Apple Platform Deployment
- Welcome
- Intro to Apple platform deployment
- What’s new
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- Accessibility payload settings
- Active Directory Certificate payload settings
- AirPlay payload settings
- AirPlay Security payload settings
- AirPrint payload settings
- App Lock payload settings
- Associated Domains payload settings
- Automated Certificate Management Environment (ACME) payload settings
- Autonomous Single App Mode payload settings
- Calendar payload settings
- Mobile payload settings
- Mobile Private Network payload settings
- Certificate Preference payload settings
- Certificate Revocation payload settings
- Certificate Transparency payload settings
- Certificates payload settings
- Conference Room Display payload settings
- Contacts payload settings
- Content Caching payload settings
- Directory Service payload settings
- DNS Proxy payload settings
- DNS Settings payload settings
- Dock payload settings
- Domains payload settings
- Energy Saver payload settings
- Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) payload settings
- Exchange Web Services (EWS) payload settings
- Extensible Single Sign-on payload settings
- Extensible Single Sign-on Kerberos payload settings
- Extensions payload settings
- FileVault payload settings
- Finder payload settings
- Firewall payload settings
- Fonts payload settings
- Global HTTP Proxy payload settings
- Google Accounts payload settings
- Home Screen Layout payload settings
- Identification payload settings
- Identity Preference payload settings
- Kernel Extension Policy payload settings
- LDAP payload settings
- Lights Out Management payload settings
- Lock Screen Message payload settings
- Login Window payload settings
- Managed Login Items payload settings
- Mail payload settings
- Network Usage Rules payload settings
- Notifications payload settings
- Parental Controls payload settings
- Passcode payload settings
- Printing payload settings
- Privacy Preferences Policy Control payload settings
- Relay payload settings
- SCEP payload settings
- Security payload settings
- Set-up Assistant payload settings
- Single Sign-on payload settings
- Smart Card payload settings
- Subscribed Calendars payload settings
- System Extensions payload settings
- System Migration payload settings
- Time Machine payload settings
- TV Remote payload settings
- Web Clips payload settings
- Web Content Filter payload settings
- Xsan payload settings
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- Declarative app configuration
- Authentication credentials and identity asset declaration
- Background task management declarative
- Calendar declarative configuration
- Certificates declarative configuration
- Contacts declarative configuration
- Exchange declarative configuration
- Google Accounts declarative configuration
- LDAP declarative configuration
- Legacy interactive profile declarative configuration
- Legacy profile declarative configuration
- Mail declarative configuration
- Maths and Calculator app declarative configuration
- Passcode declarative configuration
- Passkey Attestation declarative configuration
- Safari extensions management declarative configuration
- Screen Sharing declarative configuration
- Service configuration files declarative configuration
- Software Update declarative configuration
- Software Update settings declarative configuration
- Storage management declarative configuration
- Subscribed Calendars declarative configuration
- Glossary
- Document revision history
- Copyright
Configure your network for MDM
When you’re installing and configuring your MDM solution, consider how you’ll configure the network, Transport Layer Security (TLS), infrastructure services, Apple services and backup.
When you install a locally hosted MDM solution, you need to configure all of the following items. Configure and test each one early in the process to ensure a smooth deployment. If your MDM solution is externally managed or hosted in the cloud, your MDM vendor may handle many of these items on your behalf.
Use a fully qualified domain name
An MDM solution must use a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) that can be resolved from both inside and outside the organisation’s network. This lets the server manage devices whether they’re connected locally or remotely. To maintain connectivity with clients, this domain name can’t change.
Have a static IP address
Most MDM solutions require a static IP address. The existing DNS name must persist if the server’s IP address is changed.
Configure MDM with Transport Layer Security
All communications between Apple devices and the MDM solution are encrypted with HTTPS. A TLS (formerly SSL) certificate is required to secure these communications. Don’t deploy devices without a certificate from a well-known certificate authority (CA). Note the expiration date and make sure to renew the certificate before it expires. For more information, see the following Apple Support articles:
Keep certain firewall ports open
To allow both internal and external access to the MDM solution, certain firewall ports must be open. Most MDM solutions accept inbound connections using HTTPS on port 443. Both the MDM solution and the devices must communicate with the Apple Push Notification service. Prior to November 2020, MDM solutions used ports 2195 and 2196 with APNs; clients use port 5223. After November 2020, MDM solutions use port 2197.
Migration Assistant
To allow a Mac to be migrated properly and re-enrolled in an MDM solution, Mac computers using macOS 13 or later and enrolled in an MDM solution no longer allow the transfer of the following settings using Migration Assistant:
System
Network
Printer
For these settings to be skipped during migration, the target Mac must be enrolled in the MDM solution.
Tip: Your MDM solution may host Activation Lock escrow keys and bypass codes, macOS bootstrap tokens and other unique pieces of data important to continuity of device access. For this reason, make sure you have a robust disaster recovery strategy for your on-premises MDM installation. It’s recommended that backups and restores be tested regularly.