Citrix Endpoint Management

Connection scheduling device policy

Important:

Citrix recommends that you use Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) to control connections from Android and Android Enterprise devices to Citrix Endpoint Management. For information on using FCM, see Firebase Cloud Messaging.

If you choose to not use FCM, you can create connection scheduling policies to control how and when user devices connect to Citrix Endpoint Management. If you choose to use FCM, you must also create a connection scheduling policy.

You can specify that users connect their devices manually or that devices connect within a defined time frame.

To add or configure this policy, go to Configure > Device Policies. For more information, see Device policies.

Android and Android Enterprise settings

  • Require devices to connect: Click the option that you want to set for this schedule.
    • Never: Connect manually. Users must start the connection from Citrix Endpoint Management on their devices. Citrix doesn’t recommend this option for production deployments because it prevents you from deploying security policies to devices, which means users never receive any new apps or policies. The Never option is enabled by default.
    • Every: Connect at the designated interval. When this option is in effect and you send a security policy such as a lock or a wipe, Citrix Endpoint Management processes the action on the device the next time the device connects. When you select this option, the Connect every N minutes field appears where you must enter the number of minutes after which the device must reconnect. The default, and minimum value, is 120.
    • Define schedule: Citrix Endpoint Management on the user device tries to reconnect to the Citrix Endpoint Management server after a network connection loss. Citrix Endpoint Management and monitors the connection by transmitting control packets at regular intervals within the time frame that you define. See Defining a connection time frame, next, for how to define a connection time frame.
      • Require a connection within each of these ranges: Users’ devices must be connected at least once in any of the defined time frames.
      • Use local device time rather than UTC: Synchronize the defined time frames to local device time rather than Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Defining a connection time frame

When you enable the following options, a timeline appears where you can define the time frames you want. You can enable either or both options to require a permanent connection during specific hours or to require a connection within certain time frames. Each square in the timeline is 1 hour. To specify a connection between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM every weekday, you click the square on the timeline between 8 AM and 9 AM every weekday.

For example, the two timelines in the following figure require:

  • A permanent connection between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM every weekday
  • A permanent connection between 1:00 AM Saturday and 2:00 AM Sunday
  • At least one connection every weekday between 5:00 AM and 8:00 AM or between 10:00 AM and 12:00 AM

Device Policies configuration screen

Connection scheduling device policy