Machine administration has developed within the enterprise to cowl an increasing number of units beneath one platform, and IoT units are not any exception.
Organizations can enroll units operating Home windows IoT with Intune and handle them alongside Home windows desktop OSes, smartphones, tablets, macOS desktops and even some Linux distributions. Nevertheless, the enrollment and administration course of for IoT units is exclusive.
IT directors that handle Home windows IoT endpoints for functions resembling digital signage, skinny shoppers, kiosks, sensors and medical units, ought to be taught the completely different administration and enrollment choices for his or her IoT fleet.
Completely different editions of Home windows for IoT
As organizations plan the best way to handle Home windows IoT units, it is good to start out with a short overview of the out there Home windows editions that they will run. The completely different editions additionally include completely different administration choices:
Home windows IoT Enterprise. It is a full model of Home windows Enterprise that additionally consists of some particular options to create devoted units which might be locked all the way down to a particular situation.
Home windows Server IoT 2022. It is a full model of Home windows Server 2022 that gives enterprise administration and safety features to IoT methods. The principle 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 incorporates the administration and safety features which might be recognized from Home windows 10.
Home windows IoT Enterprise is the most typical version that’s used for fixed-purpose units. And it is also the version that matches the simplest in the most typical Microsoft-focused unified endpoint administration methods. One thing related is relevant to Home windows 10 IoT Core. Nevertheless, provided that this technique is simply Home windows 10 and never Home windows 11, it is not an apparent alternative when wanting on the help timeline of Home windows 10.
The administration capabilities for Home windows IoT Enterprise units are much like different Home windows Enterprise licensed units — primarily as a result of they’re based mostly on the identical binaries so the administration is analogous as effectively.
Choices for managing Home windows IoT Enterprise
The administration capabilities for Home windows IoT Enterprise units are much like different Home windows Enterprise licensed units — primarily as a result of they’re based mostly on the identical binaries so the administration is analogous as effectively. The next administration choices can be found:
Microsoft Intune. That is the most typical platform for managing Home windows IoT Enterprise units by way of a cloud-based system administration service. It offers related administration capabilities as different Home windows Enterprise units.
Microsoft Configuration Supervisor. That is the system administration platform for Home windows IoT Enterprise units when a cloud-based platform is just not out there or not an possibility. It offers related administration capabilities as different Home windows Enterprise units.
Azure Arc-enabled servers. Directors can use Azure Arc-enabled servers to hook up with Home windows IoT Enterprise units. They supply the flexibility to watch efficiency, uncover apps, acquire log knowledge and audit settings.
Methods to enroll Home windows IoT Enterprise units into Microsoft Intune
The most typical methodology for managing Home windows IoT units is by utilizing Microsoft Intune. Because the binaries are much like Home windows Enterprise, the obvious alternative for enrolling Home windows IoT units may appear to be Home windows Autopilot.
Nevertheless, 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, however it 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 different.
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 comply with these eight steps to create a provisioning package deal that may enroll Home windows IoT Enterprise units into Microsoft Intune:
Open the Home windows Configuration Designer app, and click on Provision desktop units.
On the New challenge dialog field, specify the next data, and click on End:
Title. Specify a reputation for the challenge.
Venture folder. Specify a location to save lots of the challenge.
Description. Specify an outline for the challenge — this step is elective.
On the Arrange system web page, specify the next data, and click on Subsequent:
Machine title. Specify a naming customary for the units that may embrace 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 elective.
Configure units for shared use. Choose if the units might be shared units — this step is elective.
Take away preinstalled software program. Choose if the preinstalled software program might be eliminated — this step is elective.
On the Arrange community web page, specify the Wi-Fi community — although this step can also be elective — and click on Subsequent.
On the Account Administration web page, specify the next data, 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 an area administrator button if they need.
On the Add an Software web page, add the purposes that should be provisioned, and click on Subsequent.This step is elective.
On the Add a certificates web page, add the certificates that should be provisioned, and click on Subsequent.This step is elective.
On the End web page, confirm the required configuration, and click on Create.
Methods to apply a provisioning package deal for Intune
On new units, directors can apply the provisioning package deal throughout Out of Field Expertise (OOBE). Admins can carry out an identical job 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 occasions. That gives the consumer 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 robotically begins the method to arrange the PC and ensure the supplied provisioning package deal so it joins Microsoft Entra and robotically enrolls into Microsoft Intune.
Alternatively, admins can apply the provisioning package deal on present units. 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 advisor 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 effectively.
