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Pairing and Staging Operations |
  
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Pairing and Staging Operations
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Pairing and Staging Operations |
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Overview
The management of the device pool within a site makes use of 2 operations - Pairing and Staging.
Pairing
The process of connecting a device to the MCL-Mobility Platform account, specifically, to a device group that is compatible with the devices' manufacturer, model and OS is a Pairing. The objective of a pairing is, basically, to associate devices to the account so their use can be managed, centrally, by the site it is included in.
Pairing can be performed manually, via a Pin Code (option available to all supported Android/WM/CE devices - see Manual Pairing) OR with the use of a QR code or a file that is generated in the destination device group - both options provide pairing information (site/device group identity/location) to the device which uses it to target a specific element in the MCL-Mobility Platform account.
The use of a QR code with pairing information is restricted to Android devices with a camera. We call it "Automatic mode" because it only requires the devices to read the QR code - the device executes the rest without human intervention.
Pairing can also be executed with the help of a file with pairing information. Once it is installed into the device, it triggers the communication to the account. This pairing is available to all supported Android/WM/CE devices. Pairing through a file is usually associated to "Mass Pairing" - the pairing of a large number of devices.
If your Android devices have NFC and you already have, at least, one paired device ("template device"), you can use its NFC to deliver its settings onto another compatible Android device (same manufacturer/model and with NFC) that is NOT connected to the account. Once this secondary device receives the intended pairing information (site/device group identity/location), it will communicate with the account and associate with the same device group as the "template device".
Staging
The process of providing the necessary configurations to a device and have them configured in its OS or MCL environment is a Staging. The staging process is part of the device management itself because it is used to configure the connected devices with specific settings that are defined within the site/device group they are included in.
For details on how to create network profiles and assign them to a device group, see Creating a Profile and Editing a Device Group - "Network Profiles" tab.
The necessary staging information (ex: device group's network settings) can be delivered/configured via a QR code, a file or NFC:
•Staging via a QR code is ONLY available to Android devices with a camera. Since it simply requires the operator to scan the QR code (the staging information is read and adopted by the device automatically), we consider the use of the QR code for staging as "automatic mode".
•The use of a file to deliver staging information to a device and have it configured in its OS or MCL environment is available to all the supported Android/WM/CE devices. After the file is installed in the device, the related OS or MCL environment settings are configured accordingly and applied.
•For Android devices with NFC, it is also possible to have a device provide staging information to another device. This requires 2 devices (same manufacturer/model, with NFC), one of them already paired (master device), communicating the staging information to another device (secondary device) which adopts the received settings.
The "automatic mode" can accommodate the pairing and staging operations simultaneously, meaning, the QR code that is generated, in a device group, can include pairing and staging information so, when the device reads the QR code, it, simultaneously, gets the identity/location of the device group it should be associated to and it receives info on the network settings it should use to contact the account (which are also defined in the device group's details).
Ex: If you generate a QR code in a device group that has no network profile defined, the QR code will only contain pairing information and when it is read by an Android device, it will ONLY perform an automatic pairing operation. If the device group already has defined network settings when the QR code is generated, when the device reads the QR code, it will pair with that device group and configure its settings with the staging information.
The file used for the pairing or staging of a device can also provide pairing and staging information simultaneously - the file is, basically, another representation of the QR code used in the "automatic mode".
When using the NFC between 2 compatible devices, it is also possible to execute a pairing/staging, at the same time - if there is, simultaneously, pairing and staging information available in the master device, it will be delivered through NFC and the secondary device will configure itself accordingly.
When the paired devices are Android, you must consider the following points to manage the device's permissions:
•Some manufacturers enable their devices' permissions by default.
•Some permissions are requested/meant to be granted during the pairing/staging operation (ex: access to the device's camera) or when running an MCL application with specific requirements.
•Sometimes, it is necessary to grant permissions manually to have access to certain features because there is no obvious/direct request to grant device permissions. The checking/manual granting of permissions is executed in the MCL App Desktop environment (access the MCL App Desktop menu, select "Permissions" and enable the intended permissions). Refer to the MCL-Designer User Guide for more information on MCL App Desktop and device permissions.
•Bear in mind that once a permission is granted, it CANNOT be revoked.
The step-by-step and methods available for the pairing/staging operations may differ because of the OS of the devices involved. Ex: Android devices use wifi and WM/CE devices use wifi or a USB connection, WM/CE devices use Windows Mobile Device Center to access their folders and install the intended file, Android devices with a camera can pair/trigger a staging with a QR code scan, etc..
Check the direct links below and follow the appropriate one OR see Adding a Device for an overview of the available pairing/staging methods.
Automatic Pairing/Staging onto a Device Group
Automatic Pairing/Staging onto the "Unassigned" Device Group
Pairing/Staging between Devices (via NFC)