iOS Installation Prerequisites

The Geocortex Mobile App Framework for iOS must be deployed according to Apple's distribution guidelines. Highly customizable apps like the Geocortex Mobile App Framework are deployed following Apple's Enterprise distribution guidelines (not the iTunes Store). The Enterprise model ensures that only trusted applications are loaded onto Apple devices.

Under the Enterprise model, you create an Apple Enterprise Developer account, which contains information that VertiGIS Studio Support will build into a customized installation package for you. When you receive the package from VertiGIS, you deploy it to a web server and share the location with end users. This allows them to download and install the App on their Apple devices.

Main Steps

The main steps to obtain the Geocortex Mobile App Framework for iOS are:

Create an Apple Enterprise Developer Account.

The Enterprise Developer account limits distribution internally to your organization.
Obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK license.

The Geocortex Mobile App Framework ships with an ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license that is registered to VertiGIS. To allow offline editing using the App, you must obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code. If you are not going to support offline editing, but you want the App to be associated with a license that is registered to your organization instead of to VertiGIS, you must obtain your own ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license.
Obtain the installation package from VertiGIS Studio Support.

VertiGIS Studio Support creates a signed installation package for your organization.

Create an Apple Enterprise Developer Account

To create an Apple Enterprise Developer (AED) account, go to the Apple Developer Enterprise Program web page, click Enroll, and follow the instructions.

Each AED account has an Agent, who is the owner of the account. The Agent cannot be deleted and has full rights to all activities on the account. The Agent can set up other levels of user including:

Admin Users: Users with Admin rights can create or delete other users, create certificates, application identifiers, provisioning profiles, and add devices.
Developer Users: Users with Developer rights can download their own development certificates and provisioning profiles.

After you have created your Apple Enterprise Developer account, must provide us with some information from it.

Provide Us Your Apple Enterprise Developer Account Information

To create your installation package, VertiGIS needs some information from your Apple Enterprise Development (AED) account. There are two ways to provide VertiGIS with the required information. Do one of the following:

Submit Files: (preferred method) When you request your installation package, send VertiGIS Studio Support your .p12 and .mobileprovision files from your Apple Enterprise Developer account. The (Undefined variable: Global.SupportCenterName_Shortest) representative will extract the required information from the files. The .p12 file is a Public-Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS) file that contains your signing certificate.

or
Provide Account Access: Provide VertiGIS with access to your Apple Enterprise Development (AED) account as an Admin user. VertiGIS Studio Support will use the Admin user to get the information needed to create your installation package. Follow the instructions below to set up a VertiGIS Admin user.

To set up a VertiGIS Admin user:

Sign in to the Apple Developer Center as an Admin user for your organization.
On the banner, select People.
From the side panel, select Invitations.
In the Invite People to your Team area, click Invite Person.
Under Contact Information, enter the following:
- First Name: The first name of your VertiGIS representative. You will receive the name of your representative by email. If you do not know their name, please contact your account manager.
- Last Name: The last name of the representative.
- Email Address: appsigner@latitudegeo.com
In the Access and Roles area, select Admin, and then click Send Invitation.

Obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK License

Certain offline features require the App to be licensed using an ArcGIS Runtime SDK license.

There are two kinds of ArcGIS Runtime SDK license:

Basic: Allows users to use offline basemaps, global search, query, filter, identify, and view related features offline. The Basic license does not allow users to do offline editing.
Standard: Required for offline editing.

As of version 2.0 of Geocortex Mobile App Framework, offline editing uses Esri's Replicas technology, which requires a Standard license code.

By default, the Geocortex Mobile App Framework is licensed using a Basic license that is registered to VertiGIS. To obtain your own license, you can either request the license from Esri, or you can become a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer. ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard licensing is built into Portal for ArcGIS and ArcGIS Online.

If you use Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online licensing, the user must sign in as a Level 2 Named User to Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online at least once every 30 days to maintain the Standard license. If the user fails to sign in after 30 days, functionality will be reduced to the equivalent of a Basic license until the user signs in again. Level 1 Named Users are equivalent to those with a Basic license.

The options for licensing the App with the ArcGIS Runtime SDK are:

Basic License:
- Use the Preconfigured Basic License: By default, the Geocortex Mobile App Framework is licensed using a Basic license that is registered to VertiGIS. You are welcome to use the preconfigured license.
- Obtain your Own Basic License: If you want the App to be associated with a Basic license that is registered to your organization instead of to VertiGIS and you are not a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer, you must obtain your own Basic license. The Basic license is free to subscribers of ArcGIS for Developers.
- Sign in as a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online Level 1 Named User: If you are, or would like to become, a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer, you can use the Basic License that comes with being a Level 1 Named User to license the App.
Standard License:
- Obtain a Standard License Code: If you are going to support offline editing and you are not a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer, you must obtain a Standard license code.
- Sign in as a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online Level 2 Named User: If you are going to support offline editing and you are, or would like to become, a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer, you can use the Standard license that comes with being a Level 2 Named User to license the App.

For more information about obtaining an ArcGIS Runtime SDK license, refer to Esri's "License your app" documentation.

Obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic License

The Geocortex Mobile App Framework is preconfigured with a Basic license belonging to VertiGIS. You only need to obtain a Basic license if you want the App to be associated with your Client ID, instead of the VertiGIS Client ID.

To obtain a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license:

Contact your local Esri representative and request a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license. You will need the license's Client ID.

You may want to provide the license's Client ID to VertiGIS Studio Support when you request your customized installation package. VertiGIS Studio Support will preconfigure the license in the installation package.

Sign in as a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online Level 1 Named User

When a Level 1 Named User signs in to Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online, the Basic license is automatically activated. No other steps are required.

Obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard License Code

To obtain a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code:

Contact your local Esri representative and purchase a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code.

You must provide the license code to VertiGIS Studio Support when you request your customized installation package. VertiGIS Studio Support will preconfigure the license in the installation package.

Sign in as a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online Level 2 Named User

When a Level 2 Named User signs in to Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online, the Standard license is automatically activated. No other steps are required.

Obtain the Installation Package

The Geocortex Mobile App Framework for iOS requires a customized package. Customized packages are available from VertiGIS Studio Support.

Benefits of Customized Installation Packages

The customized installation packages that you obtain from VertiGIS Studio Support offer the following benefits:

Customize the appearance of the App, such as the icon, name, and splash screen.
Preregister the App with Essentials, so it does not need to be registered after installation on the end user's device.
Preconfigure the ArcGIS Runtime SDK license, so the license does not have to be applied after installation on the end user's device.
Use the App in a Mobile Device Management (MDM) software environment.

While the Geocortex Mobile App Framework is not specifically tested to work with Mobile Device Management (MDM) software, VertiGIS Studio Support endeavors to help customers run the App in an MDM environment. If you cannot run the App with your particular MDM, we will try to find a solution in a reasonable time frame.

To obtain a customized package from VertiGIS Studio Support, you must provide some information. The information depends on which type of package you want:

Request a Multi-Viewer Package: If you want end users to be able to select which viewer to open, request a multi-viewer package.
Request a Single-Viewer Package: If you want a specific viewer to open automatically when the App starts, request a single-viewer package.

Request a Customized Multi-Viewer Package

This option allows users to select which viewer to open.

To obtain a customized package that supports multiple viewers:

Send the following information to VertiGIS Studio Support ():

Required Information
- Platforms: The platforms (Android, iOS, Windows) for which you want customized versions.
- Simultaneous Installations: How many customized versions of the App you want to have simultaneously installed.
  
  Although you can install multiple customized versions, you can only run one App at a time.
- Apple Files: If you chose not to set up an Admin user for VertiGIS in your Apple Enterprise Developer account, send VertiGIS Studio Support your PKCS (Public-Key Cryptography Standards) #12 (.p12) file that contains your signing certificate, and your Mobile Provision (.mobileprovision) file. You can get these files from the Apple iOS Developer website.
- Standard License Code: If you obtained a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code so you can support offline editing, send VertiGIS Studio Support the license code.
- MDM Type: The type of Mobile Device Management (MDM) software you intend to use, if applicable.
- Deployment URL: The location on the server where you will be deploying the installation package, for example:
  
  https://www.mycompany.com/geocortex_app/install
  
  This is the location where end users will go to download the App.
  
  Example download page where end users download the Geocortex App
Optional Information
- Essentials URL: The URL of your Essentials instance, for example:
  
  http://MyServer.com/Geocortex/Essentials
  
  If you do not submit the Essentials URL, users will be prompted to enter it the first time they start the App.
- Name: The App name, to customize your App.
- Icon: The App icon, to customize your App.
- Image: The splash screen images, to customize your App.
- ArcGIS Client ID from Basic License: If you are going to license the App using a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license, and you want the App to be associated with your ArcGIS Client ID instead of a VertiGIS Client ID, send VertiGIS Studio Support your Client ID.

Request a Customized Single-Viewer Package

This option automatically opens a specific viewer when the Geocortex Mobile App Framework starts.

To request a customized package that supports a single viewer:

Send the following information to VertiGIS Studio Support ():

Required Information
- Platforms: The platforms (Android, iOS, Windows) for which you want customized versions.
- Simultaneous Installations: How many customized versions of the App you want to have simultaneously installed.
  
  Although you can install multiple customized versions, you can only run one App at a time.
- Launch URL: The URL from the viewer's Launch in Geocortex Mobile App Framework link. For example:
  
  gcx://viewerPackage?url=http://MyServer.com/Html5Viewer/gmaf/viewerpackage.ashx?viewerUrl=http://MyServer.com/Geocortex/Essentials/REST/sites/MySite/viewers/MyViewer
  
  This link appears on the Viewer Info page when you edit your HTML5 viewer in Essentials. You can right-click the link to copy the link's URL.
- Apple Files: If you chose not to set up an Admin user for VertiGIS in your Apple Enterprise Developer account, send VertiGIS Studio Support your PKCS (Public-Key Cryptography Standards) #12 (.p12) file that contains your signing certificate, and your Mobile Provision (.mobileprovision) file. You can get these files from the Apple iOS Developer website.
- Standard License Code: If you obtained a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code so you can support offline editing, send VertiGIS Studio Support the license code.
- MDM Type: The type of Mobile Device Management (MDM) software you intend to use, if applicable.
- Deployment URL: The location on the server where you will be deploying the installation package, for example:
  
  https://www.mycompany.com/geocortex_app/install
  
  This is the location where end users will go to download the App.
  
  Example download page where end users download the Geocortex App
Optional Information
- Name: The App name, to customize your App.
- Icon: The App icon, to customize your App.
- Image: The splash screen images, to customize your App.
- ArcGIS Client ID from Basic License: If you are going to license the App using a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license, and you want the App to be associated with your ArcGIS Client ID instead of a VertiGIS Client ID, send VertiGIS Studio Support your Client ID.

What's next?

iOS Server-side Tasks