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"Service Provider Support" -- what it is and when to use it

"Service Provider Support" -- what it is and when to use it

In the Applications folder you will find “Service Provider Support”. This application contains a collection of utilities that the Mac Engineering team may refer you to. These utilities are designed to be used on a case-by-case basis. They address common issues that may require complex terminal commands or update the devices’ inventory records and log files to assist in debugging a problem.

NOTE: Not all tasks listed below will be visible to all users. Some tasks are only activated for specific systems when local IT support consults with Macintosh Engineering. And – generally – other than the “Update Inventory with MDM” task – we recommend you don’t run these tasks unless directed to by Mac Engineering.

 

This article will briefly explain each task available under each subsection and when you might need to run it.

Applications:

  • Install Software with Managed Software Center - this will launch Managed Software Center

  • CrashPlan Restart – Stops and restarts the CrashPlan service.

  • Enable Adobe Beta Installs – Turns on the ability for users to install beta versions of Adobe applications through the Creative Cloud Desktop app. The Mac will automatically reboot after utility has completed. If Managed Software Center installs any other Adobe title or updates, you would need to run this utility again to have access to Adobe Beta apps.

  • Enable Adobe Self-Service Plugin Installs - Turns on the ability for users to install plugins through the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop app.

  • Reinstall Bomgar Jump Client – this client goes to MiWorkspace systems to make Bomgar connections easier (not all izzy users will see this.)

Filevault:

  • Referesh FileVault Authorized Users – This task can be run if a user’s account does not appear at the FileVault unlock (startup) screen. That should put the user’s account icon back where it belongs. If it does not, please reach out to the Mac team.

Login Window:

  • Force the Key Menu to Log Out – Mac Engineering may have you run this if the key in the menu bar is not automatically connecting.

  • Remove UMich Login – This will remove any “Umich Login” window – and set the login window back to Apple Defaults

Networking:

  • Cisco VPN: Default Profiles - this will reinstall the default profiles used by Cisco Secure Client

  • Cisco VPN: ITS Special Developer Profiles - this will reinstall the “Special Developer” profile used by Cisco Secure Client

  • ITS Database VPN Profiles – a unit-specific VPN profile

  • macOS Built-In VPN: ITS Special Developer Profile – the profile to use for the (recommended) built-in VPN.

  • Reinstall Built-in VPN Profiles – Users can run this if the built-in VPN profiles will not save a user name/password or if the user gets a “shared secret” error message when using them.

  • Reinstall MWireless Config Profile – this can be used to reinstall the Profile and certificate used to automatically connect to MWireless and eduroam. This requires you to be on an Ethernet connection (or MGuest) to successfully reinstall.

Security:

  • MakeMeAdmin. This can be used in coordination with the Mac Engineering team to make a user account admin if there are no other working admin accounts on a specific system. (NOTE – not visible to all users!)

  • UM-Support Password Sync – This task will generate a new password for the “UM-Support” account sooner than the automatic password rotation schedule. It may not work if the “UM-Support” password is drastically out-of-date and you should reach out to Mac Engineering if that’s the case for steps on how to fix the password rotation.

System Morsels:

  • Fix Office Crashing – This task should be run if Office applications immediately crash at launch. It’s a “low touch” thing to run that usually resolves those crashes.

  • LSA Loaners Account Cleanup – Deletes all user accounts. (NOTE – not visible to all users!)

  • Open this Mac’s Izzy Page – This task will take you to the computer’s page in izzy. Not all users will see this task. (NOTE – not visible to all users!)

  • Re-install Managed Software Center – If MSC is not detecting application updates (or when you check for updates, the izzy record does not reflect a check-in) – running this task will reinstall the application and should fix those problems. If it does not, please reach out to the Mac Team.

  • Run IzzyStor – This will launch an instance of izzystor and can be used to back up user home directories. (NOTE – not visible to all users!)

  • SPS Tool: Open JAMF Log – This task will open the log used by the MDM to see if there are any obvious problems with the MDM client on the system (such as “Device Signature Error” – which is a significant problem if that is repeated in the log.) (NOTE – not visible to all users!)

  • Update Inventory with MDM – This task runs three jamf commands that will update the computers record in JAMF (and other events). It also can be used to replace the M365 login window immediately after an OS update/upgrade. This is a common task we may ask you to run for any unexpected problems not covered by other SPS tasks.

Testing: (NOTE – not visible to all users!)

  • Crashplan Login Notification TESTER – specific for QA testing. (NOTE – not visible to all users!)

  • Erase All Contents and Settings T2+ – This task runs EACS (“Erase All Contents and Settings”) to wipe a system for a quick reload. EACS only works on intel macs with a T2 and all Apple Silicon macs.

Utilities:

  • CrashPlan Restore Permissions Fix – If a user overwrote their user account on a CrashPlan/code42 restore, this will reset the permissions on their user folder to the expected values. NOTE: THIS TASK SHOULD NOT BE RUN WITHOUT CONSULTATION WITH MAC ENGINEERING!

  • Defragment Hard Disk Drive – This task does absolutely nothing.

  • Factory Reset Microsoft Office – This task will delete all the personalization for Office applications without actually deleting the applications. It’s not recommended to always use this task to debug office problems – start with “Fix Office Crashing” and then “Microsoft Office Uninstaller” first (see below)

  • Flush Font Cache – This will delete macOS’s stored Font Cache and it will be recreated at reboot.

  • Gather System Diagnostics – If Mac Engineering needs to file a bug with Apple about a specific issue with a specific system, we will work with you to run this to gather the logs necessary to do this.

  • Home Directory Name Changer – can be used to change the name of a home directory due to legal name changes or other reasons. Only run this from the um-support account!

  • Office 365 License Removal Tool – On rare occasions, users will be unable to sign-in to Office 365. If a user is unable to do that after trying to sign-in twice (which normally will work after one attempt), run this task to delete the files that control Office 365 licensing and that should resolve that problem.

  • Rebuild Spotlight Index – Silently rebuilds the Spotlight index on this Mac. May take hours or days, depending on the amount of data that needs to be processed. Indexing takes place while the Mac is powered on, and not sleeping.

  • Referesh FileVault Authorized Users – This task can be run if a user’s account does not appear at the FileVault unlock (startup) screen. That should put the user’s account icon back where it belongs. If it does not, please reach out to the Mac team.

  • Reset Home Directory Permissions - This task prompts the user to enter a uniqname, and will reset the home directory permissions, must be run from the um-support account.

  • Reset Icons – If the user has a number of “generic” application icons, this task will reset the cache that controls that problem.

  • SPS Tool: Flush User and System Caches: This will delete the temporary cache files left behind when applications are run.

  • SPS Tool: Sudo with TouchID. If needed after an OS update, this task can be run to restore the ability to use TouchID in Terminal for “sudo”. (NOTE – not visible to all users!)

  • Update Inventory with MDM – This task runs three jamf commands that will update the computers record in JAMF (and other events). It also can be used to replace the M365 login window immediately after an OS update/upgrade. This is a common task we may ask you to run for any unexpected problems not covered by other SPS tasks.

Uninstallers:

  • Box Uninstall – This can be used to remove all traces of Box (the old Cloud storage system)

  • Citrix Workplace Uninstaller – This can be used to uninstall all traces of Citrix Workspace if the user has deleted the application manually.

  • Cleanup HP Drivers for Reinstall – This task removes all the HP printer drivers and will make them available for reinstallation in Managed Software Center.

  • CrashPlan Uninstaller - Used to uninstall the Code42.app backup app. (Leaves the identity file for future installers to reuse.)

  • Dropbox Uninstall – this will remove the application and the associated Library folder (it will not touch the user’s Dropbox files)

  • Microsoft Office Uninstaller – This task should be used if “Fix Office Crashing” doesn’t resolve application crashes. This will delete all the Office bits and then Office can be reinstalled through Managed Software Center.

  • Remove Outdated Adobe Creative Cloud Apps – The deployment of Creative Cloud applications does not remove the older versions. If the older version is no longer needed, this task can be used to remove the previous versions all at once.

  • Uninstall Cisco AnyConnect – This can be used to uninstall Cisco AnyConnect for a non-admin user or if the “Uninstall AnyConnect” application is missing from /Applications/Cisco on the user’s computer. (NOTE – AnyConnect has been superseded by Cisco Secure Client) (NOTE – not visible to all users!)

  • Uninstall Cisco Secure Client – This can be used to uninstall Cisco Secure Client for a non-admin user or if the “Uninstall Cisco Secure Client” application is missing from /Applications/Cisco on the user’s computer. (NOTE – not visible to all users!)