Device Policies

Device policies allow you to create policy templates containing company security standards, network requirements, etc. Assign them to target devices and monitor the devices' compliance with the policy in the Device Policy Compliance dashboard. Refer to Device Policy Compliance for more details.

For example, your company requires all Ricoh MFPs to use the SMB protocol and other settings. To configure the devices and monitor the device's compliance with the requirement, you can create a device configuration template and then create a configuration policy. When executing the policy, use the Device Policy Compliance dashboard to identify which devices are out-of-policy or in-policy. You can also view the policy columns in the Device List to determine the specific version of an application currently applied to each device.

Device policies have three types, each comprising a configuration template, the enforcement type, and target devices or groups.

Configuration Policy - A policy for device preferences.
Firmware Policy - A policy for firmware files.
Embedded Policy - A policy for embedded applications.

Prerequisites
Configuration Templates are created. Please see Device Configuration Template for details on how to create the template.
The target devices that the template will be applied or checked must be added to CloudStream DM.

Follow the instructions below to set up the device policies.

Order	Instructions
	Set the Policy Check. Go to Device Polling and set time at which Policy Check should run.
	Create a Device Policy. The steps found in this link are applicable for all three types of device policies. (Configuration Policy, Firmware Policy, Embedded Policy)
	Manage Device Policies. This topic includes disabling device policies.

Order

Instructions

Set the Policy Check.

Go to Device Polling and set time at which Policy Check should run.

Create a Device Policy. The steps found in this link are applicable for all three types of device policies. (Configuration Policy, Firmware Policy, Embedded Policy)

Manage Device Policies.

This topic includes disabling device policies.

Differences between Device Policy and Configuration Task

You may have clarification on device policy and configuration tasks. Here is a comparison of the two.

Device Policy	Configuration Task
The policy's templates are applied every day based on the time of the day set in the Policy Check. Please see Device Polling for more details.	You must click the run button to check or apply the configuration templates.
You can only select one firmware template per firmware policy and one embedded template per Embedded policy.	You can select multiple templates for one configuration task.
Use Device Policy if you want a configuration, a firmware package, or an embedded application to be checked or applied to a device daily. For example: Suppose you want to make all devices always enable Toner Saving. In that case, you must create an SDP template with such configuration, then create a Configuration Policy that applies the template to the target devices. The set Policy Check time of day is 23:00 (11 PM). After saving the Configuration Policy, the policy will automatically run at 11 PM. It will continue to run every day at 11 PM. The configuration policy ensures that the devices comply with the created policy. Running the policy means that the template's value is compared to the device. It will skip if the device has the same value as the template. If the device value does not match the template, the template value will be applied to the device.	Use Configuration Task if you want to set a configuration, update firmware, or configure embedded applications to target devices in just one operation. The configuration task will only run if you press the [Run] button. For example: You want to install an embedded application to the device. Create the embedded template, then use that template to create the Configuration task with the 'Apply' task type. Assign the task to target devices, then click [Run]. By doing so, the template will be applied to the device. Unlike the device policies that runs every day after you create it, the configuration task will run every time you click the button.

Device Policy

Configuration Task

The policy's templates are applied every day based on the time of the day set in the Policy Check. Please see Device Polling for more details.

You must click the run button to check or apply the configuration templates.

You can only select one firmware template per firmware policy and one embedded template per Embedded policy.

You can select multiple templates for one configuration task.

Use Device Policy if you want a configuration, a firmware package, or an embedded application to be checked or applied to a device daily.

For example:

Suppose you want to make all devices always enable Toner Saving. In that case, you must create an SDP template with such configuration, then create a Configuration Policy that applies the template to the target devices.

The set Policy Check time of day is 23:00 (11 PM).

After saving the Configuration Policy, the policy will automatically run at 11 PM. It will continue to run every day at 11 PM. The configuration policy ensures that the devices comply with the created policy.

Running the policy means that the template's value is compared to the device. It will skip if the device has the same value as the template. If the device value does not match the template, the template value will be applied to the device.

Use Configuration Task if you want to set a configuration, update firmware, or configure embedded applications to target devices in just one operation.

The configuration task will only run if you press the [Run] button.

For example:

You want to install an embedded application to the device. Create the embedded template, then use that template to create the Configuration task with the 'Apply' task type. Assign the task to target devices, then click [Run]. By doing so, the template will be applied to the device.

Unlike the device policies that runs every day after you create it, the configuration task will run every time you click the button.