Backpack Setup

Last updated
Save as PDF

Backpack is a feature within an MDM profile which allows administrators to share files with remote devices. This article will outline the steps needed to setup a Backpack share.

Prerequisites

Have MDM network created
Have MDM managed devices (Devices enrolled in MDM network)
Have a shared folder which is publicly accessible, or internal hosted documents that end devices can access
Document delivery is only available for Android and iOS devices
Have Meraki Systems Manager app installed on MDM devices, found in the Google Play and iOS App Store

Backpack Setup Instructions

Log in to an existing Dashboard account.
Navigate to the Systems Manager network.
Open the Systems Manager > Manage > Settings menu and select your profile.
Click '+ Add settings', then select the Backpack item payload.
Give the backpack share a Name which will display on the end user's device.
The URL field must point to the direct download link to a publicly hosted file such as the following, or an internally hosted server accessible by the end user's device. File sharing URLs may require conversion to direct download links before they will function as intended. Please use the tools for these conversions provided below.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/a1b2c3d4ef5gh6/example.docx?dl=1 (see here)
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=FILE_ID (see here)

Note: The URL to access a backpack payload must be HTTPS, and must have a trusted root certificate (self-signed will not work). The URL must also be a direct link. There cannot be any user interaction required to download the file. The destination must not return an HTTP 302 or 307 redirect.

The File Type menu option is used for encoding, click this menu drop down to select file format type or use the default Automatically detect option.
Check the box Keep up to date if planning to update files contained in the share on a regular basis. This will force client to pull updates if the file is updated.
Save Changes.
If this is a new MDM profile strictly used for backpack, Admins will need to push out the profile to devices. If editing an existing profile already deployed to MDM clients, the remote devices will automatically check in and pull in updated backpack settings.
End users can now open the Meraki Systems Manager app installed on their devices and click on Backpack to see files.

Additional Notes

Backpack shares need to point to the complete path of file, not to the root share folder.
Admins will need to create a new file backpack share for each individual file being shared.
If sharing sensitive information admins will want to have the devices connect to Corporate network via VPN and use internal shares.'
iOS 9 and OSX 10.11 require TLSv1.2 SSL for apps