iOS: Deploying an Application in MobileIron (Via Active Directory)

Whilst this seemed to be fairly straight forward it's not exactly intuitive so I thought I'd put this together to help anyone else who gets stuck.

The first step is to login to MobileIron and select the "Smartphones & Users" tab and then click on "Manage Labels";

MobileIron: Smartphones & Users > Manage Labels

Click on "Add New" (immediately above the top left of the grid);

MobileIron: Add Label dialog

Typically we use the same name for the label as we use for the Active Directory group (helps prevent a lot of confusion!). Enter the name and description you wish to use (both are mandatory) and then click "Save";

MobileIron: Add Label Confirmation Dialog

This just confirms that the label has been successfully created. Click "OK".

Now you've created your new label you need to define the search criteria that will put mobile devices into it. you do this from the "All Smartphones" tab (second from the left under "Smartphones & Users"). Click on it;

MobileIron: Smartphones & Users > All Smartphones

You can now see a list of all the smartphones registered with the server. Click on the "Advanced Search" link (highlighted above);

MobileIron: All Smartphones > Assign Label to result

This is the point where it gets tricky. You need to select LDAP_GROUP in the top drop down and then enter the name of the LDAP Group you wish to use. This proved incredibly difficult with a huge-unrelated list of groups being displayed which didn't include the group I wanted. A lot of resetting of the form ensued and after a good 5 or 6 tries I managed to get it to accept that group I was looking for.

When you've managed to enter your search criteria click "Search" (just to check that your search works).

When you're happy with the result choose the new label you created in the "Assign Label to result" drop down underneath your search criteria. If you label doesn't appear here go back and look at it and make sure it's a "filter" not "manual" - if it's the wrong type you need to delete it and start again (it changes type if you assign a user to it before creating this filter).

As soon as you have selected your label a dialog confirms your choice;

MobileIron: Assigning Label ... Dialog

Now that the label has been created you need to return to "Apps & Files" > "App Distribution" and find your application in order to apply your newly created label to it;

MobileIron: Apps & Files > App Distribution

Check the box next to your application and then under the Actions menu select "Apply to Label";

Mobile Iron: Apply To Label dialog

Find the label you had previously created and check the box next to it then click "Apply";

MobileIron: Apply Apps To Labels dialog

This dialog just confirms you've asked for the change to be made. The request is then queued. On our system it takes a fraction of a second to run but I guess the larger you installation the longer it will take!

And of course the final part of proof has to be opening Apps@Work on the iPad and seeing if your new application has been successfully deployed;

MobileIron: Apps@Work - RxBrowser Available