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Naming conventions and acronyms

What

FileWave Knowledge Base articles will sometimes use acronyms, and occasionally we may miss giving detail or context, but we try to always use the full name once or explain the term. This will be a list of terms you can refer to when unsure.

Alphabetical list of terms:

A

  • ABM  - Apple Business Manager is a web-based portal designed for businesses and organizations to manage Apple devices and services. It provides tools for device deployment, app distribution, and configuration management. ABM allows businesses to streamline device procurement, deploy custom apps, enforce security policies, and centrally manage Apple devices for improved efficiency and productivity.

  • ADE - Apple Device Enrollment is a program that simplifies the deployment and management of Apple devices within organizations. It allows for easy enrollment of devices into a mobile device management solution, automating configuration and saving time in the setup process.
  • Admin - When you see FileWave Admin used it is frequently referring to FileWave Central and FileWave Anywhere, but some older documentation may only be referring to FileWave Central.  
  • Administrator  - A user that may log into the FileWave Server via the Admin application.
  • Anywhere API (v2) - The second RESTful API that is used by FileWave Anywhere and usually commands are on TCP 443 unless you have changed the port that FileWave Anywhere operates on.

  • AppleSeed - AppleSeed is an invitation-only program offered by Apple that allows selected users to test pre-release software and provide feedback to Apple's engineering teams. Participants in the AppleSeed program get early access to upcoming software updates and can help identify and report bugs, ensuring a more stable and polished user experience before the software is released to the general public.

  • Archive  - To archive a device is to remove it from active monitoring. The device remains in the database with its last reporting information intact; but the device is no longer counted as an active Client. Archiving a Client frees up one Client license.

  • ASM -  Apple School Manager is a web-based portal provided by Apple for educational institutions to manage Apple devices and services. It allows schools to easily deploy and manage Apple devices, distribute apps and books, create Apple IDs for students and staff, and configure settings for a seamless educational experience.

  • Associations  - An Association is made between a Fileset and a Client or Client Group and represents the link between the two objects. Time-based attributes can be assigned to the Association. Associations are how distributions are made. You can also make associations between images and clients, licenses and Filesets, and VPP users and devices.
  • Attributes  - Properties of files that specify how the files are treated once the FileWave Client activates them.
  • Azure - Now called "Microsoft Entra". It is a Directory Service from Microsoft.    

B

  • Booster - A Linux, macOS, or Windows system running software that caches software deployments for macOS and Windows clients.

C

  • Clients  - A Client represents one computer with the FileWave Client software installed or a mobile device that has been enrolled.
  • Client Group  - A client Group is a container of like Clients and/or Client Groups.
  • Client State  - The current condition of a client device as reported to the Admin. The states are: Normal, Missing, Not Tracked, or Archive. A A Normal  device is fully accessible by the FW and the location is being tracked. A A Missing  device has been reported as stolen or not where it belongs and tracking is active.  Not Tracked  means that the device is monitored by FW Admin for all standard characteristics; but location tracking is disabled. An An Archived  device has been placed into stasis. It is no longer actively monitored by FW; but the last known device settings are available in Inventory.
  • Clone  - A Clone is an alias of a Client or Client Group that can exist in many Client Groups.
  • Cloudv1 - Our original hosted server environment which is running in AWS with Linux based VMs.
  • Cloudv2 - Our newer hosted server environment which is running in AWS with Docker/Kubernetes.
  • Command Line API (v1) - The initial RESTful API for FileWave. Commands happen on TCP 20443 and 20445.

D

  • DEP - Device Enrollment Program (DEP) is a service provided by Apple that enables organizations to streamline the initial setup and configuration of Apple devices. DEP allows devices to be automatically enrolled in a mobile device management (MDM) solution during the activation process, ensuring that they are pre-configured with the necessary settings and policies defined by the organization. DEP simplifies device provisioning, enhances security, and enables seamless device management for organizations deploying a large number of Apple devices.

F

  • File  - A File in a Fileset represents a file that will be delivered to a specific location for a FileWave Client. Files have attributes and permissions.
  • Folder  - Files in a Fileset can be organized into Folders (directories). A file is activated in the corresponding folder on the boot volume of the FileWave Client. Folders do NOT have attributes; they only have permissions.
  • Fileset - A set of common files and/or folders (directories) meant for delivery to a FileWave Client with a wrapper that contains a detailed listing of the Fileset contents, including permissions and a checksum for each part (to facilitate non-corrupt delivery to clients). In FileWave Central it is called Fileset and in FileWave Anywhere it is called a Payload. The two terms Fileset and Payload are really the same item type.
  • FileWave Admin - Now called FileWave Central.
  • FileWave Anywhere - The web-based administration tool.
  • FileWave Central - The native administration tool that runs on macOS and Windows.
  • FileWave WebAdmin - Now called FileWave Anywhere.
  • FW - FileWave the company.

G

  • Geofencing Geofencing - A way to define a boundary that a device should not enter or exit. Geofencing is used with Location Tracking for Android devices.
  • Geolocation Tracking - Another way of referring to Location Tracking.

H

  • Hosted Customer - Any customer where FileWave runs the server itself in either our Cloudv1 or Cloudv2 infrastructure.

I

  • IVS - Imaging Virtual Server - A Linux Linux-based used for Windows imaging. The server sits on your network to capture and deploy images.

K

  • Kiosk  - The self-service portal to the FileWave server for a specified device. The Kiosk contains an Install pane with associated applications and content for that device/Apple ID, and in the case of OS X (macOS)/Windows computers, an Info pane with device configuration information and a Verify button for the user to initiate a request to the Server to verify, update, and repair any associated Filesets.

L

  • Location Tracking - Used to locate devices and works with macOS, AppleTV, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, Chromebook, and Android.  This is also sometimes referred to as Geolocation or Geolocation Tracking.

M

  • Management Mode  - In FileWave 11, we added a new client flag (for computer clients). It has two values: Managed (normal mode) and Inventory only. The latter setting allows you to have your client reporting data to FileWave, but will not be affected by any Filesets except for upgrade Filesets. Inventory only does consume a client license.
  • Microsoft Entra - Entra (formerly named Azure) is a cloud computing platform and set of services provided by Microsoft. It offers a wide range of cloud-based services, including computing power, storage, networking, analytics, machine learning, and more. Microsoft Entra allows businesses to build, deploy, and manage applications and services using Microsoft-managed data centers spread across the globe. It provides scalability, reliability, and security, making it a popular choice for organizations seeking cloud-based solutions for their infrastructure, applications, and data storage needs.
  • Model Update  - The command that is issued to the FileWave Server to lock in all changes that have been made by an Administrator. During a model update, all modified Filesets are updated on the server, the Server model is incremented, and the automatic backup process stores the previous model. Filesets are activated based on their scheduled attributes the next time the Client checks in with the Server.

O

  • On-Premise - The term used to refer to running a FileWave Server on your own network.  

P

  • Payload - A term for the item in FileWave that is a bundle of content that can contain files, policies, and profiles. In FileWave Central it is called Fileset and in FileWave Anywhere it is called a Payload. The two terms Fileset and Payload are really the same item type.
  • Permissions  - Properties of files and folders that specify the access rights of the files and folders. Permissions are set when the FileWave Client activates the files and folders in a Fileset. Self-healing also sets permissions during the verification phase.

R

  • Release - Another name for version. If I say "release 15.3.1" with no other references to indicate what it is about then it would usually mean version 15.3.1 of FileWave.
  • RESTful API - Another name for the Command Line API (v1) and you may hear it referred to as either name because originally there was a single API and it was RESTful. Now there are 2 different APIs and both are RESTful so it makes more sense to not call it the RESTful API.  

T

  • Time Attribute  - A Time Attribute is a property of an Association that specifies the Time a FileWave Client executes an action.

V

  • VPP  - Volume Purchase Program (VPP) is an Apple program that allows businesses and educational institutions to purchase apps and books in bulk for distribution to their employees or students. It provides a centralized platform for organizations to buy, manage, and distribute apps, simplifying the process of app procurement and licensing for multiple devices.

W

  • winget - A command-line tool and package manager for Windows operating systems. It allows users to discover, install, update, and uninstall software applications from the command line or through scripts. With Winget, users can search for available software packages from the Microsoft Store as well as third-party repositories. It simplifies the software management process by providing a centralized tool for handling installations and updates, making it easier to maintain a collection of software applications on Windows systems.

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