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How to Configure Service Discovery URL for Apple User Enrollment Using Windows IIS Server?

To enable Apple User Enrollment in MDM, configuring the .well-known directory is essential for Remote Management. This directory contains files required by Apple devices for discovery and enrollment. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for setting up the .well-known folder and configuring a custom MIME type on a Windows IIS server.

Steps

Setting Up the .well-known Directory

In this section, we will create a .well-known directory and a com.apple.remotemanagement file containing MDM server information. This file allows Apple devices to discover and enroll via Apple User Enrollment.

Step 1: Access the Root Directory

  • Open IIS Manager.
  • Select the site where your domain is hosted.
  • Click Explore to open the root directory of the site.

Step 2: Create the Directory and File

  • Create a new directory named well-known (Windows does not allow directory names starting with ., so we use well-known).
  • Inside the well-known directory, create a file named com.apple.remotemanagement.
  • Copy the contents of the ServiceDiscoveryData.json file (downloaded from the MDM server for Apple User Enrollment) into the com.apple.remotemanagement file.

Step 3: Add a Virtual Directory

Since Windows does not allow directory names starting with ., we will create a virtual directory to map HTTP requests for .well-known to the well-known directory.

  • In IIS Manager, select the site where your domain is hosted.
  • Click View Virtual Directories.
  • Click Add Virtual Directory
    • Alias: .well-known
    • Physical Path: Map this to the location of the well-known directory created earlier.
  • Click OK to save the virtual directory.

Creating a Custom MIME Type

Apple devices expect the HTTP response for the com.apple.remotemanagement file to have the Content-Type header set to application/json. To configure this on the IIS server, follow these steps:

Step 1: Add a Custom MIME Type

  • In IIS Manager, select the site where your domain is hosted.
  • Click MIME Types.
  • Click Add to create a new MIME type.
    • Extension: .remotemanagement
    • MIME Type: application/json
  • Click OK to save the MIME type.

Verification

After completing the above steps, verify the configuration by accessing the following URL in a browser or using a tool like curl:
https://{your-domain}/.well-known/com.apple.remotemanagement

Ensure that:
1. The file is accessible.
2. The Content-Type header in the response is application/json.

Troubleshooting

  • If the file is not accessible, double-check the virtual directory configuration and ensure the well-known directory and com.apple.remotemanagement file are correctly placed.
  • If the Content-Type header is incorrect, verify the MIME type configuration in IIS.

For more details, visit our Apple User Enrollment Guide.

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