Information Systems:MobiControl
Overview
MobiControl is MDM (Mobile Device Management) software that was acquired for the centralized management of the mobile computers/RF scanners used in the Distribution Centre. The software makes it possible to configure all 37 RF mobile computers in a consistent and automated fashion. Prior to MobiControl, the RF guns had to be configured independently, and they were found to have different versions of the OS as well as the TekTerm program, leading to different device behaviors and therefore difficult management.
As of August 2016, MobiControl device agents were also installed on the 8 new laptops purchased for select staff ( see Evergreen project).
MobiControl can be difficult to understand and configure when you take into consideration the complicated nature of Windows CE (it is a micro-version of a Windows operating system so a lot of settings are registry-based). The software's roots are in Windows CE, but with the OS soon becoming obsolete, MobiControl like all other MDM software is evolving towards management of Android/iOS devices.
This page attempts to detail as best possible all the work that has been done with MobiControl at uniPHARM.
Administration overview
Logging in
MobiControl was configured for AD/LDAP authentication, so log in with your Windows credentials.
Device configuration
Device configuration is consistent across all RF devices and comprise 3 main MobiControl packages. That is, 3 MobiControl packages contain the payloads that take a device from stock Windows CE to a state ready to deploy into the Distribution Centre:
- uRF Main Package - contains registry settings to customize the device (wireless, device sounds, power management etc.)
- Install TekTerm8 and Configure Settings - installs the TekTerm terminal emulation program
- MSI Info Package for CE5 - reports Psion-proprietary device stats; this package doesn't do much and is pretty unimportant
The first two packages are critical. See RF configuration / Standard deployment package for more information about their contents.
Packages
Packages are what are deployed to devices to deliver settings, files, or scripts.
Rules
Packages are governed by device rules - rules specify how, when, and to what devices packages apply to. There must also exist an Add Device rule for each type of device added to MobiControl that corresponds to the device agent for that device, so that MobiControl will know how to group the device (and hence which packages apply).