Overview
Device Guardian is part of the Zebra Guardian portfolio, providing comprehensive solutions for device management and accountability. The Zebra Guardian offerings include:
Device Guardian (DG) - A cloud-based solution designed to streamline the tracking and recovery of missing devices, mitigating inventory shrinkage. It utilizes existing Wi-Fi network infrastructure, Bluetooth, and audio capabilities, eliminating the need for additional hardware. Device Guardian identifies the general vicinity of a missing device based on its connection to an Access Point (AP) within the facility. A visual proximity indicator provides real-time feedback on the device's location relative to the finder, using Bluetooth beacon transmissions. If the device out of sight, an alert can be remotely activated to further pinpoint its exact location.
Device Guardian Access Management (DGAM) - Expands upon Device Guardian by offering enhanced capabilities beyond its previously mentioned features and benefits, including local visibility into device status to optimize operations. A physical kiosk display provides insights into the Zebra Guardian solution, facilitating easy monitoring of device availability, tracking device-user assignments, and ensuring devices are fully charged before deployment. For features unique to DGAM, refer to the Access Management guide.
Identity Guardian - Integrates seamlessly with Device Guardian to facilitate accountability management for both devices and users. Accountability data is securely transmitted to the cloud, enabling users to easily access and review device details. This feature offers visibility into who is responsible for each device, enhancing transparency and traceability within the system. This requires a separate installation
This guide focuses on Device Guardian (DG) and Device Guardian Access Management (DGAM). All sections apply to both products, unless specified otherwise, except for Access Management, which is relevant only to DGAM.
Learn about Getting Started with DG and DGAM.
Main Features
Main features of Device Guardian:
- Cloud-based scalable solution hosted and maintained by Zebra with support for up to 100K devices in multiple locations.
- Support for central administrator, site manager, and associate roles.
- The web portal provides a corporate-level dashboard for administrators and site-level dashboard for managers to monitor and track devices.
- Registration of:
- Sites and access points with friendly names to easily identify device location.
- Devices to assigned site with user friendly names for simple device identification.
- Simple to deploy – install and configure the mobile application using StageNow and Enterprise Mobility Management tools.
- Easily find a missing device with the connected AP location, the Bluetooth-based visual proximity indicator and play sound feature.
- Device Beaconing Modes:
- Primary BLE - This standard feature, available on all devices, uses the integrated Bluetooth radio to emit Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons when the device is enrolled with the Device Guardian server and marked as lost, provided it is not powered off.
- Secondary BLE - An optional feature for select devices equipped with a secondary BLE option, whether device-based or battery-based. This enables the secondary BLE beacon to activate when the host device is powered off, allowing for tracking even with a ‘dead’ battery for a limited time.
- Single Sign On (SSO) support for users to be authenticated with their SSO credentials for device access and for administrators and managers to gain access to their respective dashboards.
- Generate reports to monitor device performance, user activity and site activity.
- Automate workflows to ease the process of finding and tracking devices.
- Automatically receive notifications from lost devices in close proximity via audio, vibrating or LED alerts.
- Locate devices based on GPS coordinates and pinpoint device location on a map.
- Track and locate Bluetooth scanners. Optionally, Virtual Tethering warns users when a paired Bluetooth scanner approaches the edge of the Bluetooth range from its connected host device.
- With Device Guardian Access Management, device management is optimized by providing a kiosk display for immediate monitoring of device availability, accountability, and charge status, while also enhancing workflow efficiency and enabling swift recovery of missing devices through user identification and status tracking.
Important Notes
- When a Zebra Android 13 or Android 11 device with file-based encryption (FBE) is secured with a PIN, password, or pattern lock, it will not connect or communicate with the server for the first time after a reboot until the user unlocks the device. As a result, the device cannot be tracked while it is locked. Once the device is unlocked after rebooting, tracking resumes and the device operates normally, even when it's relocked with a PIN, password, or pattern. This issue arises due to the Firebase Authentication API used by the client, which does not activate until the device is unlocked by the user. To ensure the device functions properly after a reboot, the device can be configured with either a swipe lock or without any lock. This allows the app to continue operating after the device reboots.
- In rare cases, the Device Guardian web portal may not logout automatically after a period of inactivity. If this occurs, performing any action in the web portal results in unauthorized access error 401. The user must re-login to recover.
New in 1.1
New Device Operational Features:
- Initiate Device Recovery via Kiosk - Enables a device to start a search for a misplaced device by scanning its QR Code directly at the kiosk.
- Decommissioned or Lost - Provides options to mark devices as Decommissioned or Lost within the kiosk for those categorized as "In Use" or "Missing."
New Device Management Features:
- Device Auto Assignment - Automatically assigns mobile devices to the nearest charging kiosk within Bluetooth range, eliminating manual device registration.
- Device Return Rule - Defines whether devices must be returned to their originating kiosk or can be returned to a different kiosk; accessible during site creation.
- Device Usage Reports - Provides insights into device utilization on the kiosk, detailing the number of devices that are in use, missing, or available across various time periods.
- About Kiosk Updates - Provides updates to the About Kiosk screen, showing the status of Bluetooth Proximity and Return To Different Kiosk.
New Configuration Features:
- Bulk Upload - Supports simultaneous upload of multiple device data for Kiosks and Devices registered with Kiosks.
- Bluetooth Proximity - Automatically logs out users when a device is cradled and activates an alarm if the device is taken beyond the kiosk's Bluetooth range without user login, deactivating when the device returns within range or the user logs in; accessible during site creation.
- Bulk Upload Menu Update - Adds a menu to the Bulk Upload button for sites, offering options to Add, Modify, and Delete.
New Notification Features:
- Email Notifications - Delivers email reports regarding missing devices registered to kiosks.
- Bulk Upload Notifications - Displays the status of bulk uploads for kiosks and their devices, indicating whether an upload has started, succeeded, or failed.
New User Account Features:
- My Profile - Allows logged-in users to update their information, including changing their password; accessible from the dropdown arrow next to the user name in the web portal's title bar.
Resolved Issues:
- Resolved issues related to DGAM App failing to respond.
Known Issues:
- In DGAM Historical Reports, sorting is not functional in the Last Status Update column for all reports.
- In the Email Notification feature, when editing the email configuration, the “Status Reason” and “Select the Type of Report” options reset.
- When devices are recommissioned after being decommissioned, they are not automatically reassigned to the correct site, even if site assignments are configured based on IP address.
- In the web portal, exporting Kiosk Devices with filters applied from the dashboard generates duplicate files with identical data.
- When a device is marked as “Missing” due to a disconnection state and then reconnects, the state updates correctly, but the missing reason remains as “Disconnected.”
- In the client app’s Device Details list, the checked-out username for the last item at the bottom of the list is cut off.
- When access points are deleted from the web console, the Device dashboard on the Android client still displays the old friendly name for the connected access points.
- When the WT63 device goes offline, it fails to display a popup message notifying the user, potentially misleading them into believing the device can still be tracked while offline.