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Zebra LifeGuard Over-the-Air Integration with Microsoft Intune

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Important

This feature is now generally available.

Microsoft Intune supports/provides integration with Zebra LifeGuard Over-the-Air (LG OTA), so that you can have a single area for managing firmware updates for supported Zebra devices. Zebra LifeGuard Over-the-Air (LG OTA) is a service offered by Zebra Technologies that allows deployment of updates to their Android devices in a hands-free and automated manner.

Microsoft Intune allows you to manage firmware updates for supported Zebra devices directly through the Intune admin center.

Intune manages the creation, management, and monitoring of these deployments through APIs provided by Zebra. Zebra's services and on-device clients handle other complexities (such as evaluating customer entitlements and device compatibility), update hosting, update delivery, and installation.

Prerequisites

Government cloud support

Zebra LifeGuard Over-the-Air updates are supported with the following sovereign cloud environments:

  • U.S. Government Community Cloud (GCC) High
  • U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

For more information, see Microsoft Intune for US Government GCC service description.

Supported Devices

LG OTA is supported on the following devices:

For more specific information on supported devices, see Zebra's TechDocs.

The following aren't supported in public preview:

  • Graph assignment with inclusions/exclusions

Process overview

The process for using LG OTA via Intune is as follows:

  1. Set up Zebra connector.
  2. Enroll devices with Zebra LG OTA service.
    3. Approve and deploy required apps for your tenant.
    4. Create app configuration policy.
  3. Create and assign deployments in Intune.
  4. View and manage deployments.

Before you start

You must enroll devices separately with the Zebra LG OTA service before devices can be updated. We recommend that you identify the devices to use with LG OTA, and create a group containing only those devices, to make the enrollment process easier.

Step 1: Set up Zebra Connector

In the Microsoft Intune admin center, you can link Intune and Zebra.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center.
  2. Select Tenant administration > Connectors and tokens > Firmware over-the-air update.
  3. Select Zebra. A context panel appears and guides you through the process of setting up your tenant for LG OTA.
  4. Select Connect and consent to data sharing with Zebra. The context panel is refreshed, and a temporary authorization link becomes enabled in the context panel.
  5. Select the authorization link and follow the prompts on the Zebra portal to authorize access for Intune.

Important

Remember the email address of the Zebra account you use to authorize Intune. You'll need this if you contact Zebra for support. Intune doesn't store this information.

Note

This authorization link expires in 10 minutes. If it expires, select Refresh to generate a new link.

  1. After the authorization process is complete, an enrollment token will auto-populate within the context panel. If the token doesn't appear, select Refresh. Copy the enrollment token to your clipboard, as you'll need the token later.

Note

Before you select Copy from the context panel, make sure to select Show Token. Not doing this will send asterisks to your clipboard rather than the token value.

Step 2: Enroll Devices with Zebra LG OTA Service

You must enroll devices separately with the Zebra LG OTA service before devices can be updated. We recommend that you identify which devices need to be updated and used with LG OTA. Then create a group containing only those devices, to make the enrollment process easier.

2a: Approve and deploy required apps for your tenant

Zebra requires two apps present on the device to perform enrollment with the LG OTA service.

The apps required are:

  • Zebra Enrollment Manager
  • Zebra Common Transport Layer

Use Managed Google Play to add them to your tenant. For information on how to add them to your tenant, see Add and assign Managed Google Play apps to Android Enterprise devices

Next, assign Zebra Enrollment Manager and Zebra Common Transport Layer as Required apps for all the Zebra devices you want to update and use with LG OTA. The apps are deployed automatically to those devices.

Enabling a Zebra package as a system app

If you're planning to use LG OTA to update a device running on Android 11, you need to enable another Zebra package as a system app. For more information on how to enable system apps, see Manage Android Enterprise system apps in Microsoft Intune

Build System app to be enabled
Any build of Android 11 that is earlier than 11-20-18.00-RG-U00 com.symbol.tool.stagenow
11-20-18.00-RG-U00 or 11-20-18.00-RG-U02 com.zebra.devicemanager
Any build of Android 11 that is later than 11-20-18.00-RG-U02 (None required)

2b: Create app configuration policy

From the context panel in the Set up Zebra connector screen, select the link - Go to app configuration policies. You need to create an app configuration policy for managed devices for each of the two required apps.

For more information, see Add app configuration policies for managed Android Enterprise devices

Policy targeting Zebra Enrollment Manager app

  1. Select Add and then select Managed Devices.

  2. Complete the fields in the Basic tab and select Next.

  3. In the Settings tab, under the Permissions section, select Add to add the following permission override:

    1. Permission: Phone state (read)
    2. Permission state: set to Auto grant

  4. In the Settings tab, under the Configuration Settings section, select Add to add the following two configuration settings:

    1. Action: Set Configuration value to Claim Device.
    2. Claim Device Token: Paste the enrollment token that you copied in the earlier step into the Configuration value field.

  5. Assign this configuration policy to all the same devices that you assigned the app earlier.

  6. Navigate through the tabs and complete the fields.

Policy targeting Zebra Common Transport Layer app

  1. Select Add and then select Managed Devices.

  2. Complete the fields in the Basic tab and select Next.

  3. In the Settings tab, under the Permissions section, select Add to add the following permission override:

    1. Permission: Phone state (read)
    2. Permission state: set to Auto grant

  4. Assign this configuration policy to all the same devices that you assigned the app earlier.

  5. Navigate through the tabs and complete the fields.

Wait at least 15 minutes for the required apps and app configuration policy to reach the devices. If needed, use the Intune app on the device to force a sync by navigating to the Intune app > select the More menu (...), and select Sync.

After synchronization is complete, the devices that support LG OTA will contact Zebra LG OTA service to be enrolled in the LG OTA service and are associated with the Microsoft Intune/Zebra accounts. You can then deploy firmware updates to these LG OTA enrolled devices.

Step 3: Create and Assign Deployments

Note

LG OTA deployments are fire and forget actions and are not persistent policies that enforce compliance. Therefore, Microsoft refers to them as deployments rather than policy. For example, if an upgrade fails initially but later the issue is remediated, LG OTA will not try to update the device even after the issue is remediated.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center.

  2. Select Devices > By platform > Android > Manage updates > Android FOTA deployments to create and manage FOTA deployments.

  3. Select Create deployment.

  4. On the Basics tab, specify a name for this policy, specify a description (optional), and then select Next.

  5. On the Settings tab, configure the deployment settings you'd like to use.

    Note

    Zebra does not support firmware downgrades through LG OTA. Downgrading the operating system on a device causes an Enterprise Reset, wiping all user data and potentially leaving the device in an unmanaged state.
    For more information on available settings, see Zebra documentation.

    1. In the Update area, configure the following options:

      1. Select the target firmware or update to deploy for the devices in this deployment.
        1. Release: Select if you want to install the Latest release available for the device, or Custom to choose specific firmware.
        2. Model: Choose the device model you want to target with this deployment. If you're not sure which firmware to select, or for model and version compatibility, see Zebra documentation.

      Note

      If you assign the deployment to a group containing devices of other models, only devices of the selected model are updated.

    2. In the Deployment Schedule area, configure the following options:

      1. Select when the update is deployed.
      2. Schedule Mode: Choose when you want the deployment to start running.
        1. Run as soon as possible: The deployment starts running immediately and lasts for 28 days after you select Create at the end of this flow.
        2. Scheduled: More options are available when you select Scheduled.
      3. Time zone: Select a time zone for the devices being updated.
      4. Start: Specify when the deployment must start running.
      5. End: If you don't specify an end time, the deployment runs for 28 days.

    3. In the Installation Schedule area, configure the following options:

      1. Select when the installation can take place. If you don't specify, devices start installing updates once the deployment starts running.
        1. Time zone: select the time zone for the devices being updated. The time zone you select must match the time zone selected in Deployment schedule, if you defined a deployment schedule.
      2. Start/End: Specify when you want to allow the updates to be installed. Once installation begins, a complete installation is attempted even if it's past the end time.
      3. Delay installation until: On devices Android 10 and earlier, Zebra supports delaying installation to a specific time after the device downloads an update. On Android 11 and later, this setting doesn't do anything, as updates are installed in the background while being downloaded.

    4. In the Device conditions area, configure the following options:

      1. Specify device conditions that must be met for downloading and installation to take place.
        1. Minimum battery level: battery level between 30-100%
        2. Require device to be connected to charger: yes/no
        3. Network type: choose the type of network the device must be connected to for downloading and installation to take place.

  6. When ready, select Next to continue to Assignments.

  7. On the Assignments tab, choose + Select groups to include and then assign your deployments to one or more groups. Review these important guidelines for assignment. When ready, select Next to continue.

  8. On the Review + create tab, review your settings.

  9. When ready, select Create to create the deployment. The deployment is created with Zebra for the list of assigned devices.

Important guidelines for assignment

When you create an LG OTA deployment, Intune sends information about the deployment to the Zebra LG OTA service, which processes the request and updates eligible devices accordingly. Eligible refers to a Zebra device that is successfully enrolled with the LG OTA service. Deployments can't be modified after they're created. As a result, these deployments have different assignment behavior from many other policies in Intune.

When you assign a deployment to a group, only eligible Zebra devices, at the time the deployment was created, are included in the deployment request that Intune sends to Zebra for processing by the Zebra LG OTA service. So, dynamic group membership updates may not be reflected in LG OTA deployments.

If devices are added to an assigned group after the deployment is created, those devices won't be part of the deployment in the LG OTA service. To update devices that are added to a group after the deployment is created, you can create a new deployment with the same settings, and assign it to the same group. Devices in the group that have already been updated by the first deployment won't be updated again.

If devices are later removed from an assigned group after the deployment is created, those devices may still be updated if they were already part of this deployment request sent to the LG OTA service. You should assume that all eligible Zebra devices that were ever added to the assigned groups are updated, even if they're removed from the group afterwards.

Example

  • You have a dynamic group G that contains three TC57 devices A, B, and C. Every time a new TC57 device is enrolled in your tenant, it's automatically added to the dynamic group. A, B, and C devices start off running firmware version v1.
  • On January 1, you use Intune and LG OTA to create a deployment that runs as soon as possible, to update devices in G from v1 to v2. All three devices are now on v2.
  • On February 1, a new TC57 device, D, running firmware version v1, is enrolled in the tenant. D is automatically added to the group, and now there are four devices in group G. D isn't part of the January 1 deployment, so if you want to update D to v2, you need create a new deployment assigned to either D or G.
  • On February 15, you create a deployment that runs as soon as possible, to update devices in G to v3. Now, devices A, B, C, and D are all on v3.
  • On March 1, you use Intune and LG OTA to create a deployment that starts on April 1 and will update devices in G to v4. Intune sends this deployment to the Zebra service on March 1 after you select Create.
  • On March 15, you remove devices A and B from group G.
  • On April 1, the deployment starts running as scheduled. Now, devices A, B, C, D are updated from v3 to v4.

Note

A device can only be part of one deployment at a time. Deployments are only supported for devices, not users. For example, if you assign a deployment to a group containing a device A and a user B who is associated with device B, only device A will receive the deployment.
Assignment filters are not currently supported. Deployments that are assigned to empty groups, or groups containing no eligible devices, will fail. If you assigned to or targeted an empty group, it will fail.

Step 4: View and Manage Deployments

After deployments are completed, you can view them from Devices > Android > Android FOTA deployments (Preview).

Reporting displays information for eligible devices only and is currently refreshed every hour. For example, if you assign a deployment to a group containing non-Zebra devices, or Zebra devices that aren't enrolled with the LG OTA service, those devices aren't included in the Android FOTA deployments reports.

Each deployment displays details related to:

  • Deployment status: The status of the deployment. For more information, see the following table.

  • Completed devices: The number of eligible devices where the update is completed.

  • Failed devices: The number of devices where the update failed.

  • Total devices: The total number of eligible devices targeted.

  • Release: The associated firmware release.

The status of a deployment is different from the status of individual devices in the deployment. For example, if you create a deployment that targets two devices and only one is successfully updated, the deployment is considered Completed. However, it shows one device as failed and one as successful.

Intune deployment status Description
Creation in progress Intune has sent a deployment request to Zebra service.
Failed to create Failed to create deployment in the Zebra service.
Created Deployment is created but start date hasn't been reached.
Deployment in progress Start date has been reached, and end date hasn't passed.
Completed The deployment end date has passed.
Cancellation requested Intune has sent a cancellation request to the Zebra service.
Canceled Deployment is successfully canceled with the Zebra service.

By selecting the More (…) menu next to a deployment, or by selecting the deployment details, you can attempt to Cancel a deployment that is in progress or Delete a completed deployment from Intune. Zebra doesn't support editing of already created deployments.

View device level details of a deployment

  1. Select a deployment name to view more details.
  2. The Device status chart shows a breakdown of the status for assigned devices.
  3. Select View report to view device-level information, where you can filter by status and view error codes (if applicable).
  4. Each device displays its update status alongside:
  • A Zebra deployment ID. This ID can be useful when contacting Zebra support.
  • A Status detail, if applicable. If an error code is displayed
    • Code NOTAPPLICABLE: the device isn't enrolled with the LG OTA service, or not eligible for this update
    • Numeric error code. For example, 4009. Contact Zebra support for more details on next steps.

Disconnecting Zebra connector

  1. Go to Tenant admin > Connectors and tokens > Firmware over-the-air.
  2. Select Disconnect and confirm the disconnection. This disconnects your Intune tenant from Zebra and existing deployments will not be affected.