View - Payloads

• About Profiles / Policies
• Add Profile
• Editing Payloads / Payload Properties
• FileWave Anywhere Payload Script Editor
• Payload Actions (Move/Remove)
• Payload Groups
• Upload Profile
• MSI & PKG Payloads

About Profiles / Policies

What

Profiles and Policies are conceptually the same. They are used to manipulate the configuration of a device using a standard framework.

When/Why

You can create Apple Profiles, Windows Profiles, Google Policies, and FileWave Policies on the Create Configuration button in the Payloads section.

How

Apple Profiles - To be added

Windows MDM Policies (aka Profiles)

Google Policies - To be added

FileWave Policies - To be added

 

Add Profile

What

Apple profiles let you control settings, features, and restrictions for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS devices.

When/Why

Use profiles for initial setup, requested restrictions, and ongoing configuration changes. Common examples include Wi-Fi settings, camera restrictions, wallpaper settings, certificates, privacy controls, and other managed-device behavior.

How

Select the plus () in the top right to open the profile editor for a new profile.

Basic Profile Properties

Every configuration profile needs a few basic properties before it can be saved. At minimum, set a profile name and add at least one payload category.

How

The three most common elements to set, or change from the default value, are highlighted below:

In order, those elements are:

• Name: Must be unique, should be descriptive, and cannot be left blank.
• Security: Specifies when this profile can be removed by the user.
• Installation scope: Defines whether the profile installs for the system or for the user of the device.

The highlighted warning in the screenshot is a reminder that the profile must contain at least one payload category before it can be saved.

Navigating an Apple Profile

Configuration profiles are straightforward, but finding the right setting can take a minute. Use the platform, OS version, and search filters in the profile editor to narrow the list of available payload items.

How

For example, assume you want to set the wallpaper for an iOS device. Start by choosing the platform in the upper left:

Once the platform is set, the list of profile categories becomes smaller. If you know a setting is tied to a specific OS version, you can also use the version filter, though most profile builds do not need it.

With the platform filter in place, search for wallpaper to narrow the payload list further. The matching payload names are highlighted in the editor:

Setting Profile Payloads

The purpose of a configuration profile is to change endpoint configuration. The exact settings, and how they behave, depend on the payload you choose.

Profile work usually falls into two categories:

• Settings you have already built and tested before.
• New settings you have not worked with yet.

The first category is usually routine. For example, if you have already created Wi-Fi profiles for 41 locations, building the 42nd profile should be familiar.

For new settings, use both testing and documentation:

1. Experiment and test on a device you can inspect directly.
2. Use Apple's current device-management documentation:
   • Intro to device management profiles
   • Intro to device management payloads
3. For third-party payloads or settings, use the vendor's documentation.

FileWave, like other MDM providers, exposes settings defined by Apple or the relevant vendor. Those references are the authoritative source for what a payload key means and which OS versions support it.

How

Defining every MDM payload is outside the scope of this Knowledge Base, but these practices will keep profile work safer:

• Build profiles, especially restrictions, as small and focused as possible. Avoid mixing unrelated settings in one profile when you can.
  • This makes exceptions easier later because you do not have to split a large mixed profile apart.
• Test, test, and then test again against a device you control.
• Never create and deploy a profile directly to production without testing.
• Be especially careful when editing profiles that are already assigned, particularly Wi-Fi profiles or anything else where a mistake could disconnect devices or break management.

Here is a simple example that sets a wallpaper and prevents it from being changed. Notice that it uses two related payloads:

Editing Payloads / Payload Properties

What

We can edit profile payloads in the WebAdmin, change payload properties for all other payload types and do some basic reporting in the Payload view.

When/Why

Editing a profile is straightforward, but we can do more than that in the payload view.  We can also change payload properties of any payload, and report on distribution (which is especially useful).

How

Clicking on any payload will bring up a detail payload view:

This view will differ a little depending on the type of payload.  See below that a VPP payload shows licensing info that you won't see on other fileset types:

 

You'll note that in payload properties there is no "Save" button.  All changes made to payload properties (like platform requirements) are immediately saved, and will become effective on next model update.

Payload Tab	Example
The Payload Info Tab shows: Summary information on deployment Verification Settings Kiosk Icon Reboot flag
The Devices Tab shows the devices that have this payload assigned, and their current status.
The Platform Requirements tab is where we specify on which platform the payload is provided.
The Dependencies tab is where we specify relationships between payloads for simpler deployment.
For VPP payloads only you'll see a tab that shows licensing details

FileWave Anywhere Payload Script Editor

What

FileWave Anywhere script editor allows you to interactively edit script content in any payload that allows scripts.

When/Why

We'll use this feature any time we want to make a quick edit to a script within a payload.  If we need to make extensive changes, it is probably still better to work in an outside code editor because changes to published scripts will automatically be sent to all affected devices on next model update.  So, be very careful with this tool, and as always, test before you deploy.

How

To enter the script editor, you simply go to the Scripts tab within any supporting FileWave payload/fileset. Click the edit button to edit the script.  You can also drag and drop scripts between types and remove them from the payload as well in this view.  Example script shown below:

Related Content

• Script Best Practices
• Fileset / Payload Script Exit Code Status

Payload Actions (Move/Remove)

What

Apart from editing payloads, you can also move them to another location and remove them entirely.

When/Why

Typically we'll want to move payloads whenever we are reorganizing in general, or we just did something silly like create a payload in the wrong location.

How

Moving or removing a payload is as simple as clicking the ellipsis to the right of the item and choosing the appropriate action:

Payload Groups

What

Payload groups are used to generally organize payloads and to mass assign payloads to groups of devices.

When/Why

We'll use these groups whenever things get a little bit messy.  They can be very helpful to organize and we highly recommend that you don't let your payloads get out of control without some type of storage system.  A lot of FileWave customers also use these groups to create associations (deployments) for many apps/profiles to devices.

How

Creating a group is simple...you just click the new group icon in the upper right ().  Payload groups can also be nested below other groups, so your storage can be quite detailed.   Take a look below at creation of a new group and then the move of a group (and its children) as well:

A few rules about payload groups:

• Payload group names must be unique
• Payload groups always create at the root of the tree
• Payload groups can be moved to another location (and nested)
• If you move a payload group, the group (and anything below it) will be moved

Upload Profile

What

Of course, FileWave provides an editor to create configuration profiles from scratch.  But, you can also import pre-existing configuration profiles (.mobileconfig).

When/Why

If you have already created a profile or another system created a profile for you, then you can import that work into FileWave with the WebAdmin.

How

1. Create new profile () 
2. Upload icon (top right), to browse, and open the existing mobileconfig file
3. Save

Example shown below:

MSI & PKG Payloads

What

The FileWave Anywhere console, from version 14.5+, now supports the creation of computer payloads (filesets) for MSI & PKG distributions. 

When/Why

MSI and PKG installers are the industry standards for Windows and macOS devices respectively.  The FileWave Anywhere console now allows you to create these simple payloads directly from the web application.

How

We'll start by simply clicking the   icon in the Payloads view.  We'll give the new payload a name (in this case we'll create a payload for the native FW admin console for Windows), and then click on one of the Add File options as shown:

 

Once the file is selected, upload will begin right away:

There are two distinct advantages to creating payloads like this in the Anywhere console:

1. The file uploads WILL recover from a temporary network interruption
2. You need not stay in this upload screen for the payload to continue uploading (meaning you can go to other places in the admin, or even start additional payload uploads concurrently)

Once the payload is uploaded, you can perform simple payload manipulation, like removing or replacing a file and setting installer properties:

The FileWave Anywhere client payload tools do not have all capabilities currently in the native admin, so if you need script support in conjunction with a payload such as this, or want to use revisions, you'll still need to use the native admin at this time.  More to come on this front though!

Any edits made to payloads in the FileWave Anywhere console are immediately effective...meaning there is no "Save" button for modifications, so use appropriate caution when editing.