Iphone/Ipad Backup

[hennessy1]

I have a customer that has several ipads and iphones that get used in the field. I know that when they do a backup it goes to the icloud account. Is there anyway to force them to backup to a network/ftp share or is there a piece of software that I can load onto the network that would pull their backups off the icloud accounts? Thank you for any help.

 

[Eug]

You can ask them to manually do a local backup, but then have the backups symbolically linked to a network share.

Note, I have never done this, but I know it can be done.

 

[Mushkins]

Local backup is your only other option. Disable icloud on the devices (either manually or using whatever MDM solution you use to managed the devices) and instruct workers to plug the devices in to whatever approved PC/Mac workstation they have itunes installed on.

Welcome to the wonderful world of managing Apple devices in a corporate environment when they're explicitly designed with home users in mind

If you're worried about backing up the backups and you want them on your server, just point their itunes backup directory to a folder on the server.

 

[Eug]

You don't have to disable iCloud to do manual local backups.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

What are people actually using them for? You probably shouldn't be storing data on a mobile device anyway if you can help it.

 

[hennessy1]

Thank you for all the suggestions I will try doing the process and hopefully get them used to doing it.

@dave_the_nerd-They should not be storing anything on there but should not and actually getting them to follow that are two different battles lol.

 

[Mushkins]

You don't have to disable iCloud to do manual local backups.

No, but the OP specifically said he *didn't* want the devices backing up to iCloud. Easiest way to make sure it's *only* backing up to where he wants it to back up is to disable iCloud Leaving it on means that you're gonna get a few people backing up to that instead of doing locals because it's easier or they forget to plug in.

 

[Mushkins]

Thank you for all the suggestions I will try doing the process and hopefully get them used to doing it.

@dave_the_nerd-They should not be storing anything on there but should not and actually getting them to follow that are two different battles lol.

Sounds like a recipe for MDM. Check out MaaS360, you can (and should) lock these devices down pretty hard.

 

[Eug]

No, but the OP specifically said he *didn't* want the devices backing up to iCloud. Easiest way to make sure it's *only* backing up to where he wants it to back up is to disable iCloud Leaving it on means that you're gonna get a few people backing up to that instead of doing locals because it's easier or they forget to plug in.

I don't think he said this. He did specifically ask if he could copy the backups off iCloud. It sounds like he might be OK with having iCloud backups and backups on the network share, but I'm not sure.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Thank you for all the suggestions I will try doing the process and hopefully get them used to doing it.

@dave_the_nerd-They should not be storing anything on there but should not and actually getting them to follow that are two different battles lol.

Like others have said - manage these things to death.

Assuming the work use involves entering data into an web app or cloud service where anything work-related is immediately stored "up there" and not on the iPad, you shouldn't have to worry about backing them up at all.

As for the "should not and actually..." part - you (the company) should in no way be responsible for the costs associated with preserving data that shouldn't exist, and which is the result of the misuse of company property. They need to be responsible for backing up their own photos of cats and porn.

 

[hennessy1]

I mainly just want to be able to save a local backup. Whether that is having the user plug it in or have an icloud connector type of software installed so that it can download the backup to the network is fine with me too. As far as I know they don't perform any type of backup now.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

There's no such thing as "iCloud connector" software. They'd have to back up by plugging in a wire.

 

[hennessy1]

Ok thanks that's all I wanted to know.