After months of research and a handful of iPad deployments, I have written the following document detailing the steps I now follow to deploy iPads in schools.
Backup/restore Deployment Strategy: step-by-step
- Setup a school ipad admin email account. This email account will be used to create the iTunes account that the school will use to purchase content.
- Setup a unique email account for each device. This email account will be used as the hostname for the device, to apply for a no-credit-card iTunes account, and for device based email. Because these devices will be shared with multiple users, we felt that unique, generic, email accounts on each device would easily allow teachers and students to collaborate with each other. A teacher could easily email materials to all the iPad email accounts, and students could email questions or finished assignments back to their teachers.
- Setup iPad iTunes accounts. Use each device based email address to register for a unique no-credit-card iTunes account to be used for licensing applications and purchases where no access to volume purchasing is available.
- Setup the iPad admin iTunes account. Use the ipad admin email account to register for an iTunes account to become known as the ipad admin itunes account. Apps can be gifted to iPad iTunes accounts.
- Setup an iCloud account. This account will be used later for iCloud features like “Find my iPad”. You could also use the school iPad admin account instead of creating a new account.
- Unpack and assemble the syncing cart or station.
- Unpack, label, and power up all the i-devices. Store in cart. Powering up the devices now, saves time later when they are connected to the sync station as you don’t have to wait the minute for them to boot up.
- Setup dedicated sync station. Preferably a Mac, as multiple devices can be synced at the same time. With Windows, it is widely reported that syncing any more than one at a time is problematic. Make sure you are using the latest version of iTunes. Create a second admin user to be used for syncing. The sync station should be a dedicated machine; not used as a workstation. iTunes configuration considerations: Disable “check for new software updates automatically” as if there is an update it will be displayed for each device connected, if automatic backups of the iPads are not required each time the iPads are connected then you can disable them from terminal using the following command “defaults write com.apple.iTunes AutomaticDeviceBackupsDisabled -bool true”.
- Build master device. Rename the device in iTunes to something outside of your regular naming convention and recognizable like “student iPad master” or something similar. Update IOS on your master device. Download and install desired apps using iTunes on your sync station so they are all included in your library. On your device or in iTunes, organize your screens and configure settings. For more details on the settings I include please see the section titled “Settings”, at the end of this document.
- Take encrypted backup of master. Once you have your master iPad perfect, take a backup of it but make sure it is encrypted. Encrypting your backup saves many of the usernames and passwords you entered during the building of your master iPad. You can store a copy of this in another location in case it needs to be used again. It is located in ~/Library/Application Support/MobileDevice/Backup. Perhaps a designated folder on the computer can be used to store a copy. Once I am done with the master I temporarily disable automatic syncing of devices in the preferences to keep devices from syncing after registration and activation. Don’t forget to turn it back on later.
- Activate, register, Restore, Restore from backup, and sync recipient devices. Here is the workflow I follow to actually clone the iPads. I plug in one iPad to the sync station or hub. It shows up in iTunes and prompts me to activate and register the device. I enter the school iPad admin account to register the device. If there is an iOS update available I then click the restore button from the summary screen in iTunes to upgrade. Upgrading this way won’t bother with a backup. Once the restore upgrade is complete, the device reboots, then I perform a restore from backup on the device in iTunes choosing the backup of your master. The device will reboot once more when this is complete. At this time, if you are quick enough to be able to do it before the device starts to sync, you can rename the device, but I don’t do it at this time. Now the device will start to sync all of the apps. While this is happening you can start on the next iPad. While you can sync many devices at the same time, you can only upgrade or restore one at a time. I found that if i tried to hurry things along I would get upgrade failures or restore failures, so I recommend completing the steps to upgrade and restore one iPad before moving onto the next. Let it finish its second reboot and start syncing before moving onto the next one. Because you can now interact with the device while it is syncing you can name it and enroll it to your mdm while it is syncing. If your are using a cart you may not have the slack in your cables to do this but if you are using a hub you might be able to. Because I have been using carts I wait for them all to finish syncing, and then since I have to interact with them to enroll in the profile manager anyway, rename them then, and then enroll. For large rollouts it has been suggested to separate the activation and sync tasks to increase workflow efficiency. iTunes can be run in activation only mode to allow activations from a computer other than the dedicated sync station.
- If available enroll all devices into Lion Profile Manager for device management. Using the shortcut to the mdm server I created in step 9, install the trust cert and enroll the device in Lion profile manager. In Lion Profile manager I organize the devices into groups and can then set profiles all members of a group as well as individual devices. The first profile for the group included the wifi setup to replace the existing manual setup. Other profiles like restrictions can be applied to the group as a whole. Settings that are unique to each device, like email accounts can be set per device as well.
- Reset your iTunes preference for automatic syncing. Now when you download apps to install, simply unplug and replug in your cart and all your iPads will sync.
Settings
The following are settings that are retained after an encrypted backup is restored on another device. I like to include some of these settings in my master to decrease the amount of time spent configuring devices after they are cloned.
- Wifi SSID and password.
- iCloud login password and settings. At this time the only iCloud service I like to enable is the “Find My iPad” service.
- iTunes store username, password and auto download settings. I have run into the following issues with the auto download setting: after enabling books on more than 10 devices, I have been presented with an error informing me of this, purchasing large apps like garage band can bring a network to a halt when you have many devices on it configured to auto download apps.
- MDM server shortcut in Safari. This makes joining your Lion Profile Manager server very quick.
- Email account settings. Because we are using device based email accounts on many of our devices, we need to configure them after cloning. These are just generic numbered accounts like abssipad01@domain.com. I found it easy to setup the one account on the master and then just change the 01 in the account to the correct number for that iPad after it was cloned.
- Restrictions. The 4 digit password to get into restrictions is retained. The only restriction I enable locally is to disable delete apps. Any other restrictions can be managed through profiles.
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Great set of instructions, Mark. I am very happy that we are this far with this deployment. This would not be the case if it had not been for your persistence and dedication.
Gary
Why have a sep icloud itunes account?
Actually I am not sure. I think it was because we were using an iCloud account that was already set up or because we did not want to hand out the username and password of the school iPad admin account.
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nice post!
i cant share this link : https://www.techlog.ca/ipad-deployment-backup-restore-deployment-strategy-and-steps
am i doing it wrong ?
This was very helpful!
I’m about to do a roll-out of kiosk iPads that are not related to a person, so I do not need individual iTunes accounts. Is there a limitation on how many devices I can use with the same iTunes account?
Also, you say I should use a dedicated Mac as sync station. Why is that? Not enough to have a separate admin account?
Kind regards
Claes
When it comes to how many devices can be used with one iTunes accounts there are a couple different answers because your question could be asking a couple different things.
If this is a licensing question then it sounds like you are using these for business and you will need to purchase one copy of each app for each device. If these are personal use devices that you own and control, then you can purchase one copy of an app and put it on all of the devices, although i am not sure if there is a limit on the number.
If it is a question of activation and syncing, I am not aware of a limit to the number of devices that can be synced with the same iTunes library attached to the same iTunes account. When I activate and sync 50 iPads, I am using one iTunes library with content purchased with one iTunes account. I then gift a copy of each app to 49 dummy accounts created only for the purpose of licensing. It is the only way that I have found in Canada to do this. In the USA a lot of large organizations have access to the volume purchasing program through apple and don’t have to jump through these hoops.
The reason I recommend a dedicated sync station is so that in a school environment, where many people may need access to syncing updating the content of the devices, the sync station is always available. It can be frustrating to have to track it down every time you want to use it, or find out a staff member has forgotten it at home that day.
Hi Mark
This is a great article, thanks for putting it up on the web!
I have a couple of questions please!
In Step 2 you say you set up each iPad with a unique email address and “apply for a no-credit-card iTunes account” but then in the comments to Claes you say that “When I activate and sync 50 iPads, I am using one iTunes library with content purchased with one iTunes account. I then gift a copy of each app to 49 dummy accounts created only for the purpose of licensing.”
Are these dummy email addresses the ones you set the iPads up with initially?
Also from your comments am I right in saying that when you sync your iPads (post activation) they actually sync to the Master iPad iTunes account you have created for purchasing apps? Or do you log out of iTunes and log in as each of your 50 dummy email addresses?
I hope that makes sense and I’m not being too daft!
Thanks again
- D
Each iPad needs to be named, I choose to setup an email account for each iPad and use that email address for the name of the device.
Then that email address is used to create an iTunes account for the device, but it is only used to receive license information for content purchased for the devices.
The email account is set up on the devices so that users can easily email back and forth with the teacher.
The iTunes accounts created for the devices are never used to download and sync from the app store. This is done with the iPad admin account.
Once we have some kind of volume purchasing program here in canada, we will not need to go through this hassle to license content, but we still will create and use email accounts as the device host names.
Thanks for the question.
Mark
Thanks for replying back Mark.
It’s exactly the same in the UK with regard to volume purchasing – in that you can’t!!
- D
Thanks for the step-by-step approach. It is frustrating that VPP it’s only available in the US only.
Thanks for the post, very useful.
But it annoys me that the whole thing has to be so complicated. Im not blaming you of course, but iTunes.
You can have 5 iTunes account on your computer, which can then sync to multiple iOS devices (but then you get a warning saying this device is syncing to another Library and asks whether you want to overwrite it, without telling you which library its syncing to, or what the effects of overwriting it would be).
Very frustrating
Now that Apple Configurator is here, it is a lot easier, especially if you are using VPP. We are using it with great effect, using syncing hubs we found on Amazon. They have 16 and 49 port versions. One of my colleagues has even set up 75 iPads at a time, more than the limit normally cited by Apple for using Configurator.
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Hi Mark,
Great article!
My iPad is configured with my iTunes account. A friend then synced some free apps with his laptop. I cannot update them because I was prompted with his iTunes account password and not mine.
Will this also happen for paid apps even these were gifted to the unique iTunes account? (Since the backup has the paid app bought under master iPad’s account?)
I hope I am making some sense. Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Jeanne
Hi. Great tutorial!
One question: If I organize my apps in folders on the master, can I sync them to the other devices and keep them organized the same (like taking an image of the master and pushing in to the other ones).
On our system, it seems the backup (encrypted or not) only stores the settings and not the apps. For the apps, you have the “Sync” feature, but that doesn’t seem to preserve the app folder structure, nor the screens — it just “dumps” all the synced apps on the ipad screen in the next available space.
Thanks!
I’m hoping somone can help me with a question I have. I’m currently the only IT Mgr on staff and have just been asked to get involved with a deployment project. How long would it take to deploy 200-220 ipads on a Lion Server? What are the high level steps necessary to complete this and what is the break down on time.
Great insights, thank you! I am an app developer and in the process of providing a data backup solution for those teachers that use our apps in their schools. A lot of data is saved in our apps and I’m curious as to how you handle data backup with all of your iPads. We’d like to make the data backup scenario as efficient as possible for the schools, and individual teachers and therapists using our app and would love to hear your thoughts from an IT perspective on what would be an efficient way of handling it in a school environment. Thanks in advance for any additional info you might be able provide.
Hey! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
Hi there,
Thank you for your fabulous post… We’ve just gone onto a 1-to-1 Ipad pilot program in Grade 4/5s, Elementary School and its working very well.
Ipad maintenance isn’t too bad we currently have 14 Ipad.. you just need to keep ontop of the charging and software updates.
I also download firmware/updates once then “Swift-Restore” to other Ipads – save an aweful lot of bandwith
)
Good luck with your Ipad program – I’m going to def bookmark your page..
How do you handle licensing? Apple is a bit in the grey on that subject. Do you buy licenses for every single Ipad? Luckily we’ve not run into that type of problem yet.. but once we start buying different apps we def will…please let me know….
Thanks!