SafeDNS iOS/iPad Agents Enterprise

Application deployment using MDM Integrators With File Addition

This guide covers the deployment of the application with the addition of a .mobileConfig, .xml, or .plist files.

Installation example

We are using HexNode Integrator as an example.

1. Obtain a personal authKey (also known as AD authKey) from SafeDNS support. The authKey should be provided as a string (Base64 encoding is done on our side).
Here's an example of such key: MGCjbnYyYWItMTQxNy00MjVlqTkzNjEtMDMzY2I2MTU4YzVi.

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2. Install the SafeDNS Agent Enterprise application in the Integrator's Personal Account by adding the .ipa file to the app catalog as an application for the Enterprise segment.

3. Create a configuration file with the key. When creating a configuration file in .xml format, use the Sample.xml template.
In the Sample.xml file, change only one line: replace the highlighted fragment with your AD key.

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4. Upload the previously downloaded SafeDNS Agent Enterprise application from the SafeDNS Personal Account in .ipa format. During the application installation, select the option to add the .ipa file and Send Application Configuration. Choose the previously created configuration file with your key, "Sample.xml", and click Add.

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After uploading, the application will appear in the Integrator's application catalog in the Enterprise app section.

To view the AD key, select the application in the catalog, then navigate to Settings cogwheel > App Configuration.

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You can also verify the presence of the added configuration file and, if necessary, re-upload it.

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5. Continue the application installation for all devices.

  1. To do that, select all devices in the Management section, then open Settings > Install Application.
  2. In the drop-down list, find the application using the search and install it.
  3. After sending the command for mass deployment of the application to the devices, you will need to configure the application after about 1-2 minutes. To do this, simply launch the application and go through all the setup steps until you reach the main screen.
  4. During the installation, a notification will appear indicating that the authKey has been detected and applied.
  5. After that, just enter the email of the registered device and proceed to the main screen. The installation is complete.

DNS-Proxy

After the application is installed, the DNS-Proxy will not be present on the device; it needs to be added via a Custom Mobile Profile. Navigate to the Policies section on the Integrator's website and select New Policy.

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Choose New Blank Policy when selecting a template.

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Enter any name and description. On the left side, select Configuration > Deploy Custom Configuration and click Configure.

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Select Choose File in the opened window, and pick the SafeDNSProxy Enterprise.mobileconfig file.

Do not change anything in the file. It contains configuration settings for the DNS-Proxy.

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Adding Policy

The application installation and its setup must be completed before proceeding to the next step.

Add the policy to the the devices by associating it through the Associate Policy tab.

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Within 1-3 minutes, the policy will be propagated and automatically installed on the devices.
You can check this in Settings > General > VPN and Management > DNS as well as in the Integrator's profile on the devices, where a DNS-Proxy section will appear.

With this, the installation is complete. Filtering will typically start within 10 minutes. The filtering policy and status are automatically updated in the application.

Application deployment using MDM Integrators Without File Addition

General guide

1. Obtain a personal authKey from SafeDNS support in your Personal Account in the form of a String (Base64 encoding is handled on our side). Example format: MGNjYnYyYWItMTQxNy00MjVlqTkzNjEtMDMzY2I2MTU4YzVi.

2. Install the SafeDNS application in the MDM Integrator's Personal Account by adding it through Apple Store App in the Apps catalog.

3. Then, configure the app settings depending on the integrator's IDE, such as App Config, Managed Configuration (SimpleMDM) or Managed App Configuration (Jamf Pro).

4. Wait for the application to be deployed on the devices. After successful installation, the application will be configured with the authKey that the client (IT admin) added to the App Configuration.

5. Once the initial setup is complete and the device is registered in the SafeDNS Dashboard, create a Custom Configuration Profile in the Integrator's menu. This profile should include our DNSProxy.mobileconfig with the AppBundleIdentifier: com.safedns.agent and ProviderBundleIdentifier: com.safedns.agent.dnsProxy. Then, this profile is deployed to the devices. After the profile is installed, a new DNS Proxy Server section will appear in the smartphone's settings with SafeDNS parameters, initiating the traffic interception, redirection, and filtering module.

The filtering process may take 5-7 minutes to start.

SimpleMDM example

1. Create an account on https://simplemdm.com and add your Apple id.

2. Obtain a personal authKey from SafeDNS support in your Personal Account in the form of a String (Base64 encoding is handled on our side). Example format: MGNjYnYyYWItMTQxNy00MjVlqTkzNjEtMDMzY2I2MTU4YzVi.

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2. Install the SafeDNS application in the SimpleMDM Personal Account by adding it through Apple Store App in the Apps catalog.

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3. Click on SafeDNS in the catalog and select Managed Configuration.

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4. Add the authKey from SafeDNS.

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5. Now the application can be deployed on the devices.

If your devices are already enrolled the deployment will be done automatically.
If not you first need to enroll them in SimpleMDM: Go to Devices > Enrollments > Add Enrollment.
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After successful installation, the application will be configured with the authKey that the client (IT admin) added to the App Configuration.

6. After the application is installed on the devices, complete the full configuration of the app.

Once the initial setup is complete and the device is registered in the SafeDNS Dashboard, create a Custom Configuration Profile in the Integrator's Personal Account. Upload the custom DNSProxy.mobileconfig profile (received from SafeDNS).
This profile includes DNS-Proxy details showed below

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Depending on the connection speed and profile propagation on the devices, a DNS-Proxy section with our settings will be added to the Device Management and VPN menu in the device settings. After this, the application and filtering module will synchronize, and filtering will begin based on the configuration settings in the SafeDNS.com Personal Account.

The filtering process may take 5-7 minutes to start.

SafeDNS Agent Enterprise Application initial setup

This step follows the mass deployment of the Agent application. It must be completed to enable the filtering on the device.

Before installation, please ensure that the device's battery level is at least 50% and that you have a stable internet connection.

Initial setup

1. Open the application after it is installed on the device.

Enterprise Application initial setup guide 1.pngOn this screen, the user can review Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Press Get started to continue.

2. Enter your work email (Apple ID under control) or another identifier controlled by the IT admin.

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A manual entry option for the AuthKey is also available in case of any key delivery issues with the MDM integrator server (rare scenario). The user will have fields to enter the authKey and email.

3. Press the Next button on the MDM system notification screen.

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This completes the initial setup and opens the Agent interface.

Agent interface

The main screen shows the status of the filtering, and the current filtering policy. Both can be adjusted by the admin in the SafeDNS Dashboard.

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You can find the application version and build information in the About Application section in the settings menu.

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If the internet connection is lost, the user will be simply notified on some screens, while on others, the interface will be disabled to reduce the likelihood of errors.