Install & Administration

Overview

This section discusses installation and configuration of Device Tracker. The client app (APK file) can be downloaded from the Zebra support portal and Zebra’s StageNow tool or an EMM can be used for deployment to the mobile devices. The web portal URL is supplied by Zebra during the cloud setup process, providing administrators the ability to manage users, view licenses and enable check-in/check-out.

Installation and configuration on the device:

Install client APK file. Ensure all permissions are granted.
Disable battery optimization, to permit the client app to continue running in the background during doze mode (Android’s power-saving feature triggered when the device is in a prolonged suspended state).
Allow overlay permission (optional). If the Check-out feature is required to prevent users from accessing the device prior to scanning their unique user barcode, automatically allow the overlay permission for device check-out without manual intervention. See Check-out section for more information.
Launch the app.
Deploy server settings to communicate with the cloud server.

Steps 1 to 4 can be accomplished by creating a StageNow installation profile and step 5 by creating a StageNow configuration profile.

Configuration of the Device Tracker solution:

Create/Manage admin and manager logins – Administrators use the web portal to:
- Add/Delete administrators
- Add/Delete site managers
- Reset passwords
Configure access points - Register access point location to identify which AP the device is connected to and aid in locating the device.
- Assign friendly name to access point based on the AP physical location on site
- Assign site location – to identify which site the AP belongs
Configure devices - Register device information to identify the devices.
- Assign friendly name
- Assign a site location

Configure the Check-out feature (optional):

Enable/Disable check-out – Administrators toggle the check-out feature in the web portal, enforcing users to scan their user barcode at the beginning of their work shift to check-out their device. This associates the device to the particular user.
Add/Modify barcode prefix for the barcode used during check-out. This adds the restriction to only accept scanned barcodes that begin with the specified prefix.
Generate user barcodes for check-out, if needed.

Note: During a Google Play Services update, the Android system automatically stops Device Tracker. After the update is complete, relaunch the Device Tracker app or reboot the device to continue tracking of the device.

Requirements

See Requirements.

Create StageNow Profiles

This section provides procedures to create 2 separate StageNow profiles for deployment: installation and configuration. Zebra’s StageNow tool or an EMM can be used for device deployment. StageNow version 4.2 or higher is required if automatically bypassing the overlay permission for the optional Check-out feature. See Zebra downloads for the StageNow install file.

Create StageNow Installation Profile

Create a StageNow installation profile to perform the following:

     A. Install the Device Tracker client APK file.
     B. Disable battery optimization to permit the client app to continue running in the background even while the system is in doze mode while in long suspended state.
     C. [Optional] If using the Check-out feature to enforce users to scan their unique barcode prior to accessing the device, automatically allow the overlay permission for device check-out without manual intervention.
     D. Start the app.
     E. Add a delay (minimum of 5 seconds) to allow time for the app to be ready to accept the configurations before implementing the StageNow configuration profile.

For part C, the client app certificate must be extracted. Perform the steps in section Extract Client App Certificate below before proceeding.

To create a StageNow installation profile:

Open StageNow on a host computer.
In the StageNow home screen, click Create New Profile from the left menu.
Ensure MX version 8.0 or higher is selected at the top drop-down selector. The MX version on the device should match this or higher. See MX documentation for instructions how to check the version. If automatically bypassing the overlay permission for Check-out, select MX 10.0 or higher.
Select Xpert Mode from the list and click Create. Wizard selection
Enter the profile name. Click Start.
If using StageNow to copy the install file to the device, scroll down and click the plus (+) sign next to FileMgr. This adds FileMgr to the Config tab on the right side.
Scroll to AppMgr and click the plus (+) sign next to it. This adds AppMgr to the Config tab on the right side.
Repeat step 7 again. AppMgr is listed twice in the Config tab.
If automatically bypassing the screen overlay permission, scroll to AccessMgr and click the plus (+) sign next to it. This adds AccessMgr to the Config tab on the right side.
Repeat step 7 again. AppMgr is listed in the Config tab.
If using EMM for device deployment, skip this step and proceed to step 13. Scroll to find ConditionMgr and click the plus (+) sign next to it. This adds ConditionMgr to the Config tab on the right side. List of config settings added
Click Add.
If using StageNow to copy the install file to the device, proceed with this step. Otherwise, skip to step 14.
StageNow Config 1 - Copy the install file to the device with FileMgr. In the FileMgr screen under the Create New Setting tab, select and enter the desired options to install the APK, for example:
     • File Action: Transfer/Copy File
     • Target Access Method: File in the device file system
     • Target Path and File Name: [enter file path]
     • Source Access Method: [select applicable method]
     • Source File URI: [enter information prompted]
Click Continue.
StageNow Config 2 – Install the client app. For the first AppMgr, select the following:
• Action: Install
Enter/select the desired options for the remaining fields. Click Continue.
StageNow Config 3 – Battery Optimization. For the second AppMgr, enter/select the following:
• Action: Application for Battery Optimization
• Remove Application for Battery Optimization: com.zebra.devicetrackercloud
Click Continue.
StageNow Config 4 – Grant overlay permission. For AccessMgr, enter the following:
     • Permission Access Action: Grant Permission to an Application
     • Permission Name: System Alert Window
     • Application Package Name: com.zebra.devicetrackercloud
     • Application Signature: [path of certificate file extracted (see Extract Client App Certificate below)]
StageNow Config 5 – Launch app. For the third AppMgr, enter/select the following:
• Action: Launch an application
• Application Name: Device Tracker
Click Continue.
If using EMM for device deployment, skip this step and proceed to step 19.
StageNow Config 6 – Add a delay for the app to be ready to accept configurations. In the ConditionMgr screen under the “Create New Setting” tab, enter/select the following:
     • Data Type: Integer
     • Integer System Value: Battery Level
     • Integer Condition Test: Equal-to a Constant Integer
     • Integer Constant Value: 0
     • Condition Met Action: Success
     • Condition Not Met Action: Retry
     • Condition Repeat Count: 5
     • Condition Repeat Interval: 1
     • Condition Fail Message: [enter message text]
     • Suppress the error message: enable
This sets the condition such that if the battery level is not 0, it retries 5 times with an interval of 1 second for each retry. The end result is a 5 second delay.
Click Complete Profiles. Profile creation is complete.

Perform one of the following steps based on the staging method. Ensure devices are connected to the network during the staging process:

StageNow: Generate the barcode. Open StageNow on the device and scan the barcode to deploy the app.
EMM: Click on Export the XML for MDM. Send the XML using either OEMConfig or MX to configure the app and grant all required permissions.

Extract Client App Certificate

This section is a pre-requisite to create the StageNow installation profile. Prior to automatically granting the screen overlay permission, the Device Tracker certificate must be extracted. Automatically granting the screen overlay permission avoids the screen overlay detected warning from appearing to the user.

Steps to extract the client app certificate:

Download SigTools.jar from Zebra’s App Signature Tools.
Follow the instructions provided from the link to extract the certificate from Device Tracker’s APK file using command:
java -jar SigTools.jar GetCert -INFORM APK -OUTFORM DER -IN [filename.apk] -OUTFILE [filename.crt]
where [filename.apk] is the full path and file name of the Device Tracker APK install file and [filename.crt] is the designated certificate file name. The file extensions should be preserved in both file names.
The certificate file is extracted as the CRT file. The certificate file is needed to create the StageNow Installation Profile.

Create StageNow Configuration Profile

Create a StageNow configuration profile to apply server settings in the app client for it to communicate with the server. The server configuration XML file is required, supplied by Zebra.

Steps to create a StageNow configuration profile:

Open StageNow on a host computer.
In the StageNow home screen, click Create New Profile from the left menu.
Ensure the proper MX version is selected at the top drop-down selector. This should match the MX version on the device. See MX documentation for instructions how to check the version. Select Xpert Mode from the list and click Create. Wizard selection
Enter the profile name. Click Start.
Find Batch and click the plus (+) sign next to it. This adds Batch to the Config tab on the right side. List of config setting added
Click Add. In the Batch screen, select the following:
     • Batch Action: Execute Batch
     • Batch File Type: XML File
     • Batch File Access Method: File embedded in XML
     • XML File Data: [browse to the server configuration XML file supplied from Zebra services]
Click Continue.
Click Complete Profiles.

Perform one of the following based on the staging method. Ensure devices are connected to the network during the staging process:

StageNow: Generate the barcode. Open StageNow on the device and scan the barcode to deploy the app.
EMM: Click on Export the XML for MDM. Send the XML using either OEMConfig or MX to configure the app and grant all required permissions.

Note: If an enterprise reset is performed on the device, the server settings must be re-applied for communication with the server.

Device Deployment

The device must be connected to the network during deployment. After creating the StageNow profiles, use one of the following methods based on the desired tool for device deployment:

StageNow: Open StageNow client on the device and scan the barcodes generated from the installation and configuration profiles.
EMM: Export each StageNow XML file from the StageNow installation and configuration profiles. Do not edit the XML file - it can cause unexpected behavior. Send the XML using either OEMConfig or MX to configure the app and grant all required permissions. The installation profile and configuration profile XML files must be used separately.

When installation and configuration is complete, reboot the device. Once the app is started on Android O or higher devices, a Device Tracker notification message is displayed in the device notification drawer. This notification cannot be dismissed, indicating that Device Tracker is running in the background.

Site, Access Point and Device Data

Administrators register site names, access points, and device information with friendly names to aid in identifying, tracking and locating devices. Sample AP and device CSV files are supplied by Zebra for the administrator to populate with the appropriate data. Copy the populated CSV files to the mobile device for the data to be imported through the client app. Importing data either modifies or adds entries to the existing database, unless deleting a device. The data fields are:

CSV File	Data	Description	Required
AP	SiteName	Site name or location	Yes
	BSSID	Access point MAC address	Yes
	AssetName	Name used by IT admin for drawings, labeling of hardware, etc. (For future use only – does not have any impact whether or not it is in use.)	Optional
	LocationFriendlyName	Access point location friendly name, useful to identify general device location	Yes
Device	ModelNumber	Device model	Yes
	SerialNumber	Device serial number	Yes
	DeviceFriendlyName	Name used to identify device	Optional
	SiteName	Site name or location where the device is assigned, useful when finding a device	Optional

The device data fields are required in the device .CSV file whether adding or deleting devices. In each .CSV file, keep the header information intact and replace the sample data with the appropriate data desired. It is particularly important for the AP location friendly name to be easily understood for users to determine the location within the facility when finding a device. Special characters, such as '.', '#', '$', '[', or ']', are not supported. The .CSV file cannot be UTF-8 encoded, otherwise an error can occur; it must be saved in a normal comma separated values format.

Sample Import AP .CSV file content:

    
        SiteName,BSSID,AssetName,LocationFriendlyName
        New York,14:a7:2b:24:cc:a5,,First Floor Reception Area

Sample Import Device .CSV file content:

    
        ModelNumber,SerialNumber,DeviceFriendlyName,SiteName
        TC51,17009522509812,Inventory1,Chicago
        TC51,17009522509813,Inventory2,Los Angeles

Sample Delete Device .CSV file content:

    
        ModelNumber,SerialNumber
        TC51,17009522509812
        TC51,17009522509813

Import Site and AP Data

Import site and AP data to register the information with the server. When adding or modifying site and AP data, it is particularly important for the AP friendly name to be easily understood by users to aid in finding the location where the device is connected. A maximum of 20,000 records can be imported at one time.

To import site/AP data from the AP .CSV file:

Copy the .CSV file from the PC to the device root \Internal shared storage folder.
In the client app, login as the admin. In the main screen, tap on the options menu at the top right and select Admin/Manager Login. Enter the Administrator credentials and tap Login.
Tap the top right options menu and select Settings, which is now visible.
Tap Import Access Points/Sites/Devices.
Under the section Import Access Point CSV File, tap Browse File. Browse and select the appropriate .CSV file.
Under the section Import Access Point CSV File, tap Upload CSV.
The AP data import is complete. Results are displayed in the Status section at the bottom of the screen.

Import Device Data

Import device data to register the device information along with a friendly name to aid in device identification. A maximum of 20,000 rcords can be imported at one time.

To add/modify device data, import the device .CSV file:

Copy the CSV file from the PC to the device root \Internal shared storage folder.
In the client app, login as the admin. In the main screen, tap on the options menu at the top right and select Admin/Manager Login. Enter the Administrator credentials and tap Login.
Tap the top right options menu and select Settings, which is now visible.
Tap Import Access Points/Sites/Devices.
Under the section Import Device CSV File, tap Browse File. Browse and select the appropriate .CSV file.
Under the section Import Device CSV File, tap Upload CSV.
The device data import is complete. Results are displayed in the Status section at the bottom of the screen.

New devices imported are initially in the Never Connected state until the Device Tracker app is installed on the devices, configured and communicating with the server.

Delete Device

Deleting a device removes device data from the Device Tracker solution after uninstalling the client app. When a device is deleted, the license is deallocated and released to the license pool. A maximum of 5,000 records can be removed at one time.

Prerequisite: Prior to deleting a device, uninstall the Device Tracker application on the device.

To delete a device, import the device .CSV file containing the specific data to delete:

Copy the .CSV file from the PC to the device root \Internal shared storage folder.
In the client app, login as the admin. In the main screen, tap on the options menu at the top right and select Admin/Manager Login. Enter the Administrator credentials and tap Login.
Tap the top right options menu and select Settings, which is now visible.
Tap Import Access Points/Sites/Devices.
Under the section Import Delete Device CSV File, tap Browse File. Browse and select the appropriate .CSV file.
Under the section Import Delete Device CSV File, tap Upload CSV.
The specified device data is removed from the system. Results are displayed in the Status section at the bottom of the screen.

Web Portal

The web portal provides administrators the capabilities to:

create and manage users
reset passwords
view license information
enable check-in/check-out (optional)

In a supported browser, enter the URL shared by Zebra to access the web portal. For first-time use, login with the super administrator (SuperAdmin) credentials provided by Zebra.

Supported browsers:

Chrome
Edge
Safari (v14.0 and later)

Add User

To add a user:

From the web portal, tap Manage Users in the left menu.
Select the role of the new user: Admin or Manager
Enter the information prompted, including the email and password.
Tap Add User.
The new user is added to the All Users list.

Delete User

To delete a user:

From the web portal, tap Manage Users in the left menu.
From the list of users, locate the user to delete and click on the delete icon next to the user.
Click OK in the confirmation message.

Search for User

User names can be searched by email address. The entire email address must be entered. Action can be taken on the user after the search is performed, e.g. delete user.

To search for a user:

From the web portal, tap Manager Users in the left menu.
Enter the email address to search for in the search field located below the Add User button from the top right of the page. Press the enter key.
The search results are displayed.

Reset Password

The password can be reset through the web portal or the client app if the administrator or manager forgot the password.

Steps to reset the password in the web portal:

From the web portal login page, click Forgot your password.
Enter your email address then click Reset Password.
A message appears indicating a password reset email is sent.
Open the email and click on the link.
Enter in the new password.
The password is reset with the new password.

View License Information

Licenses are required for Device Tracker operation on devices. Licenses are combined into a single license pool regardless of expiration date. When a device registers to the Device Tracker server, if a license available, it is allocated to the device from the license pool.

To view license information:

From the web portal, tap License Summary in the left menu.
The following information is provided based on unexpired licenses:
- Total licenses - quantity of licenses that have been purchased
  - Total licenses available - quantity of licenses that are available and can be allocated to devices
  - Total licenses consumed - quantity of licenses allocated to devices
- List of licenses purchased with corresponding quantity and expiration date. This data is static and removed from the list after the expiration date is surpassed.
- Sync Licenses button to refresh license data on-demand. The license information is updated once each day.
- Time stamp of the last occurrence when the license information was synchronized with the license server.

Device Check-out

Device check-out/check-in is an optional feature that maintains user accountability and traces device use. When enabled, a unique barcode is required for each user to scan at the start of their work shift. User operation in the check-out screen is limited to only scanning barcodes. The check-out screen is in kiosk mode, preventing the user from accessing the device until check-out is performed.

Check-out: At the start of a work shift, the user checks-out the device by scanning their unique barcode. This associates the user with the device, as seen in the device card and device details screen.
Check-in: At the end of a work shift, the user checks-in the device by placing it on a powered cradle or logging out through the top-right menu from the main device screen. After check-in, the user is no longer associated with the device.

The check-out/check-in feature displays an overlay on top of the screen to enforce the user to scan their unique barcode, maintaining user accountability of the device. If any other app also uses a screen overlay, the check-out/check-in feature may conflict with the other app. For example, this feature cannot be used with Zebra’s MotionWorks Proximity application.

Enable check-out/check-in

To toggle check-out:

From the web portal, tap Settings in the left menu.
Toggle Checkin/Checkout to enable the feature.

If enabled, Checkout appears as a device state in the administrator and manager dashboard listing the devices that are checked-out.

Set Check-out Barcode Prefix

When check-out is enabled, by default no prefix is defined allowing all barcodes to be accepted. The administrator can configure a prefix in the form of a character string, adding a restriction to accept only barcodes that begin with the specified prefix. If a barcode scanned does not contain the prefix, check-out is not successful.
When generating a barcode with the prefix, the specified prefix is followed by the username identifier. The following is a sample barcode containing prefix “NGDTRK-” and username “JohnDoe”: Sample barcode with prefix and username: "NGDTRK-JohnDoe"

To set the barcode prefix:

Enable Checkin/Checkout the web portal. This exposes the Prefix field in the Application Configuration screen.
Enter the desired text for the prefix. If all barcodes should be accepted with no prefix, keep the entry blank.
Only barcodes that begin with the specified prefix can initiate the checkout.

Diagnostics

For diagnostic purposes, logging can be enabled in Device Tracker to capture application and system information to Android logcat. RxLogger is a built-in tool on Zebra Android devices that collects data and event logs from logcat and stores them in a single location. If issues are encountered, a Zebra representative may request for the log files to be collected and supplied. There are 2 methods to capture logging: StageNow or EMM.

StageNow

To use StageNow to capture logging:

Open StageNow on the device.
Scan the barcode to enable Device Tracker logging and start RxLogger log capture:
Reproduce the issue.
Scan the barcode to disable Device Tracker logging and stop RxLogger log capture:

Logs are located in the RxLogger folder (default location: /sdcard/RxLogger).

EMM

To use EMM to capture logging, refer to the following XML content:

To enable logging:

<wap-provisioningdoc>
<characteristic version="1.0" type="com.zebra.devicetracker">
    <parm name="EnableLog" value="1" />
</characteristic>
</wap-provisioningdoc>

To disable logging:

<wap-provisioningdoc>
<characteristic version="1.0" type="com.zebra.devicetracker">
    <parm name="EnableLog" value="0" />
</characteristic>
</wap-provisioningdoc>

Send the desired XML content to the EMM using either OEMConfig or MX to configure the app.

A newer version of this product and documentation are available. See the latest