Payload best practices

You can create payloads for iOS, OS X, or both. They can be applied to devices, users, and groups.

Remember, configuration profile and payload planning helps reduce complexity. Keep the following in mind:

  • A configuration profile can have more than one payload.

  • A device can have more than one configuration profile.

  • You can combine user profiles with device profiles.

  • If you have multiple profiles containing similar payloads with different settings, the resulting behavior is undefined.

  • Some payloads can actually have more than one unique payload. For example, a certificate payload often involves more than one certificate, and a VPN payload may involve more than one VPN setting. To create additional payloads from within a payload, click Add add button.

Payload examples

Here are some examples of optimized payload management:

  • If you want to manage iOS devices and Mac computers or users or both, and use the same payloads for all the devices, focus on iOS and OS X payloads, then decide if your management should be at the device or user level. (These payloads are listed in the table below in the “OS X and iOS” column.)

  • If you want to manage only iOS devices or users of iOS devices, focus on iOS-only payloads, then decide if your management should be at the device or user level.

  • If you want to manage only OS X devices or users of OS X devices, focus on OS X-only payloads, then decide if your management should be at the device or user level.

To learn more about payloads, see the Configuration Profile section of this help.

Payload categories

The following table shows the payloads that are available when you select Device (and device groups) or User (and user groups) in the Profile Manager sidebar. Payloads that can have more than one unique payload are indicated by an asterisk.

Payload

iOS and OS X

iOS only

OS X only

General settings icon General

Device/User

 

 

Passcode settings icon Passcode

Device/User

 

 

Network settings icon Network (*)

Device/User

 

 

VPN settings icon VPN (*)

Device/User

 

 

Certificate settings icon Certificate (*)

Device/User

 

 

SCEP settings icon SCEP (*)

Device/User

 

 

Fonts settings icon Fonts

Device/User

 

 

AirPlay settings icon AirPlay

Device/User

 

Security & Privacy settings icon Security & Privacy

Device/User

 

 

iOS restrictions settings icon Restrictions (iOS)

 

Device/User

 

Single App mode settings icon Single App Mode

 

Device

 

Global HTTP Proxy settings icon Global HTTP Proxy

 

Device/User

 

Content Filter settings icon Content Filter

 

Device/User

 

Domains settings icon Domains

 

Device/User

 

Single Sign-On Single Sign-On

 

Device/User

 

AirPrint settings icon AirPrint

 

Device/User

 

Mail settings icon Mail (*)

User

Device

 

Exchange settings icon Exchange (*)

User

Device

 

LDAP settings icon LDAP (*)

User

Device

 

Contacts settings icon Contacts (*)

User

Device

 

Calendar settings icon Calendar (*)

User

Device

 

Subscribed calendar settings icon Subscribed Calendars (*)

 

Device/User

 

Web clips settings icon Web Clips (*)

User

Device

 

APN settings icon APN

 

Device/User

 

App configuration settings icon App Configuration

 

Device/User

 

OS X Server accounts settings icon OS X Server Accounts

 

Device/User

 

Network usage rules settings icon Network Usage Rules

 

Device/User

 

Identification settings icon Identification

 

 

Device/User

OS X Restrictions settings icon Restrictions (OS X)

 

 

Device/User

Messages settings icon Messages (*)

 

 

User

AD certificate settings icon AD Certificate (*)

 

 

Device/User

Directory settings icon Directory (*)

 

 

Device

Login Window settings icon Login Window

 

 

Device

Login Window settings icon Login Items

 

 

Device/User

Mobility settings icon Mobility

 

 

Device/User

Dock settings icon Dock

 

 

Device/User

Software Update settings icon Software Update

 

 

Device

Printing settings icon Printing

 

 

Device/User

Energy Saver settings icon Energy Saver

 

 

Device

Parental Controls settings icon Parental Controls

 

 

Device/User

Time Machine settings icon Time Machine

 

 

Device

Finder settings icon Finder

 

 

Device/User

Acessibility settings icon Accessibility

 

 

Device/User

Xsan settings icon Xsan

 

 

Device

Proxy settings icon Proxies

 

 

Device/User

Custom settings icon Custom Settings (*)

 

 

Device/User