Apple provides some relevant and public accessible documentation relevant to the work of this community.
Apple provides online resources and explanations of products and services. This material is targeted to audiences looking for a high-level description of what the services are, how they enable new functionality and whee to look for more detailed information.
Apple provides online help documentation for, among other things, all of the versions of the services built into OS X Server. One server service relevant to our SCAP collaboration is Profile Manager which enables you to “Configure devices and run a mobile device management service.” This documentation focuses on operational information and how to get started and use the services. Some lower-level details are covered, but for a more detailed understanding of protocols and interactions between devices and services, you should refer to developer documentation.
Apple’s support division, AppleCare, publishes knowledge base articles relating to products and services.
Apple provides Developers with up-to-date documentation on relevant specifications such as the Mobile Device Management Protocol built-in to both OS X and iOS. Some content is restricted to registered developers under NDA Agreements.
A configuration profile is an XML file that allows you to distribute configuration information. If you need to configure a large number of devices or to provide lots of custom email settings, network settings, or certificates to a large number of devices, configuration profiles are an easy way to do it.
Profile Manager lets you configure macOS and iOS devices so they’re set up to use your company or school resources and have the settings, apps, and books your organization requires. Profile Manager creates settings and preference bundles for devices and deploys them to devices via the Mobile Device Management (MDM) service.
Note: To take advantage of all the features of OS X Server and Profile Manager, you should update all Mac computers to OS X Mavericks v10.9 or later and all iOS devices to iOS 7.0 or later.
Availability: Included in OS X Server
Requires: OS X Server
Apple Configurator makes it easy for anyone to mass configure and deploy iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch in a school, business, or institution.
Availability: Mac App Store
Requires: OS X
Apple has deprecated this tool in favor of the Apple Configurator tool noted above.
Availability: Deprecated