Configuration Profiles (RemoteServiceConfig.xml) on macOS

I. Introduction

In order to get the empower Sync to function as intended on any system, a RemoteServiceConfig.xml file needs to be provided. In companies where device management software is in use (share/ deploy software on more than one device), the administrator needs to share this RemoteServiceConfig.xml to each and every device, prior to the empower installation.

This file should always be shared to the following location:
/Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/empower/

We at empower decided to develop an additional way, in order to provide this file to the clients - using configuration profiles. Based on these configuration profiles and with setting the right variables, the administrator can share those profile onto every device. By doing this, the step where one should first copy the RemoteServiceConfig.xml to the required location is obsolete. By installing a configuration profile and the then following startup of empower, a new RemoteServiceConfig.xml would be created.

II. What are configuration profiles?

Apple's configuration profiles streamline the Mac computer, iPad and iPhone configuration process. You can use Apple's configuration profiles to securely and remotely deploy settings directly from the dashboard to ADM (Apple Device Management) enrolled devices.
 
Configuration profiles have a .mobileconfig extension and are XML files containing payloads. Payloads manage specific settings on Apple devices. A configuration profile can contain more than one payload and an Apple device can have more than one configuration profile.
 
Apple Configuration Profiles are not supported on devices using macOS 10.12 or earlier. Apple Configuration Profiles cannot push to those devices.

III. RemoteServiceConfig.xml

Here follows an example of how such a file should look like - Your dedicated RemoteServiceConfig.xml should be available :
 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ServerConfiguration xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <ActiveServerEndpoint>PLACE_YOUR_SERVER_NAME_HERE</ActiveServerEndpoint>
  <ServerBaseUrl>PLACE_YOUR_SERVER_BASE_URL_HERE</ServerBaseUrl>
  <ServerEndpoint>
    <ServerName>PLACE_YOUR_SERVER_NAME_HERE</ServerName>
    <ServerRoute>empower</ServerRoute>
    <DisableAutoDiscovery>false</DisableAutoDiscovery>
    <AutoDiscoveryTimeout>0</AutoDiscoveryTimeout>
  </ServerEndpoint>
</ServerConfiguration>

IV. Configuration profile variables

While creating a new configuration profile, the following variables should be taken into notice:

• ServerBaseUrl [REQUIRED] → Adequate to ServerBaseUrl in RemoteServiceConfig.xml
• ServerRoute [NOT REQUIRED] → Adequate to ServerRoute in RemoteServiceConfig.xml
  • Default value: empower
• EnableAutoDiscovery [NOT REQUIRED] → Adequate to DisableAutoDiscovery in RemoteServiceConfig.xml
  • Default value: true     

V. How to install a configuration profile on my mac

Here is a link to the official documentation from apple, and how such a configuration profile should be installed locally on a machine

https://support.apple.com/en-mk/guide/mac-help/mh35561/mac

VII. How RemoteServiceConfig.xml & configuration profiles work together?

On every startup of empower, the following logic would be executed: