Renewing APNS Configurations

About this task

You need to renew the Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) certificate in the APNS configuration before the APNS certificate expires to ensure SOTI MobiControl can continue to manage your Apple devices. Failure to renew the APNS certificate before it expires will require you to re-enroll all of your Apple devices.

Important: If you are renewing an APNS certificate, ensure that renew is selected rather than create new certificate. If a new APNS certificate is installed with a different topic string, all iOS devices must be re-enrolled to receive any updated configurations.

To renew an APNS certificate:

Procedure

  1. Select Global Settings from the main menu.
  2. From the Settings tree on the left, select Apple > Apple Push Notification Service to open the Apple Push Notification Service page (see Apple Push Notification Service).
  3. Click Modify to open the Create Configuration dialog box (see Create/Modify APNS Configuration).
  4. Click Download to download the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) file to your computer. You'll use this to renew the APNS certificate using the Apple Push Certificate portal.
  5. Open a new browser window and log into the Apple Push Certificate portal using the same Apple ID that was used to create your existing APNS certificate. If you provided the Apple ID when creating the APNS configuration, you will find it in the APNS configuration under Apple ID - see Apple Push Notification Service.
  6. In the Apple Push Certificate portal, locate the APNS certificate that has the same Topic String value as that of the APNS certificate in the APNS configuration. The topic string of an APNS certificate in the Apple Push Certificate portal is the value of Subject DN > UID, which you can find by clicking the i> icon next to the certificate. The topic string of the APNS certificate in SOTI MobiControl is the value of the Topic String field - see Apple Push Notification Service.
  7. Having located the correct APNS certificate in the Apple Push Certificate portal, click Renew and upload the CSR file you have downloaded earlier.
    You receive a .pem certificate file in return.
  8. In the Apple ID field (if this field is empty), enter the ID you've used at the Apple Push Certificate portal, for future reference.
  9. Click Save.

Results

You can now enroll your Apple devices.

APNS certificates are valid for one year. Always ensure you renew the certificate before the expiration date. If the certificate expires, all devices must be re-enrolled.