Q: Apple Configurator 2 and restoring backups

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

No problem, Zorran, glad to help.

On a side note, I am also looking at Ground Control as a Configurator alternative, primarily because the company I work for has locations scattered across 7 counties, so getting devices back to update and re-supervise them can be problematic, to say the least.

Zoran, I saw on edugeek that you seem to have things in order now.  I'm pulling my hair out trying to get my school up and running with AC2.  Sounds like we're in the same boat.

All I'm armed with is a Mac with AC2.  No MDM (at this point, we have Meraki, but I don't have the credentials yet to be able to use their mdm), no Apple Profile Configurator.  All I want to do is be able to add apps to the iPads and keep them all uniformly configured.  We have folders for each grade with the apps that they use.  All iPads in the school are the same with all the same apps, so it's pretty vanilla.

My biggest problem is that I can't seem to get past the initial wifi setup screen.  I've tried backing up a supervised iPad that was connected, adding a profile with wifi credentials to the blue print.  Nothing seems to let me restore backups and get right back to the desktop.

As a followup, I get to the end of a blueprint restore and inevitable, I get stuck with "Configurator requires user interaction to install the profile Untitled on iPad because it is unsupervised".  Configurator won't do anything until I click "Stop", and the iPad is stuck at the Wifi screen.

If I stop it, I can run a "Prepare" blueprint which moves it to Supervised, then run a blueprint that installs the wifi profile.  At that point, I can skip joining the wifi network, then tap "Get Started", and I'm at the desktop.  The wifi kicks on, and everything is peachy.  I've got my apps, my folders, etc.

Hi Jeremy,

Have you prepared (supervised) your 'master' iPad?

Prepare (supervise) your iPad, add apps and profiles in your blueprint.

Apply the same blueprint on your 'master' iPad.

Right click on your blueprint and select backup (this will backup your 'master' iPad into the blueprint.

Plug in an other iPad, and then apply the blueprint with backup preinstalled.

iPad should look exactly the same as your 'master' iPad.

Hmm, let me see if I'm following you...

1.  Yup, right-clicking on an iPad that I'm choosing to be master, and selecting "Prepare".  Go through the wizard and once its done, that iPad shows up in the Supervised section.

2.  I'm adding apps via AC2, arranging those apps into the folders I want, and joining the wifi.  That's about all we really care about.  Having the same apps on each iPad, having the same folders on each iPad, and having the right apps in the right folders (one folder for each grade, along with a few other folders), and being on the wifi.  Pretty vanilla, no email accounts, certificates, etc.

3.  I don't think I'm doing this.  Are you saying I need to make a Blueprint that only includes apps and profiles, with no "Restore from Backup" action, then apply that Blueprint to the master iPad?  Currently, I'm...

-preparing / supervising the master, like in step 1.

-adding apps and setting up the master, like in step 2.

-backing up that master by right-clicking on the iPad and selecting "Backup".

-creating a Blueprint where the Action is "Restore from Backup", using the backup I just made.  I've tried creating a Blueprint that only does the Restore action, the Restore along with apps, the Restore along with a wifi profile, the Restore along with apps and the wifi profile.  Nothing seems to get me past the "Hello" and "Wifi" screens after the Blueprint is applied.

If I'm understanding your workflow, you're applying a Blueprint to the master that doesn't include any "Restore from Backup" action. 

4.  "Right click on your blueprint and select backup"  Do you mean select "Restore from Backup"?  That's what I've been doing thus far, editing the Blueprint and clicking "Restore from Backup" under the Actions menu, selecting the backup I've just made from the master iPad.

5.  Yup, applying that Blueprint to a second iPad.  Doesn't seem to matter if it's a blank slate, already supervised, whatever.  I still always get stuck at the "Hello" and "Wifi" screens.

The big difference seems to be that you're creating a starter Blueprint to the already configured master iPad, then backing up that master iPad, then editing the Blueprint to include restoring that backup that was just made.

In some ways, this may be a moot point.  Turns out I had beenusing an old version of AC1 (1.5, I think).  When IOS 9 came out, the version of AC1 that I was using wouldn't work with it, forcing me to jump to AC2, which also required me to jump to El Capitan.  After those upgrades, the version of AC1 that I had wouldn't open or update via the App Store. 

I was able to copy the old version of AC1 to another Mac that hadn't been updated to El Capitan, update it via the App Store to 1.7.2, then copy that updated version of AC1 back to the school's Mac, which seems to open fine now.  AC1 was quirky, but we had a system down that worked pretty well for our purposes.

Thanks for all the help in this thread so far!

Jeremy, you're not following my steps correctly

How do you connect to you wifi? Directly with your iPad? If yes, that is wrong!

How do you install apps? Directly with through your 'master' iPad? If hes, that is wrong too!

etc, etc.

As I've mentioned above.

0. In AC2.1, log in with your apple ID.

1. Prepare your 'master' iPad to be supervised.

2. Create new profile, with your wifi settings info.

3. Create new blueprint

4. Double click on your created blueprint to edit.

      4.1 - Add apps (through your blueprint)

      4.2 - Add profile (through your blueprint)

     4.3 - Select Done

5. Apply your blueprint (with apps/profile) to your 'master' iPad

6. When finished, create folders on your 'master' iPad.

7. When done setting up your 'master' iPad,

8. Select your blueprint, right click on your blueprint, Apply - Backup (this will backup your 'master' iPad with all setting onto your blueprint.

9. Apply ONLY your blueprint to other iPads, as this blueprint will have, apps, profile and image of your 'master' iPad.

10. Before anybody starts doing anything, PLEASE read these steps again

Cheers