Support managed configurations

Some apps designed for enterprises include built-in settings called managed configurations that IT admins can configure remotely. For example, an app may have the option to only sync data when a device is connected to Wi-Fi. Providing IT admins the ability to specify managed configurations and apply them to devices is a requirement for all solution sets. There are two ways you can support managed configurations in your EMM console:

• Create your own UI and apply the settings via managedConfiguration in ApplicationPolicy.
• Add the managed configurations iframe to your console (instructions detailed below) and apply settings via managedConfigurationTemplate in ApplicationPolicy

The managed configurations iframe is an embeddable UI that lets IT admins save, edit, and delete an app’s managed configuration settings. You can, for example, display a button (or similar UI element) in an app's details or settings page that opens the iframe.

Actions available to IT admins from the iframe

Set and save configuration profiles

The iframe retrieves and displays the managed configurations schema for a specified app. Within the iframe, an IT admin can set configurations and save them as a configuration profile. Each time an IT admin saves a new configuration profile, the iframe returns a unique identifier called mcmId. This makes it possible for IT admins to create multiple profiles for the same app.

Edit configuration profiles

The iframe is capable of displaying saved configuration profiles. IT admins can update the settings within a profile and save their changes.

Delete configuration profiles

IT admins can delete configuration profiles from the iframe. This feature is disabled by default.

Add the iframe to your console

Generate a web token

Use enterprises.webTokens.create to generate a web token that identifies the enterprise, and set iframeFeature to MANAGED_CONFIGURATIONS. You must include the returned token, along with other parameters, when rendering the iframe in your console.

Render the iframe

Here's an example of how to render the managed configurations iframe:

<script src="https://apis.google.com/js/api.js"></script>
<div id="container" style="width: 1000px; height: 1000px"></div>
<script>
  gapi.load('gapi.iframes', function() {
    var options = {
      'url': 'https://play.google.com/managed/mcm?token=web_token&packageName=app_package_name',
      'where': document.getElementById('container'),
      'attributes': { style: 'height:1000px', scrolling: 'yes'}
    }

    var iframe = gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild(options);
  });
</script>

URL parameters

The table below lists all the available parameters for the iframe URL.

Iframe events

You should also handle the following events as part of your integration.

{
  "mcmId": The ID of the managed configurations profile.
  "name": The name of the updated or newly created managed configurations profile.
}

{
  "mcmId": The ID of the managed configurations profile.
}

The sample below shows how to listen for onconfigupdated, as an example:

iframe.register('onconfigupdated', function(event) {
  console.log(event);
}, gapi.iframes.CROSS_ORIGIN_IFRAMES_FILTER);

Updates to an app's managed configurations schema

If the developer updates an app’s managed configuration schema, saved configuration profiles are automatically updated. For example, if the developer removes an option, the option will be removed from all existing configuration profiles for the app. If the developer adds an option, the default value for the option (defined by the developer) will be added to all existing configuration profiles for the app.

Apply configuration profiles to policy

Each configuration profile is saved as a unique mcmId. To apply a configuration profile to a policy, specify mcmId in managedConfigurationTemplate.

Understanding select/deselect behaviour

The managed configurations iframe now allows IT admins to explicitly deselect the app restrictions of a managed configuration when they do not need them. This is a change from previous behaviour and may have an impact to what restrictions are sent to your app based on the admin's selection.

The section below outlines how the managed configurations iframe behaves with this new deselect pattern and what developers can expect to be sent as part of their managed configuration.

Using default value for an app restriction

If the app restrictions with type bool, choice, integer, multi-select or string are provided with a default value, the default value will be applied as the value of the app restriction when admins save the managed configuration without applying any changes on that app restriction.

For example, with the following app restriction schema:

"restrictions": [{
    "key": "bool_key",
    "restrictionType": "bool",
    "defaultValue": {
        "type": "bool",
        "valueBool": false
    }
}]

The app restrictions sent to the device will be:

"restrictions": [{
    "key": "bool_key",
    "restrictionType": "bool",
    "value": {
        "type": "bool",
        "valueBool": false
    }
}]

Without using default values for app restrictions

If the app restrictions with type bool, choice, integer, multi-select or string are not provided with a default value, these app restrictions will not be included when admins save the managed configuration without applying any changes on that app restriction.

For example, with the following app restriction schema:

"restrictions": [{
    "key": "bool_key",
    "restrictionType": "bool"
    // defaultValue absent.
}]

The app restrictions sent to the device will be:

"restrictions": [
    // Empty
]

Using bundles within your schema

This section applies to bundle app restrictions:

Having at least one child app restriction with a default value in a bundle app restriction

If within the bundle app restriction at least one of the child app restrictions with type bool, choice, integer, multi-select or string are provided with a default value, the default value will be applied as the value of the app restriction and those without default values will be excluded when admins save the managed configuration without applying any changes on that app restriction.

"restrictions": [{
    "key": "bundle_key",
    "restrictionType": "bundle",
    "nestedRestriction": [{
            "key": "bool_key_1",
            "restrictionType": "bool",
            "defaultValue": {
                "type": "bool",
                "valueBool": false
            }
        },
        {
            "key": "bool_key_2",
            "restrictionType": "bool"
            // defaultValue absent.
        }
    ]
}]

The app restrictions sent to the device will be:

"restrictions": [{
    "key": "bundle_key",
    "restrictionType": "bundle",
    "nestedRestriction": [{
            "key": "bool_key_1",
            "restrictionType": "bool",
            "value": {
                "type": "bool",
                "valueBool": false
            }
        },
        // The bool_key_2 child app restriction is not included.
    ]
}]

All child app restrictions without default values

If within the bundle app restriction all of the child app restrictions with type bool, choice, integer, multi-select or string are not provided with a default value, the bundle app restriction will not be included when admins save the managed configuration without applying any changes on that app restriction.

For example, with the following app restriction schema:

"restrictions": [{
    "key": "bundle_key",
    "restrictionType": "bundle",
    "nestedRestriction": [{
            "key": "bool_key_1",
            "restrictionType": "bool",
            // defaultValue absent.
        },
        {
            "key": "bool_key_2",
            "restrictionType": "bool"
            // defaultValue absent.
        }
    ]
}]

The app restrictions sent to the device will be:

"restrictions": [
    // Empty
]

Using bundle_array within your schema

This section applies to bundle_array app restrictions. It is not relevant if the child app restrictions with type bool, choice, integer, multi-select or string have default values.

For example, with the following app restriction schema:

"restrictions": [{
    "key": "bundle_array_key",
    "restrictionType": "bundleArray",
    "nestedRestriction": [{
        "key": "bundle_key",
        "restrictionType": "bundle",
        "nestedRestriction": [{
            "key": "bool_key",
            "restrictionType": "bool",
            "defaultValue": {
                "type": "bool",
                "valueBool": true
            }
        }]
    }]
}]

Having at least one bundle group in the bundle_array app restriction

If at least one bundle group is set, the bundle_array app restriction will be included when admins save the managed configuration.

The app restrictions sent to the device will be:

"restrictions": [{
    "key": "bundle_array_key",
    "restrictionType": "bundleArray",
    "nestedRestriction": [{
        "key": "bundle_key",
        "restrictionType": "bundle",
        "nestedRestriction": [{
            "key": "bool_key",
            "restrictionType": "bool",
            "value": {
                "type": "bool",
                "valueBool": true
            }
        }]
    }]
}]

If one restriction or bundle group is saved, all restrictions/bundles within the entire bundle_array will be set by the following precedence:

• the value chosen by the admin
• the default value listed for that bundle/restriction.
• the value displayed in the iFrame if there is no default value

No bundle groups in the bundle_array app restriction

The bundle_array app restriction will not be included when admins save the managed configuration without adding a bundle group. The app restrictions sent to the device will be:

"restrictions": [
    // Empty
]