iOS configuration profiles

Apple iOS configuration profiles are XML files that quickly load settings and authorization information onto an iOS device. Configuration profiles might contain security policies, Wi-Fi settings, VPN configuration information, authentication credentials, Exchange account settings, email and calendar accounts, or certificates that permit iOS devices to work with a variety of systems.

Add an Apple iOS configuration profile

Using Apple Configurator, set up and export a configuration profile.

To make this profile available to your iOS device users, sign into the /login administrative interface of your BeyondTrust site and go to Public Portals > Apple iOS.

Click Add to add a public or private iOS configuration profile to this site.

Upload the Apple iOS profile, and enter a name and description that will help customers select the correct profile when browsing your support portal.

To make this configuration profile available to any iOS user who access your public site, check Public. Leaving this option unchecked restricts access to this profile; a representative must generate an access key and provide it to the customer before the customer can view and download a private profile.

Click Save to save this configuration profile and its settings.

Manage the iOS configuration profiles page

Settings

Configure your public site under Apple iOS :: Settings. Use the dropdown to select the site you want to manage.

Check iOS Configuration Profiles Page Enabled to make your configuration profiles available. When a customer uses an iOS device to view your public site, an iOS Configuration Profiles section is displayed above any other configured support options. This iOS section provides a link to the profiles page, where customers can download your public iOS configuration profiles or submit an access key to download private configuration profiles.

If the iOS Configuration Profiles Page Enabled option is not checked, iOS users visiting your public site will see the normal support portal without the ability to access any configuration profiles. If none of your public sites have this option enabled, the Generate Apple iOS Profile Access Key option is not available within the representative console.

Portal

Provide a title and message for your iOS portal. The message could include instructions for downloading configuration profiles or for obtaining support. Telephone numbers within the message are automatically displayed as links on the portal page - assuming that the telephone number format is comprehensible to the mobile Safari browser - allowing iPhone users to simply tap the link to dial the number.

Invitation email

Customize the invitation email that representatives can send to customers after generating an iOS profile access key from the representative console. The message can contain placeholders for the representative's name and the public site URL, as well as for the access key or access key URL needed to download private configuration profiles.

Set security levels

iOS administrative user permissions

Two iOS permissions exist for user accounts. In the /login administrative interface, go to Users & Security > Users and/or Group Policies.

• Allowed to Edit iOS Profiles enables the user to add, delete, or modify iOS profiles in the administrative interface. Modifications might include renaming a profile, revising its description, or switching its access level from public to private or from private to public.

• Allowed to generate access keys for sending iOS profiles enables the user to generate access keys from within the representative console. An iOS customer must submit a valid access key on the public site to download a private configuration profile.

Public site security

To ensure that configuration profiles are downloaded to iOS devices over an encrypted HTTPS connection, go to the Management > Security page of the /login administrative interface and check Force Public Site to Use HTTPS. Otherwise, configuration profile downloads will occur over unencrypted HTTP connections.

Generate iOS profile access keys

While an iOS device user may browse to public profiles on your BeyondTrust site, they must submit an access key to download private profiles. To direct a customer to a specific iOS configuration profile - public or private - log in to the representative console, open the Support menu, and select Generate Apple iOS Profile Access Key.

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Note

If the Generate Apple iOS Profile Access Key option is not available, verify that your account permissions allow access key generation and that the iOS configuration profiles page is enabled for at least one public site.

In the Apple iOS Profile Selection interface, select one or more configuration profiles and then click Generate Access Key.

Set how long the generated access key may be used to access private profiles. From the Public Portal dropdown, select which site to use. You may provide your customer with the access key to submit on your public site, or you may send your customer to the direct URL. Click Send to iOS Device to send an invitation message to your customer via SMS or email.

Install an iOS configuration profile

When a support site with iOS configuration profiles enabled detects a request from an Apple iOS device, it displays a link to the profiles page. From the profiles page, the customer can download public configuration profiles or submit an access key to download private configuration files.

When a representative generates an access key and provides it to the customer, the customer can either submit the access key code on the iOS page or go directly to the access key URL. Either action will take the customer to a page listing the configuration profiles for which the support representative generated the key. Once the access key has expired, it can no longer be used to view or download private profiles.

Selecting a profile name displays its description as set in the administrative interface. When the customer taps Install, the iOS device displays further details about the contents of the configuration profile. The customer should then tap the second Install button.

An alert notifies the customer that installing the profile will change settings on their device. Once the customer taps Install Now, the profile is applied to the iOS device.