profiles to your blueprint?

Applying a blueprint that has supervised backup incorporated into it to an unsupervised device will make all subsequent devices supervised, with all of your settings intact. During the process to apply the blueprint you'll be prompted to restore and supervise devices.

I've follow instructions from your first post, and managed to create supervised iPad backup into the blueprint. When applied that same blueprint, I get everything applied to other iPads, including apps with created folders, name, wallpaper, but it doesn't apply the profile as all iPads become unsupervised.

Am I missing anything???

Cheers

Charles, thanks for sharing.

This sound pretty good!

I've contact them, regarding trial and pricing, but no body got back to me yet. Hopefully today or tomorrow.

Cheers

Just tried again the same steps, and this type I've received the message to supervise my iPad if wanted to continue.

Yesterday I was using same iPads and same blueprint, but couldn't get it to be supervised.

At least it is working for now 🙂

Thanks a lot StealthBlue10!!!

Cheers