Getting ready for back to school: a summer checklist for Jamf School administrators

Summer is the time to prepare.

The summer break (for those lucky enough to get one) provides the perfect opportunity for school IT administrators to prepare their Jamf School environment for the upcoming academic year.

Certificate and token management

One of the most critical summer tasks is reviewing and renewing your certificates and tokens. These typically expire annually, and summer is an ideal time to handle renewals.

Pro Tip: Set yourself a reminder to renew your tokens twice a year so that you’re never left in a lurch.

Key certificates to check

Apple Push Notification Services (APNs) certificate

• Location: Jamf School > Organization > Settings > Apple Push Notification Service
• Renewal frequency: yearly
• Why it's important: essential for sending commands and configurations to devices
• Resources and links: Renewing Apple Push Certificate

Apps and Books token renewal

• Location: Jamf School > Organization > Settings > Content (Volume Purchasing)
• Renewal frequency: yearly
• Why it's important: required for app and book distribution
• Resource: Service Token Renewal

Automated Device Enrollment Token

• Location: Jamf School > Organization > Settings > Automated Device Enrollment
• Renewal frequency: yearly
• Why it's important: necessary for automated device enrollment through Apple School Manager
• Resource: ADE Token Renewal

Device inventory cleanup

Summer is the perfect time to audit and clean up your device inventory:

Inventory management tasks

Check inactive devices

• Use the "Last Connected" filter to identify devices that haven't checked in
• Move obsolete devices to trash to free up licenses
• Investigate devices that should be active but aren't communicating

Create Smart Groups for:

• Devices needing OS updates
  • Example: Smart Group criteria: Operating System Equals > macOS > Equals > [Minimum Version = blank] [Maximum Version = desired version].
  • Action: Use the new Blueprints Quick Start template to update devices.
  • Resource: Jamf School Blueprints Quick Start Templates
• Devices without escrowed Bootstrap tokens
  • Example Smart Group criteria: Bootstrap Token Stored > Equals > No
• Non-ADE enrolled devices

Security and configuration review

Wi-Fii configurations

• Update wireless configuration profiles with new pre-shared keys
• Test changes on a small group before full deployment
• Verify 802.1x workflows are still valid

Certificate management

• Review and update certificates for web content filters
• Check for expired security certificates
• Update any custom certificates used in your environment

Application configurations

• Review vendor-provided configurations
• Update app settings for new features
• Test configuration changes before deployment

Apple School Manager (ASM) synchronization

Cleanup tasks

• Remove outdated users and classes from both Jamf School and ASM
• Verify sync settings between ASM and Jamf School
• Clean up any duplicate or obsolete data

Preparation for the new year

• Verify new user and class synchronization
• Test ASM integration with your student information system
• Confirm automated user removal settings

Enrollment workflow testing

Create a test plan to verify:

1. User authentication during enrollment
2. Device enrollment process
3. Automatic owner assignment
4. Wi-Fi configuration deployment
5. Smart group assignments
6. Configuration profile installation
7. Required app deployment
8. Custom app configurations

Documentation and planning

• Update your deployment documentation
• Document any changes made during summer maintenance
• Create a timeline for fall device deployment
• Plan for staff training on any new features or workflows

> Important: Always test changes in a controlled environment before applying them to your production setup. This is especially crucial for security-related modifications.

By following this checklist during the summer months, you'll be well-prepared for the rush of back-to-school activities. Remember to document all changes and maintain backups of your configurations before making any significant modifications.

Additional resources

Here are some additional resources that might be helpful:

• Integrate Apple School Manager with your Student Information System (SIS)
• Checklist to Get Started with Claris Connect for Apple School Manager
• Claris Connect for Apple School Manager FAQ
• Schedule a meeting with the Claris Success Team
• Vendors (MDMs, authentication services like Clever, etc…) also provide guidance to customers about pausing their sync during summer break to preserve data in their system while changes are made to SIS data. Here is an example from Clever.
• Jamf School Documentation
• The Jamf Nation community forums

Happy summer preparation!

With special thanks to Lucas Werner