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Matrix42 Self-Service Help Center

macOS Guide I : Basics

Before you Start

Depending on your starting point please choose your follow up path:

Create Local Users

Local Users can be used for demonstration purpose or when you don't want to connect your Active Directory. 

Login

Change the default admin preferences

  • Click on the settings icon on the upper right
  • Enter an Email address (e.g. admin@imagoverum.com)
  • Enter the current password in the Old Password field (S1lverb@ck)
  • Enter your new password in the New Password field
  • Confirm your New Password
  • Enable Receive Email Alerts (optional)
  • Change Date Format (optional)
  • Change Time Zone (optional)
  • Change Language (optional)
  • Click Save 
  • Click OK

Create a Local User

  • Navigate to Users
  • Click New Devices User
  • Enter a Username

When entering the Username, advanced user fields below will get pre-filled out automatically.

  • Enter First Name
  • Enter Last Name
  • Enter Email Address
  • Enter Password
  • Confirm Password
  • Enable Email User Details if desired

Requires SMTP Configuration

  • Advanced user fields can be used later on as lookup fields to automatically deploy user specific information into profiles, e.g. for Email, VPN, WiFi etc.
  • Change advanced user fields (optional)
  • Click Save

Next Step

  • Establish Apple Connection

Establish Apple Connection

Apple requires a company individual APNS certificate to enrol and manage iOS devices. The certificate is valid for one year.

According to Apple this certificate must re-newed before the expiration of the certificate otherwise you might need to re-enrol all devices again.

  • If you will create the APNS Certificate today, create an entry in your calendar for the renewal date (<1 year) 
  • If not already present, create your mandatory Apple ID but review first the following Advisory chapter carefully

Read Advisory

  • For trials you can use your personal Apple ID. 
  • For production purposes Matrix42 strongly advises to use a non-personalised company Apple ID that still exists if an employee leaves the company.
  • Furthermore Matrix42 strongly recommends linking a company group email address to that Apple ID during the creation process so that all email group members receive important Apple emails like APNS certificate expiration notifications.
  • Additionally note down the Apple ID you use during the APNS certificate creation process. The APNS will expire in 12 months and needs to be renewed. For renewing you must use the Apple ID otherwise all your iOS devices get out of MDM management control.
  • For renewing the APNS you must extend the initial certificate entry in the Apple Push Certificates Portal.

Create Certificate Request

  • If not already present, login to Silverback as Administrator
  • Navigate to Admin
  • Navigate to Certificates
  • Click Request Certificate in the Apple Push Notification Service area
  • In the next pop-up you are asked to define who is signing the initial APNS CSR request for the Apple Push Certificates Portal, as Apple requires that Matrix42 signs the generated CSR on your Silverback server
  • We have two options here
    • Automatic: Silverback will automatically sign your Certificate Request
    • Manual: You will perform a short amount of step by step clicks
Automatic Request (recommended)
  • Click Have Silverback attempt to sign the request automatically
  • If you are not logged into your Matrix42 Account you will get a pop-up.
    • Login with your Matrix42 Account credentials.
  • Click Allow Access
  • Now a pop-up screen open and with a guideline:
    • First Click in the first line Download. It will download (Mdm_certificateRequest.txt) your signed CSR
    • Navigate to https://identity.apple.com/pushcert
    • Login with your AppleID 
    • Click Create Certificate
    • Agree to the Terms and Conditions if prompted. 
    • Click Choose File 
    • Select the downloaded Mdm_certificateRequest.txt and click open
    • Enter Notes. Use letters and spaces and make a smart description 
      • e.g. APNS Certificate for silverback.imagoverum.com
    • Click Upload
    • Click Download
      • A download with your MDM_ Silverback MDM LLC_Certificate.pem file will start
    • Navigate back to Silverback 
    • Click Choose File and and select the downloaded certificate. 
    • Click Submit to finish the process
    • In case of warning message, click Yes

In the Management Console you should now see the new Apple MDM Push (APNS) certificate with its push topic, expiration date and thumbprint.

Manual Request  (optional)

  • Select ‘I will perform the signing myself‘
  • Now a pop-up screen open and with a guideline:
    • Download the unsigned CSR (Mdm_certificateRequest.txt) from the first line at : Download 
    • Login to https://mobile.matrix42.com
    • Accept terms of use
    • Select Choose File and upload your (Mdm_certificateRequest.txt)
    • Click Generate
    • Download signed CSR (SignedCSRForAppleIdentityPortal.txt)
    • Navigate to https://identity.apple.com/pushcert/
    • Login with your Apple ID
    • Select Create Certificate
    • Agree to the Terms and Conditions if prompted
    • Click Choose File and select the file downloaded Signed CSR (SignedCSRForAppleIdentityPortal.txt)
    • Enter Notes. Use letters and spaces and make a smart description 
    • Click Upload 
    • Download the certificate
    • Navigate back to your Silverback Request new MDM Apple Push Certificate tutorial
    • Select your Downloaded certificate with Choose File
    • Click Submit to finish the process 

In the Management Console you should now see the new Apple MDM Push (APNS) certificate with its push topic, expiration date and thumbprint.

Next Steps 

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