Gadget administration has developed within the enterprise to cowl increasingly units below 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. Nonetheless, the enrollment and administration course of for IoT units is exclusive.
IT directors that handle Home windows IoT endpoints for functions akin to digital signage, skinny purchasers, kiosks, sensors and medical units, ought to be taught the completely different management and enrollment choices for his or her IoT fleet.
Totally different editions of Home windows for IoT
As organizations plan how you can handle Home windows IoT units, it is good to start out with a quick overview of the obtainable 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 selected state of affairs.
Home windows Server IoT 2022. It is a full version of Windows Server 2022 that gives enterprise administration and security measures 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 accommodates the administration and security measures which might be recognized from Home windows 10.
Home windows IoT Enterprise is the commonest version that’s used for fixed-purpose units. And it is also the version that matches the best in the commonest Microsoft-focused unified endpoint administration methods. One thing comparable is relevant to Home windows 10 IoT Core. Nonetheless, on condition that this method is barely Home windows 10 and never Home windows 11, it isn’t an apparent selection when wanting on the support timeline of Windows 10.
The administration capabilities for Home windows IoT Enterprise units are just like different Home windows Enterprise licensed units — primarily as a result of they’re based mostly on the identical binaries so the administration is comparable as effectively.
Choices for managing Home windows IoT Enterprise
The administration capabilities for Home windows IoT Enterprise units are just like different Home windows Enterprise licensed units — primarily as a result of they’re based mostly on the identical binaries so the administration is comparable as effectively. The next administration choices can be found:
Microsoft Intune. That is the commonest platform for managing Home windows IoT Enterprise units by way of a cloud-based machine administration service. It offers comparable administration capabilities as different Home windows Enterprise units.
Microsoft Configuration Supervisor. That is the machine administration platform for Home windows IoT Enterprise units when a cloud-based platform shouldn’t be obtainable or not an possibility. It offers comparable administration capabilities as different Home windows Enterprise units.
Azure Arc-enabled servers. Directors can use Azure Arc-enabled servers to connect with Home windows IoT Enterprise units. They supply the power to watch efficiency, uncover apps, accumulate log information 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 just like Home windows Enterprise, the obvious selection for enrolling Home windows IoT units would possibly appear to be Windows Autopilot.
Nonetheless, on the time of publishing, Home windows Autopilot shouldn’t be 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 different.
Methods to create an Intune provisioning package deal
The creation of a provisioning package deal is a simple 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 installing Home windows Configuration Designer, merely observe 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 undertaking dialog field, specify the next info, and click on End:
Identify. Specify a reputation for the undertaking.
Undertaking folder. Specify a location to save lots of the undertaking.
Description. Specify an outline for the undertaking — this step is non-obligatory.
On the Arrange machine web page, specify the next info, and click on Subsequent:
Gadget identify. Specify a naming commonplace for the units 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-obligatory.
Configure units for shared use. Choose if the units can be shared units — this step is non-obligatory.
Take away preinstalled software program. Choose if the preinstalled software program can be eliminated — this step is non-obligatory.
On the Arrange community web page, specify the Wi-Fi community — although this step can be non-obligatory — and click on Subsequent.
On the Account Administration web page, specify the next info, and click on Subsequent:
Handle Group/College 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 Utility web page, add the functions that have to be provisioned, and click on Subsequent. This step is non-obligatory.
On the Add a certificates web page, add the certificates that have to be provisioned, and click on Subsequent. This step is non-obligatory.
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 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 mechanically begins the method to arrange the PC and ensure the supplied provisioning package deal so it joins Microsoft Entra and automatically enrolls into Microsoft Intune.
Alternatively, admins can apply the provisioning package deal on current 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 skilled as effectively.