Glossary
The words,
without the jargon.
26 terms you will meet when managing Apple devices, explained briefly.
A
- Activation Lock
- An Apple security feature that ties a device to an Apple Account so it cannot be erased and reused without that account’s credentials. Organizations should plan how it is handled when devices are returned or reassigned.
- APNs certificate (MDM push certificate)
- The certificate, created through the Apple Push Certificates Portal, that authorizes an MDM server to send notifications through APNs. It must be renewed every year using the same Apple Account.
- Apple Business ManagerABM
- Apple’s web portal for organizations to buy and assign devices and content, create Managed Apple Accounts and link devices and apps to an MDM service. Apple Business Manager guide ›
- Apple Push Notification serviceAPNs
- The Apple service that delivers push notifications to devices. An MDM server uses it to prompt a device to check in and collect pending management work. APNs certificate renewal ›
- Apps and BooksVPP
- The Apple Business Manager feature for buying apps and books in volume and assigning them to devices or users. It was formerly called the Volume Purchase Program (VPP).
- Audit log
- A record of administrative actions in an MDM workspace, kept with who did what, to which device or setting, and when.
- Automated Device EnrollmentADE
- The Apple Business Manager feature that lets company-owned devices enroll in MDM automatically during first setup. It was formerly called the Device Enrollment Program (DEP). What is ADE and when to use it ›
B
- Bring your own deviceBYOD
- A model in which employees use personally owned devices for work. Apple offers enrollment options designed to keep personal and work data separate on such devices. Company-owned vs personally owned devices ›
C
- Check-in
- The step in which a device connects to the MDM server over HTTPS to collect pending commands and report its status, usually after receiving a push notification.
- Configuration profile
- A file of settings that an MDM server installs on a device, such as Wi-Fi, passcode or restriction settings. Profiles are made of one or more payloads.
D
- D-U-N-S Number
- A unique business identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet. Apple uses it to verify organizations when they enroll in Apple Business Manager.
- Declarative Device ManagementDDM
- An Apple management model in which the server sends declarations of the desired state and the device applies them and reports status on its own, instead of waiting for individual commands. DDM explained for IT teams ›
- Device enrollment
- The process of bringing a device under the control of an MDM server. Methods include automated enrollment for company-owned devices and user-initiated enrollment.
E
- Enrollment profile
- The profile that tells a device which MDM server to use and how to enroll with it.
L
M
- Managed Apple Account
- An Apple Account that an organization creates and controls through Apple Business Manager, as opposed to an account a person creates for themselves.
- MDM (mobile device management)MDM
- Software and a protocol that let an organization configure, secure and monitor devices remotely. On Apple platforms, an MDM server sends commands to enrolled devices through APNs and HTTPS.
- MDM profile
- The configuration profile that establishes the management relationship between a device and an MDM server.
P
- Payload
- A single group of settings inside a configuration profile, for example one Wi-Fi network or one restriction set.
S
- SCEP
- Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol, a way for a device to request a certificate from a certificate authority automatically. MDM servers commonly use it to deliver identity certificates to devices.
- Server token
- The token created in Apple Business Manager that links your MDM server to your organization so devices can be assigned to it. It must be renewed before it expires.
- Setup Assistant
- The first-run screens a user sees when setting up an Apple device. With automated enrollment, an organization can choose which screens to skip.
- Supervision
- A higher level of management available on organization-owned devices, which unlocks additional controls. A device becomes supervised through automated enrollment or by using Apple Configurator. Supervised vs unsupervised devices ›
T
- Tenant
- A customer’s own isolated space in a multi-tenant service, holding its own devices, users and settings. In AAMDM, each customer organization has its own workspace.
U
- User Enrollment
- An Apple enrollment option for personally owned devices that keeps work data separate from personal data and limits what the organization can see and do. It uses a Managed Apple Account.