We’ve been talking about device management in this guide, but how does that happen in the console?
There are two ways:
- One-off control through a command, such as resetting a device.
- A blueprint, that applies settings to one or more devices.
What are Blueprints?
Blueprints are your first step when it comes to device management at scale. Blueprints control the device’s settings, such as what apps they can display, whether or not they’ll be used as kiosks, and more.
This video provides a deep dive into the blueprints experience. Keep in mind that migrating from Templates to Blueprints is part of our legacy experience and isn’t all that relevant to new customers.
There are 11 blueprint sections. This guide covers the basics. You’re free to follow along or choose your own settings. The point is to create a blueprint that can be applied to your device to test things out.
You can also choose when to apply each of these settings:
- Always Apply: Always apply the setting.
- Provisioning Only: Apply the setting when the device is first added to Esper. This mimics the behavior of our legacy Templates experience.
- Ignore: Ignore the setting. In some instances, this gives the user control over the setting.
How Do Blueprints Work?
We talked about applying a blueprint to a device, which is provisioning. But what happens after? What if you need to change the blueprint? Can you do that?
Yes, you can change a blueprint! Whenever you change a blueprint, you have the option to Converge it, which means to apply the changes to the device immediately or, if supported, schedule a change.
Basically, you:
- Create a blueprint
- Publish the changes
- Converge the changes
Blueprints also track your changes over time, so you can check every published version and even revert changes if needed.
It’s like version control for your entire device fleet.
Creating a Blueprint
Now it’s time to create a blueprint to fully manage your devices. Go to the Blueprints Manager section and Create a Blueprint.
Then select Create Blueprint.
You’ll be asked to name the blueprint.
Once you’re done, press Continue. You’re now in your first blueprint!
Apps & Configuration
The Apps & Configuration section controls the device’s apps, as well as its launchers and runtime permissions.
Device Mode: Choose Kiosk if the device should only display one app, or Multi-app if you want the device to show more than one app.
When you choose Kiosk, you’ll be asked to choose an app or upload one.
Need to get apps? See our App guide.
Launcher (Android Only): Choose the Esper launcher for a locked-down experience, or the Android launcher for total device access.
Connectivity
Allow Wi-Fi: Esper communicates with your device via Wi-Fi (or, if supported, Ethernet). Allow Wi-Fi so your device can communicate with Esper.
Device Security
Factory Reset: While testing out Esper for the first time, enable factory reset to quickly reset your devices. Just remember to change these settings before the device is given to customers or clients.
Platform Services (for GMS devices using Google Play apps)
Google Play Enrollment: If you want to use Google Play apps, and you set up your EMM account from step 2, you'll also enable Enroll Device in EMM during Onboarding.
Once you’ve applied the settings (yours or the recommended ones), press Save.
There’s much more that blueprints can do. We’ve covered four of the 60+ settings. Try exploring the blueprint sections and identifying which options are needed for your use case.
See our Creating a Blueprint article for an overview of all settings.
In the next section, we’ll be provisioning, which means applying this blueprint to a device.