Scheduling device action in App Catalog

Use the App Catalog to schedule device actions for iOS apps.

You can set up both one-time and recurring actions to automate and manage app updates through the App Catalog workflow. The process includes selecting actions, specifying target groups, and configuring recurrence patterns. This feature triggers and manages app updates seamlessly from the Apps page, improving operational efficiency and user experience.

For example, as an IT administrator your primary goal is to manage app updates across the organization for optimal performance. Use the Scheduling Update action from the Apps tab to set up the recurring actions to handle these tasks automatically. You can create a scheduled action to run on a specific app or a group of apps for the app update and set the frequency to either a one-time occurrence or a recurring schedule.
Note: The Scheduling update app action is supported only for iOS apps.

Scheduling device action during adding an app

You can now schedule app updates at a specific day and time to avoid device downtime during adding an app to the App catalog in the IBM® MaaS360® Portal. Follow these steps to schedule an app update for an iOS device.
  1. From the IBM MaaS360 Portal, go to Apps > Catalog > Add > iOS > iTunes App Store App.
  2. In the iTunes App Store App window, go to the App Details tab and enter the app details.
  3. Go to the Policies and Distribution tab.
  4. In the Update Apps setting, select Schedule updates from the drop-down list.
  5. Click Save to save the changes.
  6. If no active update app action is created, then continue with creating an action. Click Create new to create a new schedule action for the iOS app.

    The Create action page is displayed and you can schedule an action for the iOS app. For more information on creating a new device action, see Update apps-iOS.

  7. If an active update action exits, then continue with adding the app to the existing scheduler name. Click Add to existing. The Set up schedule for app update page is displayed.

    Select the action from the existing actions scheduled where you want to add the app. Click Review Schedule to verify the scheduled action details.

Viewing update app setting set for an app

You can view the update app setting that is set for existing apps on the App Summary page. You can also view the scheduler name that is setup for an individual or multiple apps.

Upon adding a new app, you can view the app scheduler details in the two customized columns to enhance visibility and tracking:
  • Update Apps- Displays the selected app policy that is associated with the app.
  • Update Scheduled Via – Indicates the name of the schedule the app is part of. If the app is not associated with any schedule, the column remains blank.
Follow these steps to view the scheduler for an iOS device.
  1. From the IBM MaaS360 Portal, go to Apps > Catalog.
  2. Select an iOS device and click View.
  3. On the device details view, go to Install Settings.
  4. Go to Update Apps setting and select Schedule updates from the drop-down list.

    If an app update is not scheduled, the Updates Schedule Via column displays Not scheduled.

  5. Click Set up Schedule to schedule a device action.
  6. A pop-up displays to create a new schedule or add to existing if you have app schedule setup.

Scheduling updates for multiple apps

You can manage app update policies more efficiently by selecting and updating multiple apps at once, instead of modifying each app individually. When you apply changes, only valid apps are affected. For example, if you select Do not update from the Update app setting, the selected iOS apps are removed from the update scheduler. For Schedule Update only iOS apps with app update mode as schedule update can be scheduled. This streamlined approach helps ensure that only applicable apps are updated, while invalid entries are automatically excluded.

Follow these steps to change the app policy for selected apps.
  1. From the IBM MaaS360 Portal home page, go to Apps > Catalog.
  2. Select the apps that you want to change the policy setting.
  3. On the Change app policy window, select Schedule updates from the Update app drop-down list.
Also, the workflow supports bulk scheduling of updates by directly triggering a new scheduler creation process. Follow these steps to setup a schedule for app update to bulk apps.
  1. From the IBM MaaS360 Portal home page, go to Apps > Catalog.
  2. Select the apps that you want to schedule updates.
  3. Click Schedule updates.
  4. A pop-up is displayed to confirm the app updates for the selected apps. Click Confirm.

    The Create action page is displayed. Follow the online instructions to set a recurring schedule for the selected apps.