Information Systems:MobiControl

Overview

MobiControl is an MDM (Mobile Device Management) software that was purchased for the centralized management of the mobile computers/RF guns used in the Distribution Centre. The software makes it possible to configure all 37 RF guns in a consistent and automated fashion. Prior to MobiControl, each RF gun had to be configured independently. All were found to have different versions of the OS as well as the TekTerm program, and thus all would behave differently, making them hard to manage.

As of August 2016, MobiControl device agents were also installed on the 8 new laptops purchased for select staff ( see Evergreen project).

History note: MobiControl is software that is meant to manage mobile devices of all sorts, but it was acquired primarily for management of the RF guns. In fact, the company (SOTI Inc.) has its roots in Psion; MobiControl was once known as Mobile Control Center (MCC), an offering by Psion. 

This page attempts to detail as best possible all the work that has been done with MobiControl at uniPHARM.

MobiControl

MobiControl is installed on Smithers.

Logging in to the web GUI

Access: [1]

MobiControl was configured for AD/LDAP authentication, so log in with your Windows credentials.

RF gun configuration

While MobiControl makes it easier to manage devices, the fact that the RF guns run Windows CE means that a lot of the configuration is only possible through registry changes. (True mobile platforms such as Android/iOS are much easier to manage, and each new version of MobiControl is geared more and more towards management of those platforms.)

MobiControl Package Studio can be downloaded from the web interface. The management of devices is done through packages. In the context of the RF guns, a packageDevice configuration is consistent across all RF devices and comprise 4 main MobiControl packages. That is, 4 MobiControl packages contain the payloads that take a device from stock Windows CE to a state ready to deploy into the Distribution Centre:

• uRF Initial Package - configures wireless and installs the MobiControl device agent (not visible when viewing installed packages as this is not a persistent package, rather it's purpose is to get wireless configured and MobiControl installed on the device so that it can talk to the server)
• uRF Main Package - contains registry settings to customize the device (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 3 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).