About the Declarative Device Management Activation Update

Question

leungky541@gmail.com OP

Created Oct ’24

Replies 2

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Hi everyone,

We are currently integrating Apple DDM into our existing MDM system and encountered an issue where an update to a declaration failed with the message: "Activation xxxxx is missing configurations." While we know how to fix the issue, I'm quite concerned about potential impacts.

An incorrect activation could deactivate the current one, leading to the automatic removal of all profiles and apps. Given that unexpected server errors can occasionally occur, this could significantly impact end-users if their apps are suddenly removed.

I'm looking for a way to prevent activations from "failing to update then lost everything" or a safer method to deploy updated version of activations, especially given the potential for unexpected server errors or logic bugs. This could significantly affect end-users if their apps suddenly disappear.

If anyone has any insights, thoughts, or best practices to share regarding activation updates, I would greatly appreciate your input.

Leo Chan

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Answer 1

Device Management Engineer OP

Apple

Oct ’24

I guess a best practice would be to"test before you deploy" :-)

Practically speaking, the "simple" activation that DDM currently has is an "all or nothing" as far as the configurations go for activation purposes. If the activation fails because of a problem with a configuration or any assets the configurations reference, then none of the configurations it references will be activated.

If you feel there should be alternatives to this behavior, please file feedback, thanks.

1

Answer 2

leungky541@gmail.com OP

Oct ’24

Hi Apple Device Management Engineer,

Thank you for your feedback! It’s truly appreciated, and it’s an honor to receive an official reply.

We fully understand the DDM "all or nothing" rule, and our goal is to empower end-users with the benefits of DDM through a "simple ON/OFF but complex configurations." However, we are also exploring options to prevent apps or just the app data from being unexpectedly removal via DDM. We are wondering if a flag, such as "NoChangesOnFailure," could exist to preserve the activation even in cases where a declaration fails.

Additionally, we’ve investigated the "IncludeInBackup" field in the "com.apple.configuration.app.managed" configuration, but it doesn’t seem to work as expected during app reinstallation via DDM, as the app data is not restored.

Best Regards, Leo Chan

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