Overview
With the proliferation of Smart Android devices and the scalability of the Android OS, the use of Android local users has increased significantly. When implemented on corporate-owned devices, this allows users more customization, but it also makes the lives of IT and support teams more challenging, as they need to make sure that corporate policies are in place for all of the different users.
Recently, we introduced a new module called “Device Templates” that provides a solution to this challenge. The Device Templates module gives IT and Support teams the peace of mind they need to make sure their device fleet is healthy, patched-up, and tuned to its mission, no matter who is logged in as the user.
How Do Device Templates Work?
The Device Templates module enables a persistent configuration of devices that are part of a group or a filter in the Radix Device Management platform. This configuration is automatically pushed to every new device that is added or even to a newly logged-in user.
The reason why we call it a “persistent configuration” is because once it is pushed, the template checks in every few minutes. If there was a change in the device--for example, an app was uninstalled, or a setting was changed--the template will make sure to reinstall the app and reapply the setting.
Device Template Content
The contents of a template can be basic, or it can be comprehensive, covering all aspects of the device in its lifecycle. For example, when using templates, you can automatically update the Radix service file (also known as “SCManager”), which, until now, you were required to update it manually or to include it as part of a firmware update.
You can also choose if you want to install the Radix service file/SCManager to all device models, or to a specific model (with the list of models based on all models you have in the platform), as there may be a unique Radix service file for every device manufacturer/vendor.
Device Templates Prioritization
Every device can apply one template at a time. However, you can create different templates with different persistent configurations and prioritize them. Once there is a change in the status of a device--for example, moving a device from one group to another, or installing a certain version of a specific app--the current template will be removed, and a new one will be applied instead. This capability enables you to decide on the conditions under which a device will move between templates, and how its persistent configuration will change accordingly.
In the near future, we will be able to add a condition that is based on the user type, e.g. admin/owner, user, or guest.
Templates module cost and trial period
After reviewing this guide, you can see that a lot of time and effort have been invested in this new Templates module, and it will continue to scale.
Please note: The templates module is not included in the full Radix license (premium version), and is considered an add-on at an extra cost.
If you would like to try the Templates module (for a trial period of up to 90 days) and receive a price quote for it, please contact sales@radix-int.com and will be happy to enable it in your account.
Templates Explained in Depth
To access the Device Templates option:
1. In the Radix Device Management Platform main menu, click on the Device Templates tab in the sidebar menu to open the Device Templates console.
2. In the Device Templates console, click on the + button (in the upper right side) to add a new template.
3. In the Create New Device Template window that opens, give the template a name (in the Device Template name textbox) and start building the template.
Please note: When creating a new template, by default the execution of the template will be immediate, but you can change this during the building process in the Roll-out tab.
In the sidebar menu on the left, you can navigate between the tabs while building the template. We will give a brief description of the various tabs:
Overview
This tab provides a summary of the content and execution of the template. The Overview window is empty at first, but it will contain much more information after the template is constructed.
Population
Here you will choose the Groups and Filters applied by the template. In the example below, we chose the “New devices” group, and we applied a filter to select only devices with the tag “My devices”.
Our template will be implemented on the devices in the group "New devices", with the tag "My devices"
Please note: You can add as many groups and filters to a template as desired.
Under Filters, you have a number of filtering options:
Drop-down list of Filter options
- Tags, to include only devices that have specific tags,
- App with version, where you can specify the package name and version number,
- Model, where you can include only particular models of a device in the template,
- Property, where you select only devices with specific property keys,
- First registration process only, which will apply the template only to devices that are being enrolled for the first time.
Content
In this tab, you can select the content of your template. The content can be basic or comprehensive. It is not mandatory to use content from all of the tabs—for example, you can select the option Packages to install software packages to the devices, or the Files option to send files to the devices in the template, while ignoring the other options.
Here is a brief description of the various content options:
Agent and SCManager
Here you can select the agent version and SCManager (also known as Radix service file) to install on the remote devices in the template.
Please note: Keeping the agent version up-to-date is important to ensure the availability of existing and new functionality. In addition, updating the Radix service file (SCManager) could previously only be done manually, or if it was part of a firmware update. Now, with the Templates option, you can do it with ease!
You can also choose if you want to install the agent/Radix service file (SCManager) to All models or a specific model (the list of models is based on all models you have in the platform) as they may be a unique to the device manufacturer/vendor.
It is important to choose the correct agent and Radix service file (SCManager) for your device. If you select the wrong SCManager file, it may result in an installation failure.
OTA Management
In the OTA Management tab, you can select the firmware version to install via the Radix Over-the-Air (OTA) service.
Please note: Maintaining up-to-date firmware is important to ensure the availability of existing and new functionality. In addition, when choosing a new firmware version to install, make sure Radix is part of the firmware. Otherwise, once a firmware update is complete, you may lose the management capabilities that are available via Radix. In order to restore them, you will need to re-enroll the device.
You can also choose if you want to install the firmware version to All models or a specific model (the list of models is based on all models you have in the platform).
It is important to choose the correct firmware version for your device. Choosing the incorrect firmware version may result in an installation failure, and the device will fail to load.
Packages
In the Packages tab, you can choose the software packages you would like to install on the devices in the template. In the example below, we chose to install the X-plore File Manager software application to the devices in the template.
Files
In the Files tab, you can select the files that you would like to send to the devices in the template. This can range from documents and presentations to pictures and videos and the like. In the example below, we will send a screenshot Hero 6 to the various devices.
Remote Execute
In the Remote Execute tab, you can select the remote execute commands you would like to push onto the devices in the template. These commands can range from simple command lines to complicated scripts. In the example below, we included a script that will launch the Google app.
Policy/Kiosk
In the Policy/Kiosk tab, you can select the software policy or kiosk that you would like to push. This can range from a simple policy of allowing or blocking specific apps currently installed on a device, or a lockdown of a device, relegating it to a single app in Kiosk mode.
Views
In the Views tab, you can create a content management system for the selected devices in the template.
Settings
In the Settings tab, you can select the device settings you would like to apply to devices in the template. For example, you can apply a new Wi-Fi network, set the date and time, use a different wallpaper for the device’s display, and the like.
Roll-out
The last tab in the main menu is the Rollout tab. Here you will determine the Rollout and Execution of the template.
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Roll-out configuration pane: These are optional settings, which may include parameters such as:
- The number of devices per batch in the template,
- The wait time until the next batch (in hours/days), and
- Moving to the next batch after certain threshold (= a percentage of successful executions) has been reached in the current rollout.
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Execution configuration pane: The settings in this pane are mandatory to implement the device template. You can select whether the execution of the template should be:
- Immediate, to carry out the device template immediately,
- Based on a Time frame (with a start/end time within 24 hours, e.g., from 9 AM to 6 PM), or
- On demand ( this will apply only to OTA firmware updates and requires user approval).
There are two optional settings in the Execution pane:
- Apply only if idle, which means that the template will be applied when the device is not being used for an x amount of time,
- Set max attempts, which means how many times to try and push the template if unsuccessful at first. The default is three attempts.
4. Once you finish building the template, click Save. The template you have created will appear in the list in the Device Templates console.
5. Now you have saved one template, click anywhere on the row of that template in the Device Templates console, to see its Rollout status:
From the Overview window, we see that:
- The template “My device template” will be applied immediately to the 1 group containing 903 devices,
- One filter has been applied to all devices,
- The content of the template will consist of:
- An SCManager file
- Two OTA update packages for Promethean and Newline devices
- The X-plore File Manager app
- The Window Waterfall file
- A remote execute command to launch Novisign.
- In the Roll-out status pane, we see the distribution of how the different elements of the device template were executed: how many elements were executed successfully, how many failed to execute, and how many are pending.
Device Template Versions
In the upper left corner, you will see that the template is currently on Roll-out version 0 (V.0). The version number will change upon every modification of the device template.
If you would like to modify the template:
1. Click on the version and select Draft version.
2. Once in Draft version, you can make changes to the template. When you have finished making changes, click Save.
Upon clicking Save, you will receive the following message.
3. Once you click Close on the message and click on the Start rollout icon , the new template will be applied.
In the meantime, you can view the changes you made to the original template (yet to be applied) under the Draft version tab.
4. Once you click Start roll-out, the Activate draft message will pop up.
- Click Yes to push the new template.
- If you click No, the new version will remain as a Draft version.
The new template version (1) will be implemented immediately. You always have the option to go to previous versions, check their deployment status, and see the previous template configuration in detail.
In this implementation of Template Version V.1, we see that one device applied the template right away, while the other two devices have yet to apply it. This is because one device is currently offline, and the other doesn’t have a supporting agent.
5. If we click on Previous version in the drop-down list in the upper left, we will see that currently there is no device with the older version (Version 0) of the template applied:
If we scroll down, we will see the details of the previous version of the template:
Every device can apply one template at a time. However you can create different templates with different configurations and prioritize them.
Once there is a change in the status of a device—for example, if you moved a device from one group to another--the current template will be removed and replaced by a new one instead. This capability enables you to decide on the conditions when a device will move between templates, and how its configuration changes accordingly.
In the following screenshot, we have created a new device template, “A brand new template”:
The new template was pushed immediately to one group (“fj group”) and contains 3 devices in total.
When we click on the Overview tab of the template “A brand new template”, we see that the content consists of:
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A software package to install (Chess—Play and Learn)
If a device is added to “fj group”, since new conditions are met, the new template will be pushed on this device right away:
If you would like to see the deployment progress of the content in the template:
- Click on the desired content tab (in this case of the “Chess—Play and Learn” application, Packages).
- Click the Show command stats icon
on the right side of the application package item.
The command status will show that the command of installing the “Chess—Play and Learn” game has been executed successfully on one device: