A software payload allows you to distribute an app to the device. The payload sends the app information and location to the device. If you select the option to automatically push the app to the device, the device displays a notification to prompt the user to download the app when it receives the Avalanche payload. If you select the option to display the app in the corporate portal, the user can download the app as needed using the portal.
You can distribute an app hosted on the Google Play store or the Apple App Store, point to a URL where the .apk or .ipa file is hosted, or host the application files through Avalanche. When the app is in an app store, the device displays the page where the user can download and install the app. When the app is an enterprise application, the device downloads and begins installing the app.
After wrapping an app hosted on Avalanche, when you edit the software payload you can directly download the wrapped version of the .ipa and .apk files by clicking the Download button below the Preview pane.
If the Data Repository URL Template is altered on the System Settings screen, all Software payloads hosted on Avalanche must be saved again to update to the new file location.
You can create a new software payload that overwrites any previously-existing payloads for the same software. It will remove and install the new application version, but without impacting existing configurations.
A software payload for Android devices may have the following options, depending on where the app is hosted:
Payload name
The name of the payload.
Deployment
The timing of the deployment of the software. The app can be automatically pushed to the device or made available for the user to download through the LANDESK Portal app. When pushing an app to a device, users will receive a notification to install the new app. On Samsung SAFE devices, if the app is distributed through a manifest URL, the app will automatically install or uninstall without notifying the user.
Software hosting
The location hosting the software. If the app is available through a URL and is not hosted in the Google Play store, select Manifest URL. If you want to upload and host an app through Avalanche, select Avalanche.
Silent app deployment to Samsung SAFE devices does not support Google Play apps and can only be performed using the Manifest URL option.
App
The URL for the application in the Google Play store. Click Search to perform a search of the Play store. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Google play store.
App Name
The name of the app that is displayed in the Portal. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
App File
The location of the app file for upload. You can browse for the file location by clicking Upload. The file must be in .apk format. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Avalanche. When the app file is uploaded, Avalanche automatically fills in the icon, publisher, description, package ID, and package version.
Icon
The icon for the app that is displayed in the Portal. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
Publisher
The publisher of the app. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
Description
A description of the app. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
Destination folder
The folder in the Portal app where the current app is displayed.
App File
The location of the app file for upload. You can browse for the file location by clicking Upload. The file must be in .apk format. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Avalanche.
Package ID
The name for the application, also known as the bundle ID or package name. If the app is in an app store such as Google Play, the ID may be in the URL. For a custom app, the developer can tell you what the package ID is. As an example, the package ID for Google Maps is:
com.google.android.apps.maps
This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
Manifest URL
The URL for the app file. The file must be in.apk format. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL.
Package Version
The version of the package. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
For Apple devices, you can send the device an iTunes/Apple Store ID, manifest URL, or hosted application file. When the device receives the payload, it prompts the user to download the app from the provided location. If the device is in Supervised mode, the application will download and install silently.
To find an Apple Store ID, navigate to the app using a browser. The ID is in the URL between id and ?. For example, in the URL:
If the app is not in the Apple Store, you can use a manifest URL to point to a server that has the .plist file and the .ipa file (The URL should include the name of the .plist file.), or you can host the file through Avalanche.
A software payload for Apple devices may have the following options, depending on whether the app is hosted by the Apple App Store and whether it is displayed in the Portal app:
Payload name
The name of the payload.
Deployment
The timing of the deployment of the software. The app can be automatically pushed to the device or made available for the user to download through the corporate portal.
Software hosting
The location hosting the software. If the app is available through a URL and is not hosted in the AppStore, select Manifest URL. If you want to upload and host an app through Avalanche, select Avalanche.
App
The URL for the application in the Apple App Store. Click Search to perform a search of the App Store. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to AppStore.
App Name
The name of the app that is displayed in LD Portal or Fuse. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
Icon
The icon for the app that is displayed in LD Portal or Fuse. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
Publisher
The publisher of the app. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
Description
A description of the app. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
App File
The location of the app file for upload. You can browse for the file location by clicking Upload. The file must be in .ipa format. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Avalanche. When the app file is uploaded, Avalanche automatically fills in the icon, publisher, description, bundle ID, and bundle version.
Destination folder
The folder in the Portal app where the current app is displayed.
Enterprise Signing Certificate
The password and signed certificate file created through the Apple Developer console. This file must be in .p12 format and requires an Apple Enterprise Developer account to generate. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Avalanche.
Enterprise Provisioning Profile
The location of the provisioning profile file downloaded from the Apple Developer console. This file must be in .mobileprovision format and requires an Apple Enterprise Developer account to generate. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Avalanche.
Manifest URL
The URL for the .plist file, including the file name in the URL. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL.
Bundle ID
The identifier specified in the app manifest file. If this ID changes, the current software on the device is removed and replaced with the new software. Existing user data is deleted. As an example, the bundle ID for the Avalanche app is:
418167706
This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
Bundle Version
The version of the bundle. If this number changes, the software on the device is updated without deleting user data. This field is only available when the software hosting is set to Manifest URL or Avalanche.
Launch path
The URL for the app file. The file must be in .plist format.
Configuration Data (iOS 7.0 and later)
If the app is designed to accept configuration data as key-value pairs, use this section to configure the app. Click the Add button to add the values and keys provided by the app developer.
For example, with the Studio application you enter a Key of com.wavelink.configuration.url, with Value set to the network drive location of the Configuration.json file, like http://172.27.0.172/Configuration.json. Devices that receive this key-value pair then locate and download the configuration file for installation on the app.
When the payload is installed on the device, the app can automatically use the configuration data.
For Windows Phone and Windows Embedded Handheld 8.1 devices, you can send the device an application file. When the device receives the payload, it downloads and installs the application file silently from the specified web server or network location. Apps hosted in the Windows Phone Apps Store cannot be deployed to devices using this payload.
A software payload for Windows Phone and Windows Embedded Handheld devices has the following options:
Payload name
The name of the payload.
App URL
The location of the .appx file, including the file name in the URL if it is located on a web server or local network.
Application Enrollment Token
The Application Enrollment Token (AET) associated with the app file. An AET from the app's publisher is required to deploy any app payloads to a Windows Phone device using Avalanche.
Browse to the app to auto-populate name, version, and product ID
You can browse for the app file location to automatically populate the App Name, App Version, and Product ID fields. The app must be in .appx format. Selecting this option does not upload and host the app file on Avalanche.
For a demo on how to send an app to a Windows Phone or Windows Embedded Handheld 8.1 device, see the video below.