Browse and Navigate Devices on Appspace

Introducing the latest Devices module for the Appspace console, offering a fresh approach to device management that streamlines workflows and boosts productivity. Our redesigned UI empowers users with intuitive filtering and sorting options, personalized data views, and the ability to take bulk actions effortlessly. With a sleek design and user-friendly interface, managing your devices has never been easier.

Our focus on simplification, enhanced visual design, and improved accessibility ensures a consistent and seamless experience. This marks the first step in our ongoing efforts to modernize and optimize device management within the Appspace platform.

This article provides Administrators with an illustrative introduction to navigating the user interface and features available in the Devices module within the Appspace console.

User Interface and Navigation

Device Dashboard

The Device page can be accessed by clicking the Appspace menu > Devices.

The layout for Devices is split into two major sections, the first is the left side panel consisting of device registration and filters, while the main section consists of the status overview and device listing table. The left side panel is collapsible by clicking the “<” or “>” buttons below to fully extend the device listing table for a better display of all its columns.

Register Device

The + Add button allows users to register devices to the Appspace platform via the Appspace App for Devices 6-character or QR code. For further instructions, check out our Register Devices with Appspace article.

Export Device Metadata

The Export Device Metadata option allows users to export device metadata by selecting it from the split button, enhancing the process for a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.

Import Device Metadata

The Import Device Metadata interface is more user-friendly, offering a clear and guided process for users to upload and manage import files. Users can upload a file by either dragging and dropping a CSV file or browsing their local computer.

Filters

Filters allow users to refine their view of devices based on specific criteria or attributes on the dashboard. This enhances efficiency by enabling users to focus on relevant devices and tasks, ultimately streamlining device management processes.

Below are the criteria or attributes available for filtering:

Status Overview

The Status Overview aims to enhance the user experience by displaying a concise device status summary (listed below) simply by hovering across the item count in the Dashboard. With this at-a-glance overview, users can stay informed on device statuses without the need to navigate away from their current workflow, ensuring a seamless and efficient management of devices.

• Online – Devices connected to the Appspace platform, effectively communicating with Appspace through heartbeats, and is currently synchronizing content.
• Offline – Devices that have lost connection to the Appspace platform for an extended period of time, with no communication from the device via the heartbeat mechanism. If a device remains in Lost Communication status for two (2) weeks, it transitions to the Offline status.
• Need Attention – Devices that have Failed or have Lost Communication.
• Failed – Devices with errors detected during playback.
• Lost Communication – Devices that have failed to relay information to the Appspace platform after missing 15 consecutive heartbeats (15 minutes), indicating a loss in communication between the device and the Appspace platform. This could be due to various factors that are preventing communication to the Appspace platform, such as:
  • Device has been powered off.
  • Device has lost network connection.
  • ListDevice has connection blocked by the firewall.
    
    
    Note

    While content may continue to play on the screen if the application is running, the device is unable to establish communication with Appspace.

Device Listing Table

The Device Listing Table boasts a sleek new UI design tailored for an optimal user experience. This refreshed interface prioritizes efficiency by displaying only essential device attributes in columns, ensuring a clutter-free view while providing all necessary information at a glance. With the ability to sort data effortlessly, users can quickly organize and locate devices based on their specific criteria.

Users are now able to view and manage all devices registered to the Appspace platform, regardless of their assigned location (or sub-location), eliminating the need to switch locations from the navigation bar in order to view devices from different locations.

Below are the device attributes listed in the columns of the device listing table:

• Device – Displays the name and status of the device.
• Type – Displays the type of device.
• Sync – Displays the sync status of the device.
• Status – Displays the status of the device.
• Location – Displays the assigned Device Location and Sub-locations (be default).
• Group – Displays the assigned Device Group.
• Tags – Displays tags assigned to the device.
• Channel – Displays the assigned Channel.
• Updated – Displays when the device was last updated.
• Version – Displays the Appspace App for Devices version.
• IP Address – Displays the IP Address of the device. 

Furthermore, the inclusion of bulk actions streamlines device management tasks, empowering users to take swift and decisive actions on multiple devices simultaneously. With these enhancements, navigating and managing devices has never been easier or more intuitive.

The following actions may be performed on a single device by clicking the ellipsis of the device, while selecting multiple devices allows for bulk actions to be performed:

Customize Device Columns

You may customize the columns within the Device Listing table by clicking the Columns gear icon, and launching the Customize Columns side panel. You may perform the following actions here:

• Column Visibility – Toggle the switch to enable or disable the column from being displayed.
• Column Sort – Drag and drop the columns up or down to reorder the columns as displayed.
• Reset to default – Click to reset the column to its default order and settings.
• Save – Click to save the current column customization.

Device Management

Once a device has been registered, users may further access the Device Overview and Settings tab by clicking the device name link displayed in the Devices dashboard. Here, users may view pertinent device information, or perform further configurations specific to the device or use case.

For more information or configuration guides on Device management, please refer to the following articles:

• Register a Device with Appspace
• Configure and Manage Registered Devices
• Appspace Low Bandwidth Mode Content Delivery
• Managing Bandwidth Usage in Appspace

Device Submenu

Device Settings

The Device Settings page can be accessed by clicking the ☰ Appspace menu > Devices > Device Settings.

General Tab

The General tab within Device Settings contains global settings for devices registered on the Appspace platform.

Enable Registration Recovery

This setting enables the Persistent Device Registration enhancement introduced in Appspace 8.6 Aquarius.

Registration Recovery will enable devices with lost registration to automatically recover their original registration information, identity, and configuration settings based on a unique hardware identifier like Serial Number or MAC Address. By enabling this feature you acknowledge no notifications or approvals will be provided for recovered devices.

1. Toggle the Enable Registration Recovery switch to ON to enable the Persistent Device Registration feature.

Device Tasks

After setting up devices in your environment, monitoring, managing, and updating them becomes a top priority. Appspace simplifies these tasks with its Device Tasks feature, offering a centralized method for executing actions across your devices.

Device Task templates enable users to easily query, schedule, and define device configurations for compatible devices within the Appspace App. Pre-loaded common tasks further enhance convenience. Additionally, users can access customized device tasks from the Appspace console, including changing log levels, updating firmware, managing fonts, rebooting devices, and sending RS232 commands.

The Device Tasks page can be accessed by clicking the ☰ Appspace menu > Devices > Device Tasks.

For more information or configuration guides on Device management, please refer to the following articles:

• Device Tasks: Introduction & Download
• Device Tasks: Create / Import / Export Task Templates
• Device Tasks: Define Task
• Device Tasks: Run Now
• FAQ: How Do I Deploy an Advanced Device Task?

Device Licensing

Device Licensing is part of the Devices module that manages the content licenses of an Appspace registered device, necessary for displaying Appspace premium content, which requires additional paid subscriptions, such as the Industry Feeds, Industry Content Collection, and the News cards.

The Device Licensing page can be accessed by clicking the ☰ Appspace menu > Devices > Device Licensing.

For more information or configuration guides on Device management, please refer to the following articles:

• Add Premium Content Licenses for Devices

Device Advanced

Advanced Registration options allows users to perform bulk device registrations with ease

The Device Advanced page can be accessed by clicking the ☰ Appspace menu > Devices > Device Advanced.

For more information or configuration guides on Device management, please refer to the following articles:

• Advanced Device Registration Options
• Advanced Registration: Register Devices with Network Policy File
• Advanced Registration: Register Devices with Serial Numbers, MAC Addreses, and Vendor IDs
• Advanced Registration: Preregister Devices with Appspace
• Advanced Registration: Register Devices via Google CDM
• Advanced Registration: Register BrightSign Devices with Local Policy File
• Advanced Registration: Register LG webOS Devices with Local Policy File
• Configure Appspace App for iOS with VMware Workspace ONE (AirWatch)
• Advanced Registration: Register Devices via Crestron XiO Cloud

While Appspace does not recommend organizations using Legacy Devices due to the lack of support, security updates, and the ability to fully utilize most of Appspace 8.0 features, we understand that some organizations may not be able to quickly discard or replace their old devices with newer ones based on our supported device list. Thus, we do still allow the following legacy devices to be registered and used to display signage.

• Registering Cisco Edge devices article
• Registering Cisco DMP devices article

Device Locations

The Device Locations page can be accessed by clicking the ☰ Appspace menu > Devices > Device Locations.

For more information or configuration guides on Device management, please refer to the following articles:

• Add and Manage Locations in Devices
• Add and Manage DeCreate Notifications for Device Locations
• Assign Default Channel to Location