VPP / jss apps question please......

[fedagain]

Hello all,

Let me try to explain this as best I can.......

We have multiple VPP accounts across campus for the different colleges...... using the individual VPP accounts for their apps is fine regarding being able to "Categorize" for each department in the jss mobile apps section. This is fine for apps that aren't used outside of one department. What can be done for an App like "Dropbox" that is used across multiple colleges..... I'm assuming it's best to use a neutral VPP account (campus / IT account) and "Categorize" it as a campus-wide app because I don't see how you can have more than instance of an App in the jss to categorize separately by college / VPP account.

Hope that makes sense!

TIA
David

[mradams]

I use a separate account for free and district wide apps. All accounts are named with their purchase code and apps are named VPP-(purchaser)-appname (VPP-171-MathIsFun, VPP-DEP-Dropbox, etc) this enables me to categorize by purchaser as well as make automatic install easier using a static group using the same naming convention.

[fedagain]

@mradams

Thanks for the reply,

So you're agreeing that there is no way to have more than one instance of an App in an MDM (jss) for organizational purposes?

[mradams]

Each VPP account can have their own app. for example. Proloquo2G0 is an app used by several departments. Each has their own licenses. VPP-171-Proloquo2Go, VPP-171B-Proloquo2Go. This permits me to separate the departments that made the purchase and associate only to their devices for install. District wide apps fall under VPP-DEP(deployment) for ease of management. If there we could use subcategories this would be so much easier. Free apps are broken down by location/grade level and associated to all devices.

[fedagain]

@mradams

Okay, it sounds like we're on the same page.

You can't have two listings of "Dropbox" (or any app) in the jss. I find that to be odd and hopefully Version 10 brings that capability. You can change the name, and you can change the VPP account, so it should be fairly easy to incorporate separate instances of the same App.

[fedagain]

@mradams

I think maybe I'm getting stuck / confused because I don't have any duplicate PAID Apps..... is it that the FREE apps are different than PAID apps in respect to being able to separate them (separate instances in the jss) by VPP account, giving the ability to have more than one instance of an App?

[mradams]

We have free apps multiple times but you would have to "purchase" the free app under each VPP account then add it to Self Service. See screenshot

[fedagain]

@mradams

I get different results. Hmmmm

I've "purchased" Apps (iMovie, Dropbox, etc...) under separate VPP accounts, but the App only shows one instance in the jss. I set up an App pointing it to one VPP account, and still no other instance in the jss.

I don't have mine set as Self Service, but I tested that by switching it to Self Service, didn't change, giving any other instances.

Guess I'll call support.

Thank you.

[fedagain · Accepted solution]

@mradams

Okay, my Jamf Buddy got me setup......

I didn't know I had to click "New" each time to add the App a multiple time...... I "assumed" there was a smarter link between the jss and VPP in that it would create a new instance each time an App was ordered from a different VPP account.....

Maybe it's working that way for some, but it did NOT for me.

Thanks again!

[Sandy]

We have 8 schools, each with their own VPP account, as well as a few additional.
In each VPP account (in the JSS), we have checked the box:
Populate purchased VPP content in App and eBook Catalogs

If we acquire an App in VPP, it will automatically be added down at the bottom of the catalog once (the first time) per VPP account. If we want one instance in Self Service but a specific grade to download automatically, both from same VPP account, we need to use the + to manually create a second item in the catalog. If we make a new acquisition to add additional licenses to an app, they just get added to existing license count.

Occasionally there will be a glitch where the takes longer to appear or does not show up, in which case we use the plus, and it connects the item to the licenses.

[fedagain]

@Sandy

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, I also have the "Populate purchased VPP content....." checked on all the VPP account settings.

For some reason I'm not getting the automagically added instance per VPP account, but having to use the + is not upsetting me. ;-)

[mradams]

From my experience, if using duplicate apps they have to be added manually as they already exist in the database.