Device Actions

Device Actions are all of the "actions" or "commands" that you can execute against an endpoint from the FileWave WebAdmin. Actions are taken from the (...) button in the Devices view, or from the detail view of any particular device.

Having inventory devices is never quite enough. We will frequently want to do something to the devices in the field immediately, and the Actions list is a way to do that. Note that all actions have some degree of pre-requisite...i.e the device might need to be supervised, or a certain command can't work if the device is BYOD user enrolled for instance. Some pre-requisites are accounted for in the UI and those commands won't show if not applicable. For instance, Wipe Device won't show if the device happens to be user enrolled.

Device Actions Overview

What

Device Actions are all of the "actions" or "commands" that you can execute against an endpoint from the FileWave WebAdmin.  Actions are taken from the (...) button in the Devices view, or from the detail view of any particular device.

When/Why

Having inventory devices is never quite enough. We will frequently want to do something to the devices in the field immediately, and the Actions list is a way to do that.  Note that all actions have some degree of pre-requisite...i.e the device might need to be supervised, or a certain command can't work if the device is BYOD user enrolled for instance.  Some pre-requisites are accounted for in the UI and those commands won't show if not applicable.  For instance, Wipe Device won't show if the device happens to be user enrolled.

How

As mentioned above, actions are taken from the (...) menu in the Devices view, or in the Device Detail view:

Clear Activation Lock

What

The Clear Activation Lock command removes an Activation Lock that has been imposed on a device through the use of an AppleID and the FindMy options.

When/Why

There are two main instances when you'll use this command...while erasing a device, Clear Activation Lock is an option of the Wipe Device command and can also be done as a direct command from the device actions menu:

How

To clear an Activation Lock from a device, select Clear> Clear Activation Lock

You can also configure Activation lock in the DEP profile.

Clear Passcode

What

The Clear Passcode command is used to remove the current passcode that is assigned to a device. (Will not show unless a passcode is set on the device in question)

When/Why

You can use this command clear that passcode (if set).  Particularly useful when the user "forgot" the passcode.

How

Use the ellipsis () to the right of the device in the View - Devices and select "Clear Passcode"

Clear Restrictions Passcode

What

The Clear Restrictions Passcode command is used to remove a passcode that has been set to prevent restrictions from being changed.  A restrictions passcode must be set on device for this command to show in the admin.

You can make an Apple Profile that would prevent a restriction passcode from being set.  

When/Why

You would use this command to remove the passcode if one was set that you don't know (or was forgotten).  Note that you must have the proper management of a device to issue this command (for instance it could not be sent to a User Enrolled BYOD device).

How

Use the ellipsis (...) to the right of the device in the View - Devices and select "Clear Restrictions Passcode"

Copy to Group

What

A device can have many clones/alias/copies in many groups 

When/Why

Use this function to place a clone/alias/copy into many groups

How

Use the ellipsis (...) to the right of the device in the View - Devices and select "Copy to Group(s)"

Edit Device Fields

What

A device can have many fields both custom and built-in.

When/Why

Use this option when a single device needs its inventory fields updated.

For changing many at once see Upload Devices and/or Data

How

  1. Use the ellipsis () to the right of the device in the View - Devices and select "Edit Device Fields"
  2. From the edit device fields UI add, edit, or delete existing fields
  3. Select "Save" when done

Lock Device

What

An iOS device can be locked using FileWave Anywhere.  Locking a device is the same as if you pushed the device lock button locally.  If no passcode exists, the device can be unlocked without one.  If a passcode exists, it is required to unlock the device.

When/Why

We often use this command internally just to test that command functionality is working.  With device in hand, if you send this command you should see the device lock momentarily. 

How

Use the ellipsis () to the right of the device in the View - Devices and select "Lock Device"

Move to Group

What

The Move to Group command is similar to the Copy to Group command, but Move to Group will move the current object rather than copy it.  This also means that the selected object must be capable of being moved.  For instance, a copy in a smart group can be copied, but it can't be moved.

When/Why

This command can be used with both Groups and devices and allows the move of objects (and their children).  It is a very useful command, especially when reorganizing.  Always remember though that you have to be very careful about unintended deployment related complications from using move.  (That is, devices could lose or gain software inadvertently.)

How

Use the ellipsis () to the right of the device in the View - Devices and select "Move to Group..."

Performing Actions on Multiple Devices

What

We are pleased to announce that in version 14.5+ of the FileWave WebAdmin console, you can now perform "Actions" on multiple devices at a time.

When/Why

When managing a large environment, it is a frequent occurrence to want to make the same change to multiple devices at one time.  Version 14.5+ of the WebAdmin console now gives you the ability to perform like-actions on multiple devices at the same time.  This is especially important when we want to do something like erase multiple iOS devices, or maybe bulk-change a custom field.

How

It is very simple to use this feature.  In the Devices view, simply choose multiple devices by selecting the checkboxes in the tree-view as shown:

Then, when you select the Action menu, and possible bulk actions will be shown:

Note that you will only see Actions that are available for the types of devices chosen.  In the above case, because we have two iPads chosen, we see elements available for iPads, such as Wipe and Restart.  If we were to mix client types though (such as Windows devices), the list of actions would not show either of those iPad-specific options.

Remove from Group

What

The "Remove from Group" command is what you might remember from the native FileWave admin as "Delete", and it has the same consequences.  But, in the native admin Delete was the same for the original object and the copies, even though the result was different.  The WebAdmin has split this into two commands to help clarify.

When/Why

We'll use this command whenever we want to remove a copy of a device from a manual group.  There are no consequences to data in FileWave, and any other copies will be unchanged.  Note that if this copy had payload content assigned it via a deployment that it would lose that payload.

How

Highlight any device copy (in a manual group), from the (...) button, choose "Remove from Group":

Remove from System

What

The "Remove from System" command is what you might remember from the native FileWave admin as "Delete", and it has the same consequences.  But, in the native admin Delete was the same for the original object and the copies, even though the result was different.  The WebAdmin has split this into two commands to help clarify.

When/Why

The "Remove from System" command entirely (and destructively) removes a device and all of its copies from the system.  Any payloads through deployments will be lost, and all inventory from this object will be removed from the system.  In the case of an MDM-enrolled device, the deletion acts as an unenroll and can not be reversed. The model has to be updated in order to fully remove the device from the system.

An un-enrol will be triggered, only if the following FileWave Central preference is enabled:

      Preferences > Mobile > 'Remove MDM profile from devices removed from FileWave model'

This preference will send a command to remove the enrolment profile, which should be honored by devices, even if the enrolment profile is configured to be non-removable in DEP settings.

For client devices, they will check in again as long as a client remains installed but has to be onboarded again.

Note; Remove from System is a destructive command, and should only be done when you are certain.

How

To perform this action, choose "Remove from System" from the Device action menu (...) and Update Model when finished.

Rename

What

The "Rename" command as the name implies is a command for renaming a device.  The behavior of this command varies widely based on the OS of the device and other factors.

When/Why

In its simplest form, this command (<iOS 12 with no naming restrictions or iOS 13+ with or without restrictions) will send an MDM command to rename the device itself, and rename the record for the device within FileWave.  If a computer client, or an iOS device with renaming restrictions, is the recipient of the command then the device itself will NOT be renamed, but the record within FileWave will have the name updated to reflect the chosen name.  (This isn't highly recommended though as it can become confusing to support)

Renaming devices in FileWave can be complex and have unintended consequences.  Before any mass-updating of device names, we suggest you check your plan with our Service Desk folks to ensure the plan is solid.

How

To send the Rename command, choose "Rename" from the Device Action menu (...):

Note that there is a followup prompt to choose the device name you would like:

Restart (Windows)

What

Starting from FileWave version 14.7+ we added support for remotely rebooting a Windows system from both the Web and Native administrators.

When/Why

As an IT administrator, a remote reboot is sometimes required to address a problem or complete an installation.  

How

This new action can be performed from both the Web and Native admin interfaces.

There is no "confirm" dialog when issuing the restart command.  Choosing the command directly executes the restart action.

FileWave Central

In the Native admin there is a Restart Windows Devices command that can be seen when right-clicking one or multiple devices as shown here:

FileWave Anywhere

In the Web Admin there is a Device Action seen when viewing the details of a device:

And, from the devices view, you can also select multiple devices as shown and then Restart several at once:

After issuing the reboot command a dialog will be seen by any logged-in user that will look similar to the first dialog below. Note that the below images are from Windows 11, and this will look slightly different on Windows 10.

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3 minutes after the first dialog appears another dialog will display similar to the below dialog. After this second warning has shown indicating that a device reboot is 2 minutes away the Windows system will reboot 2 minutes later.

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Send Verify Command

What

The Send Verify command is one of the most frequently used commands because it is such an excellent way to find out "Is stuff working?"

When/Why

This command sends a series of inventory requests to the device in question.  Basically we are asking the device "Tell me all about yourself".  It is exceptionally useful to measure the speed of MDM command processing, and brings all device information up to date.  What actual inventory commands are sent though are defined by the type of device and type of device enrollment.

How

We can execute the "Send Verify" command from the Device action menu (...) and from the device detail views ():

Note that we can watch the progress of this (and other) MDM commands from the Device Detail View Command History tab.

Related Content

NAT Support for Client Monitor/Verify

What

Especially with devices being remote from a corporate or school network more and more, it is very important we can manage devices while they are remote in all ways.  Version 14.5+ of FileWave introduces the ability to send a Verify command to a device no matter what network it is on.

When/Why

Historically Client Monitor tools required direct "network line-of-sight" to be able to manage devices.  Chief among those tools is the ability to send a Verify, especially while testing a new payload or fileset.  With FileWave, you'll be able to use this tool regardless of whether the client device is NATed away from your admin console.

How

It is very simple to send a Verify to any device now through FileWave Anywhere in multiple ways.

From the Devices pane you can send a Verify action to a single device:

image.png

Or you can send a Verify to MULTIPLE client devices:

image.png

You can also send a Verify from the individual device management page too:

image.png

Note that not all Client Monitor functions have been copied to the FileWave Anywhere console at this time, but you can see device status and send a Verify.  Additional features will be added over time, and this NAT support for Verify will also be added into the native admin console as well.

Related Content

Set Tracking Mode

What

Device tracking, or Tracking Mode is used to find the geolocation of managed devices.  Setting your expectations about device tracking data is very much key when using these commands, as the capabilities differ widely by OS of the device, the type of device enrollment and even user choices on the device.

When/Why

Some organizations like to track devices continually, but the most typical use of this command that we find useful in practice is Missing mode in regards to iOS devices as they are frequently misplaced.  FileWave Missing mode leverages Apple's Lost Mode functionality and can be used with any Supervised iOS device.

How

Tracking mode can be set to Untracked (the default), Tracked (occasional location lookup) or Missing (device locked down) through the Set Tracking Mode> command on the device actions menu(...)

Device tracking can become very frustrating given the many variations of pre-requisites for the many OSes.  The reality of this functionality is that each operating system treats geo-location data as Personally Identifying Information and gives the customer the option to disable it in most circumstances.  See the article linked below on Location Tracking for an in-depth review of what is required for this command to work.

When location data is returned from the device, you'll be able to see the device on a map in the Location Tab of the Device Detail view.

Wipe Device

What

The command name of "Wipe Device" is probably warning enough, but this command is a destructive command to erase the current device.  In v14 of the WebAdmin, this command is restricted to iOS devices.

When/Why

With iOS devices, the Wipe command is the equivalent of being local to the device and clicking on the Erase all Contents and Settings command.  This command is frequently used whenever you want to erase and re-enroll a device in FileWave MDM.

As stated above, the Wipe Device command is a destructive command.

How

To execute the command, simply choose "Wipe Device" from the Device Action command (...):

Note that there is a subsequent dialog to choose options:

Remove Activation Lock is particularly important so that if an Activation Lock exists it will be removed during wipe...otherwise you are left with a device prompting for AppleID credentials.

Activation Lock properties can now be set in DEP profiles to control when/if Activation Lock can be used.

Related Content

Windows MDM Wipe Command

What

14.8+ FileWave introduces the option to Wipe MDM enrolled Windows devices from the Web Admin console.

When/Why

The options from the ellipsis now include the Wipe option.

Option to Wipe will only be visible for Windows devices which are MDM enrolled.

How