System administration has developed within the enterprise to cowl increasingly gadgets underneath one platform, and IoT gadgets aren’t any exception.
Organizations can enroll gadgets operating Home windows IoT with Intune and handle them alongside Home windows desktop OSes, smartphones, tablets, macOS desktops and even some Linux distributions. Nonetheless, the enrollment and administration course of for IoT gadgets is exclusive.
IT directors that handle Home windows IoT endpoints for functions akin to digital signage, skinny shoppers, kiosks, sensors and medical gadgets, ought to be taught the completely different administration and enrollment choices for his or her IoT fleet.
Totally different editions of Home windows for IoT
As organizations plan easy methods to handle Home windows IoT gadgets, it is good to begin with a quick overview of the out there Home windows editions that they’ll run. The completely different editions additionally include completely different administration choices:
Home windows IoT Enterprise. This can be a full model of Home windows Enterprise that additionally consists of some particular options to create devoted gadgets which are locked right down to a selected state of affairs.
Home windows Server IoT 2022. This can be a full model of Home windows Server 2022 that gives enterprise administration and security measures to IoT programs. The primary variations are in licensing and distribution.
Home windows 10 IoT Core. That is the smallest version of Home windows 10. Whereas solely operating a single app, it nonetheless comprises the administration and security measures which are recognized from Home windows 10.
Home windows IoT Enterprise is the most typical version that’s used for fixed-purpose gadgets. And it is also the version that matches the best in the most typical Microsoft-focused unified endpoint administration methods. One thing comparable is relevant to Home windows 10 IoT Core. Nonetheless, on condition that this method is just Home windows 10 and never Home windows 11, it is not an apparent alternative when trying on the help timeline of Home windows 10.
The administration capabilities for Home windows IoT Enterprise gadgets are just like different Home windows Enterprise licensed gadgets — primarily as a result of they’re based mostly on the identical binaries so the administration is comparable as nicely.
Choices for managing Home windows IoT Enterprise
The administration capabilities for Home windows IoT Enterprise gadgets are just like different Home windows Enterprise licensed gadgets — primarily as a result of they’re based mostly on the identical binaries so the administration is comparable as nicely. The next administration choices can be found:
Microsoft Intune. That is the most typical platform for managing Home windows IoT Enterprise gadgets by way of a cloud-based gadget administration service. It gives comparable administration capabilities as different Home windows Enterprise gadgets.
Microsoft Configuration Supervisor. That is the gadget administration platform for Home windows IoT Enterprise gadgets when a cloud-based platform is just not out there or not an choice. It gives comparable administration capabilities as different Home windows Enterprise gadgets.
Azure Arc-enabled servers. Directors can use Azure Arc-enabled servers to hook up with Home windows IoT Enterprise gadgets. They supply the flexibility to observe efficiency, uncover apps, acquire log information and audit settings.
Easy methods to enroll Home windows IoT Enterprise gadgets into Microsoft Intune
The commonest technique for managing Home windows IoT gadgets is by utilizing Microsoft Intune. Because the binaries are just like Home windows Enterprise, the obvious alternative for enrolling Home windows IoT gadgets would possibly appear to be Home windows Autopilot.
Nonetheless, on the time of publishing, Home windows Autopilot is just not but supported for Home windows IoT Enterprise. That does not imply that Autopilot cannot carry out the enrollment, but it surely does imply that, if there are any points associated to that SKU, then Microsoft will not repair it. So, that makes bulk enrollment by way of a provisioning package deal the obvious various.
Easy methods to create an Intune provisioning package deal
The creation of a provisioning package deal is an easy course of if admins use Home windows Configuration Designer. Home windows Configuration Designer itself is on the market for obtain by way of the Microsoft Retailer. After putting in Home windows Configuration Designer, merely observe these eight steps to create a provisioning package deal that may enroll Home windows IoT Enterprise gadgets into Microsoft Intune:
Open the Home windows Configuration Designer app, and click on Provision desktop gadgets.
On the New challenge dialog field, specify the next info, and click on End:
Identify. Specify a reputation for the challenge.
Venture folder. Specify a location to avoid wasting the challenge.
Description. Specify an outline for the challenge — this step is non-compulsory.
On the Arrange gadget web page, specify the next info, and click on Subsequent:
System title. Specify a naming normal for the gadgets that may embody the serial quantity — %SERIAL% — or a random set of characters — %RAND:x%.
Enter product key. Specify a product key to improve Home windows — this step is non-compulsory.
Configure gadgets for shared use. Choose if the gadgets shall be shared gadgets — this step is non-compulsory.
Take away preinstalled software program. Choose if the preinstalled software program shall be eliminated — this step is non-compulsory.
On the Arrange community web page, specify the Wi-Fi community — although this step can also be non-compulsory — and click on Subsequent.
On the Account Administration web page, specify the next info, and click on Subsequent:
Handle Group/Faculty Accounts. Choose Enroll in Microsoft Entra ID.
Refresh Microsoft Entra ID credentials. Choose Sure.
Bulk token expiry. Choose when the majority enrollment token will expire.
Get bulk token. This authenticates the admin to retrieve the majority enrollment token.
The admin can specify credentials with the Create a neighborhood administrator button if they need.
On the Add an Utility web page, add the functions that should be provisioned, and click on Subsequent.This step is non-compulsory.
On the Add a certificates web page, add the certificates that should be provisioned, and click on Subsequent.This step is non-compulsory.
On the End web page, confirm the desired configuration, and click on Create.
Easy methods to apply a provisioning package deal for Intune
On new gadgets, directors can apply the provisioning package deal throughout Out of Field Expertise (OOBE). Admins can carry out an analogous activity when utilizing Home windows Autopilot preprovisioning.
Throughout OOBE, as an alternative of offering a piece or college account, merely press the Home windows key 5 instances. That gives the person with the choice to put in a provisioning package deal. Guarantee that the provisioning package deal is on the market, and click on Set up provisioning package deal. That routinely begins the method to arrange the PC and make sure the supplied provisioning package deal so it joins Microsoft Entra and routinely enrolls into Microsoft Intune.
Alternatively, admins can apply the provisioning package deal on current gadgets. They will do that by merely double-clicking the package deal, permitting it to run and trusting the supply.
Peter van der Woude works as a mobility marketing consultant and is aware of the ins and outs of the ConfigMgr and Microsoft Intune instruments. He’s a Microsoft MVP and a Home windows knowledgeable as nicely.
