The experimental feature of Distributed App Repositories can help to distribute apps to locations with no internet connection or low bandwith. By enabling and configuring this feature, binaries of apps will be stored on a self-hosted WebDAV server. Devices can then download the binaries of those apps from the WebDAV server. Please be aware that metadata will still be downloaded from the UMS Integrated App Repository or the IGEL App Repository.
You can find more information on the benefits, use cases and best practices in the IGEL Blog post https://www.igel.com/blog/the-power-of-a-distributed-app-repository-enabling-access-for-offline-and-low-bandwidth-environments/ .
Binary repositories are an experimental feature, please handle them with caution.
Prerequisites
The feature can be enabled by performing the following steps:
Manually update the database by executing the following statement:
UPDATE config_settings SET cs_value = 'true' WHERE CS_KEY = 'APP_PROXY_BREPOSITORY_ENABLED';Restart the UMS server.
At least one self-hosted WebDAV server must exist. This server will act as the Distributed App Repository, therefore it needs to fulfill the following requirements:
Enough disk space to store binaries
A user with write permission to update and add new files
A user with read permissions used by the devices to download the app binaries
Digest login enabled
It is recommended to use a secured connection
Setup Distributed App Repositories in UMS
After enabling the binary repository feature manually, you can perform the following steps to set up one or multiple repositories in UMS Web App:
Navigate to the Apps area.
Open Settings.
If not yet done, enable UMS as update proxy.
You can also use app repository without UMS as update proxy. In this case the repository gets the binaries directly from the IGEL App Portal.
On the same tab, open Manage Binary App Repositories.
By clicking + you can add a new repository with the following parameters:
Name
Name of the repository to add.WebDAV URL
URL of an existing WebDAV server. This URL is used by the UMS to upload binaries. If no Load Balancer URL is given, devices will use it to download the binaries.Load Balancer URL
URL of the load balancer, if the WebDAV server is balanced by one. Devices will use it to download the binaries.Download User
Username that is used to download binaries from the WebDAV server.Download User Password
Password that is used to download binaries from the WebDAV server.Upload User
Username that is used to upload binaries from the WebDAV server.Upload User Password
Password that is used to upload binaries from the WebDAV server.Priority
Priority that this repository will be handled by. See priority explanation below.Certificate path
Optional field to use after experimental phase. File path to the SSL certificate that is used for the HTTPS connection, if the certificate is not handled by UMS administration.
It is recommended to manage the certificate by UMS administration and import the web certificate through the UMS Console under Administration > Certificate Management.
Assign Priorities to Distributed App Repositories
Be aware that the available repository with the highest priority value will be used by the devices to download binaries. If none is available, download will fall back to the UMS Integrated App Repository or the IGEL App Repository.
It is possible to assign a negative value to a repository. In that case binaries will be synchronized to that server, but devices won't download from them. However, those repositories can be then configured via profiles for some devices with another higher priority.
Example:
Set up a Distributed App Repository named "Local Download" with priority "-1".
Create a profile named "Local Download" for the base system.
Under System > Update add the repository with priority "300".
Assign the profile to the devices that should download from that repository.