App Configuration

This section contains the following topics:

App configuration enables you to customize the installation, promotion, and distribution of each app you deploy to your users' devices. The apps can be your own in-house apps, apps from a public store, or Ivanti Neurons for MDM apps. You have the flexibility to deploy the apps to many different users and groups with unique names and configurations specifically tailored to each recipient. The number of in-house application versions is limited to 100. If that number is exceeded, the Ivanti Neurons for MDM system purges the oldest versions of the application. The status of the application upload and purge is listed and is visible from the Audit Trails page.

When you change the values for the app configuration of an app in the app catalog or in the managed app configuration profile, one or two device check-ins are necessary for the device to receive the new configuration values.

Licensing for app features

The following features require additional licensing:

  • Silent app install/uninstall: Silver license
  • Per-app configuration: Gold license
  • AppConnect custom configuration: Gold license

Multiple application packages require good group management as future device types could not be defined by the Windows OS. In such a case the only way of installing proper version of the app is for the admin to use the correct group to the correct application.

Configuration steps common to multiple apps

Do these steps first and then proceed with configuration steps for each app you want to deploy. You can design multiple configurations of the same app and give each configuration a unique name. Each configuration can have its own distribution and promotion levels to fit your deployment strategy. The number of in-house application versions is limited to 100. If that number is exceeded, the Ivanti Neurons for MDM system purges the oldest versions of the application. The status of the application upload and purge is listed and is visible from the Audit Trails page. You can deploy an application to a maximum of 100 Users, Users Group, Device, or Device Group at once. You can select an app to add to the App catalog. Ivanti Neurons for MDM has an asynchronous process to Send Install/Update Request command for iOS apps. When you use the Send Install/Update Request command, the Ivanti Neurons for MDM administrative portal displays a message that the:

  • process will continue to run in the background
  • process is complete
  • status whether the process is successful or if there are any errors

Procedure

  1. Go to Apps > Apps Catalog and click +Add.
  2. Use the pull-down menu to select either the App Store, Google Play or your In-House app store and choose an app to add to the catalog.

    Depending on your licensing agreement, you might also have apps available to add to your catalog.
  3. Optionally, edit the Category of the app.
  4. Optionally, add a brief description of the app in the Description field.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Choose a distribution level for this configuration of the app:
    • To everyone - The app is added to all the user compatible devices.
    • To no one - The app is staged for distribution at a later date.
    • Custom Distribution - Select any of the following options:
      • User/User Groups - The app is distributed to only the users or user groups you choose.

        Click the Users tab to select the user(s).

        Click the User Groups tab to select the user group(s).
      • Device/Device Groups - The app is distributed to only the devices or device groups you choose
        Click the Devices tab to select the device(s).
        Click the Device Groups tab to select the device group(s).

  7. Click Next.

Configuring installation options

You can select the installation configuration options.

Procedure

  1. Click Install Application configuration settings or click the + icon to add another configuration to view the Configuration Setup page.
  2. Enter a name for the configuration in the Name field.
  3. Optionally, enter a brief description of the installation configuration in the Description field.
  4. Select the Device Installation Configurations option.
  5. Select one of the following options:
    • Require installation on device
    • Install only once at device registration
  6. Select the following options:
      • Silently install on Samsung Knox workspace and Zebra devices (Android Only)
      • Do not show app in end user App Catalog.
      • App Update Mode (supported for AMAPI devices as well). (Android Only)
        Use this option to update an app to the latest version using one of the following three modes:
        • Default: This mode is selected once you select the App Update Mode option. In this mode, the update happens within 24 hours from the time of app availability.
        • Postpone for 90 days: If you select this update mode, you can postpone the app updates for 90 days. After 90 days, the apps are updated automatically based on other settings made in Managed Google Play configuration.
        • High Priority: If you select this update mode, and the user’s device is online, the app gets updated immediately after it is available on the Google Play Store.
      • Set App Install Priority - see the Configuring app priority topic for more details:

  7. You may encounter additional configuration options, depending on the chosen app. These options may include the ability to add multiple Key and Value pairs. In such cases, click + Add to enter Key and Value pairs. For more information, see Adding an app from a public store in App Catalog.

  8. (macOS 11+) Select the options to install and configure the apps as managed apps:
    • Install as Managed App
    • Convert to as Managed App

      In macOS 12.0+, Managed App support is available on user enrolled devices.

Configuring app priority

You can define the order in which apps are received on the device when it is first registered (specifically, within the first 20 minutes after registration date and time) and required apps are being pushed to install. You can prioritize downloading of specific apps before other apps. For example, prioritizing the download of Tunnel and Email apps before other non-critical apps. This feature is applicable for public and private apps. Prerequisite apps are pushed before dependent apps.

This feature is supported on iOS (except AppStation for iOS), Android (except Android for Enterprise), macOS (in-house PKG apps and Apple Apps and Books apps), and Windows devices.

This feature is available for new registration devices. By default, all apps are set to Medium priority. During this process, the user can select to manually install any app in the catalog even though that app will compete for resources to install and may queue before high priority apps.

In the case of Windows apps, the Bridge app has the highest priority than other apps.

See the previous section, "Configuring installation options" for the procedure to set the priority of an app using the Set App Install Priority option. You can set High, Medium, or Low priority for an app. Apps with same priority will be installed in no particular order. App priority is not used during app updates, when the user has already installed the app.

Selecting Apple Application Management Configuration settings

These settings will apply to this app only and will override any global settings selected in the Apps > Catalog Settings. To select Apple App Management settings.

Procedure

  1. Click Apple Apps settings or click the + icon to add another configuration to view the Configuration Setup page.
  2. Enter a name for the configuration in the Name field.
  3. Enter a brief description of the configuration in the Description field.
  4. Select or deselect one or more of the following options from the Apple Management Settings:
    • Prevent backup to iCloud and iTunes
    • Remove apps on un-enrollment
    • (iOS 14.0+) Allow removal and offloading of this app - You can deselect this option to prevent a user from removing and offloading a managed app.
    • (Optional) Add an Apple Managed App Configuration
  5. Click Update.

Selecting App Promotion levels

You can set the level of promotion for the app.

Procedure

  1. Click Promotion distribution configuration settings or click the + icon to add another configuration to view the Promotion configuration page.
  2. Enter a name for promotion distribution configuration settings in the Name field.
  3. Optionally, enter a brief description of the configuration in the Description field.
  4. Select the level of promotion you want the app to receive, Not Featured, Featured List, or use Feature Banner. If Not Featured is selected the app will not be listed.
  5. Click + Add Description to enter a brief description of the configuration.
  6. Optionally, change the distribution of the configuration.
  7. Click Done to save the app configuration.

Configuring AppTunnel traffic rules

Use the AppTunnel configuration to define traffic rules to allow access to services using Sentry.

For information about adding an AppTunnel configuration, see "Adding an AppTunnel configuration" in the AppConnect Guide for Ivanti Neurons for MDM.

Configuring Managed app

Procedure

  1. Click the + icon to open the configuration page.
  2. Click + Add Description to enter a brief description of the configuration.
  3. Click + Add to enter a Key and Value.
  4. Choose a distribution level.
  5. Click Next.

Configuring a VPN for each app using Per App VPN

Procedure

  1. Click the + icon to open the configuration page.
  2. Enter a name for the VPN for this app in the Name field.
  3. Click + Add Description to enter a brief description of the configuration.
  4. Click the Enable Per-App VPN for this app option and select an available Per-App VPN configuration.
  5. (Optional) For macOS apps, enter Designated Requirement string in the format, identifier "\%s\". For example, identifier "com.google.Chrome". Use this field to enable a multiple package macOS app to use a Per-App VPN like Tunnel.
  6. Choose how to Distribute this App Config.
  7. Click Next.

Using Apple Managed App Configuration

Using the Apple Managed App Configuration, specific settings can be configured for the installed managed app. An application might have some configuration parameters implemented or restricted by the developer. For applications with such restrictions your configuration options might be limited. You can configure Apple managed apps.

Procedure

  1. Go to Apps > App Catalog.
  2. Select an app.
  3. Click the App Configurations tab.
  4. Click Apple Managed App Configuration or click the + button.

    In the Apple Managed App Configuration there are some default configuration settings in place.
  5. Click Add to add another configuration, if needed. Optionally, click name of the configuration to edit the configuration.
  6. Under Configuration Source select any of the Source Type options
    • AppConfig Community - This option is available only for those apps that have an app configuration specification available in the community repository. If this option is available, it is selected by default.
    • Use .xml spec - Select this option to upload the schema for the app to push a particular version of app configuration. Click Choose File to upload the .xml file. Ensure that the .xml file contains the bundle ID and the version. An error message will be displayed if the bundle ID in the file does not match with the bundle ID of the app.
    1. None - Select this option if you do not want to apply any schema for the app. This option is selected by default if the AppConfig Community option is not available.

      The uploaded .xml file is displayed in the Configuration Source section. Click the Delete icon to delete the uploaded .xml file.

  7. In the Apple Managed App Settings, you can set the configuration options to enter key value pairs.
    • + Add - Click +Add to add the key value pairs to the managed app configuration to retrieve the registration name identity by Go client during iReg or Apple Device Enrollment.

      You can select the data types (String, Integer, Boolean, Long Float, Double, Date, String Array, Integer Array, Double Array, Float Array, Long Array) for the key value pairs.

      Add the following key value pairs to the managed app configuration to retrieve the registration name identity by Go client during iReg or Apple Device Enrollment:

      • Key

      Value

      Type

      registration.username${userEmailAddress}STRING
      registration.token${zeroTouchClientRegistrationNonce}STRING
      registration.token.expirationSeconds${zeroTouchClientRegistrationNonceExpiresAtSeconds}STRING
      registration.url${clientRegistrationUrl}STRING

    • Use .plist - .plist files contain multiple key value pairs to be uploaded in bulk. Click Choose File to upload the .plist file. The validated plist data will be displayed in the Apple Managed App Settings table.

      plists with nested dictionaries are invalid.

  8. Click Update to save your entries.

Cloning App Configuration Settings

You can clone the Configuration Settings of a Managed app so that the same settings can be applied on other devices. You can even rename and make some changes to the cloned settings.

Android

You can clone Configuration Settings on Android devices.

Procedure

  1. Go to Apps > App Catalog.
  2. Select an app from which you want to clone the configuration settings.
  3. Click App Configurations.
  4. Under the App Configurations Summary section, you will find the list of configurations (Managed Configurations for Android, Install on Device, Promotion, Delegated Device Permissions, and Google Play Release) available for Android devices.
  5. Click on any of the available configurations.
  6. Under Actions, click Clone to begin the cloning process.
  7. By default, the cloned configuration name will be <Copy of the Cloned Configuration name>. However, you can modify the name by entering a name of your choice in the Name box.
  8. (Optional) Enter some text about the cloned setting in the Description box.
  9. Click Continue.

A confirmation window appears indicating that cloning the app configuration settings is complete. You can view the cloned version under the App Configurations Summary and within the cloned app.

iOS

You can clone Managed app Configuration Settings on iOS devices.

Procedure

  1. Go to Apps > App Catalog.
  2. Select an app from which you want to clone the configuration settings.
  3. Click App Configurations.
  4. Under the App Configurations Summary section, you will find the list of configurations (Install on Device, Apple App Settings, Promotion, AppConnect Custom Configuration, App Tunnel, Apple Managed App Configuration,and Per App VPN) available for iOS devices.
  5. Click on the required configuration that you want to clone.
  6. Under Actions, click Clone to begin the cloning process.
  7. By default, the cloned configuration name will be <Copy of the Cloned Configuration name>. However, you can modify the name by entering a name of your choice in the Name box.
  8. (Optional) Enter some text about the cloned setting in the Description box.
  9. Select a configuration source from the Source Type list.
  10. Under the Apple Managed App Settings section, enter Key, Value, and select Type from the list.
    For information about the Key, Value, and Type, see Using Apple Managed App Configuration.
  11. Click Continue.
    A confirmation window appears indicating that cloning the app configuration settings is complete. You can view the cloned version in the Apple Managed App Configuration section.

Windows

You can clone App Configuration Settings on Windows devices: 

Procedure

  1. Go to Apps > App Catalog.
  2. Select an app from which you want to clone the configuration settings.
  3. Click App Configurations.
  4. Under the App Configurations Summary section, you will find the Install on Device and Promotion configurations.
  5. Click on the required configuration that you want to clone.
  6. Under Actions, click Clone to begin the cloning process.
  7. By default, the cloned configuration name will be <Copy of the Cloned Configuration name>. However, you can modify the name by entering a name of your choice in the Name box.
  8. (Optional) Enter some text about the cloned setting in the Description box.
  9. Click Continue.

A confirmation window appears indicating that cloning the app configuration settings is complete. You can view the cloned version under the App Configurations Summary and within the cloned app.

Choosing Windows 10 apps for your in-house catalog

Choose the apps to add to your in-house app catalog. The in-house, Microsoft Store, and Microsoft for Business apps are supported for Windows 10. Windows 10 enforces compliance directly on the device based on the apps you choose to allow or disallow.

The Windows 10 check-in interval is once every 60 minutes by default. You may want to perform a forced device check-in to get an update of the device and app status.

These actions are supported:

  • Uploading new apps
  • Silent installation
  • Installing manually from Apps@Work
  • Adding a new version of the app
  • Deleting an app

These formats are supported:

  • APPX
  • APPXBUNDLE
  • MSI wrapped Win32 - pre-bundled Win32 app
  • MSIX (supported on RS5 and above Windows 10 devices)
  • .EXE (using bridge)

The Ivanti Neurons Agent app is available on the App Catalog for Windows devices. The admin can deploy the Ivanti Neurons Agent app as an in-house app and this app can be distributed accordingly on the Windows devices.

Configure Windows 10 apps

Procedure

  1. Click Devices on the main navigation bar.
  2. Select a Windows 10 device that you have enrolled in Ivanti Neurons for MDM.
  3. Click Apps > App Catalog.
  4. Select an app.
  5. Use the Actions pulldown menu to add the app or delete the app from your catalog.

    Optionally add a new version of the app.
    • Click the Actions pulldown menu.
    • Select Add New Version.
    • Go to the catalog and select a new version of the app.
    • Click Update and Save to view the App information screen.

  6. Use the Version pulldown menu to choose which version to use.

  7. Click Edit to begin making changes to the details.
    • Edit the Category if needed.
    • Enter a Description if needed.
    • Add screenshots if needed.
  8. Click Save.
  9. Click the Distribution tab and click Edit to begin making changes to the distribution level.
  10. Click Save.
  11. Click the App Configurations tab to view a summary of the current configuration.
  12. Enter a description of the app if needed.
  13. Click Install on Device in the App Configurations summary page.

    Silent installation is the default and cannot be changed.
  14. Click Promotion in the left navigation pane then click Promotion distribution configuration settings to change the promotion level.
    • Click Edit to make changes to the promotion level settings.
    • Enter a name for the configuration.
    • Enter a description for the configuration.
    • Select a promotion level.
    • Click Update to save your changes.
  15. Click the Reviews tab to view information on reviews.

    Export the review data to a spreadsheet if needed.

Editing Windows 10 app configuration settings

Procedure

  1. Click Policies > Configuration.
  2. Click +Add.
  3. Select Windows App Control to view the Create Windows App Control Configuration screen.
  4. Enter a Name and Description for the configuration.
  5. Define the app type as:
    • Allowed (Allowlisted) - Only these apps are allowed. These apps are installed silently if not already present on the device.
    • Disallowed (Blockedlisted) - If present on the device,these apps will be blocked if launched.
  6. Specify the Rule definitions for the App Type and App Identifier.
  7. Click Lookup Apps to view the Search Windows 10 Apps screen.
  8. Enter the name of the app to search the Windows Store.
  9. Select the app from the choices displayed to add it to the App Identifier.
  10. Optionally use the App Type pulldown menu to set a path define in the App Identifier to allow or disallow apps using the specified path or block all apps installed in that path.

    App Type Publisher/PFN Equals applies to Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 Desktop supports PFN. EXE/Win32 Equals applies to Windows desktop only.
  11. Click Next.
  12. Select a distribution level.
    • All Devices.
    • No Devices.
    • Custom - to enter the users or groups to receive the app.
  13. Click Done.
  14. You can edit the Rule definitions to select an App Type and specify an App Identifier.
    • Click the Actions pulldown menu.
    • Select Add New Version.
    • Select a new version of the app.
    • Click Update and Save to view the App information screen.

Configuring Reboot device after install option for Windows

You can configure a device to reboot after an app installation using the Reboot device after install option.

Procedure

  1. Go to Apps > App Catalog.
  2. Select any Windows-specific app from the list.
  3. Go to App Configurations > Install on device > Install Application configuration setting.
  4. Click Edit and set the Reboot device after install option to ON.
  5. Select the schedule at which you want to reboot the device.
  6. Click Update.

    The device will be rebooted at the scheduled time.

In the case of public apps and Microsoft Store for Business (MSB) apps, you need to set the Silently install on Windows devices setting to ON from the App Configurations section.

Installing apps using Apps@Work

To install an app using Apps@Work:

  1. Click the Apps@Work app.

    Your administrator email address and server URL are pre-filled in the Apps@Work login dialog.
  2. Enter your password and click Sign In to display the apps page.
  3. Select an app to install. You will not be able to install apps with dependencies on prerequisite apps if those prerequisite apps are not already installed on the client.

    For Apps@Work for iOS devices, you can optionally click the Install All button to install all apps. This option is available in New Releases, Featured Apps and Categories screens.

    Apps and Books apps will not be installed if the Apps and Books app license is not previously accepted.

  4. Click Update and Save to view the App information screen.

Related topics: