SOTI Pulse Logo

Android Managed App Configurations via Packages

MA
Martin, Achermann
axelion AG

If we rollout apps from Managed Google Play Store to android devices, many apps support “Managed App Configs”.

This is really cool.

But we want to deploy critical Apps via packages. We have the apk of the apps.

But in the packages, we can not configure the managed app configs.

My questions, is it possible to add the managed app configurations, via xml file and the soti package studio?

Or will it be an options in the “packages” section in the profiles to configure the existing managed app configurations of the app?

Thank you for Help

android packages
3 years ago
SOTI MobiControl
ANSWERS
RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
3 years ago

What are the version and build numbers of your MobiControl server?

MA
Martin, Achermann
3 years ago

Mobicontrol 15.5

RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
3 years ago

Your MobiControl server supports Managed App Configiuration of enterprise app (.apk file) deployed through App Policies, and not with .pcg package.    After uploading your .apk file, click the "Configure" button for advanced configurations, and you can go to the "Managed App Config" tab to enable Managed App Configuration and configure the parameters available.  See the screenshots below for Microsoft Excel App as an example.

MD
Matt Dermody Diamond Contributor
3 years ago

Yep! This is a great new feature recently added to MobiControl. "Offline" Managed Configuration support with better APK installation and version control management than what is offered via Managed Play.

MA
Martin, Achermann
3 years ago

I can only upload the apk and if there are a newer version, i must create a new app policy. 

With packages, i can select, wich version, of wich app i want to install on the device. 

Now, if i upload an apk to the app policy, and want to update the app, i think the app will remove and reinstall the newer version and the app data will be lost. Or i create an separat app policy for each version of the app separatly. 

With packages we have the full controll which app and version are installed.

Will it be a solution with the version controlling like in the package section?

M
MiKe
3 years ago

I'm not sure if to ask here or create a new thread. This GMSless managed config solution is great but I'm not sure how to use it for various OEMConfig configs if I don't want or cannot have all configurations in one app - this is where managed config in Packages would be useful - or are there other possibilities?

For example Intune (although inferior to Soti in many ways) has this solved quite nice and you can create multiple OEMConfigs and assign them to the same device  

RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
3 years ago

What did you mean you THINK  ... ?  Have you ACTUALLY tried out the upgrade flow on your device(s) yet?

Whether or not IN-PLACE upgrade can be done seamlessly depends on how the upgrade is initiated and the device brand/model.   Similarly, .pcg packages do NOT ALWAYS support in-place update/downgrade of app on ALL device brand neither; and the upgrade will not be in-place if initiated improperly.

Actually, using AppConfig with enterprise app likely favours the approach of having one app-catalog policy solely for one app only because the policy to be deployed now include not just the app apk contents but also the parameters configured.   If different group of end-user devices require different AppConfig parameters,  there should be one such app policy for each group.  When changing to a different app version, the new app apk should be uploaded in the same app-policy originally deploying the old app version.  If BOTH the device firmware and MobiControl device agent are implemented properly, the device package manager module should perform in-place upgrade of the app of same bundled ID upon receiving the updated app-policy, and NOT uninstall the old version followed by installation of the new version, resulting possibly in some app data loss.

MA
Martin, Achermann
3 years ago

I only thought. And not tried. :-) Your right.

Thank you for the explanation. 

Now we have a way for the critical apps we roll out and cann control the versions and have no data lost by an update.

BR Martin

RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
3 years ago

If your tests failed for one device brand/model,  retry the flow with a second or third device brand /model to reconfirm.  If all fail, the problem can be due to Soti agent/server implementation or due to your incorrect upgrade flow.    If only one device brand/model fails,  the problem is likely be due to firmware implementation for that device model.

Similar Discussions