The BlackBerry Device Service is a new product from RIM, distinct from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server product, that enables you to define and deliver configuration profiles to BlackBerry PlayBook tablets running version 2.0 of the software or later.

Exchange ActiveSync settings, WiFi profiles, password usage, complexity and history settings, VPN profiles and applications can all be delivered to activated PlayBook devices.

The BlackBerry Device Service is typically downloaded together with the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion product, which provides an administrative web interface to the BlackBerry Device Service and also provides the ability to administer non-BlackBerry devices, including iOS and Android smartphones.

More information, including a 90-day trial can be downloaded from the BlackBerry web site - http://us.blackberry.com/business/software/mobilefusion/

Installing the BlackBerry Device Service

The BlackBerry Device Service cannot be installed on a server that is already hosting either a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, or a BlackBerry Enterprise Express Server.

Windows Server 2008 SP2 (64-bit), Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 are required.

Detailed system requirement can be located in the documentation available in the File Library.

Pre-requisites

The BDS Server requires outbound-initiated, bi-directional access to the Internet on TCP port 3101 as well as access to DNS.

The user account used to install the BDS will need to have local administrator rights on the server that is to have the software installed on it. If a BES has already been deployed, the BesAdmin user account would be the logical account to use.

On the server that is to host the BDS, make the BesAdmin domain user a member of the local administrator group. NOTE - the BDS server will first need to have been added to the Domain if not done already.
To do this, on the BDS server, right click on the icon for My Computer and select Manage. Browse to Configuration --> Local Users and Groups --> Groups --> Administrators and add the BesAdmin user:

Also assign the BesAdmin domain user account "log on as a service" rights. To do this, select Administrative Tools --> Local Security Policy --> Local Policies --> User Rights Assignment --> Log on as a service and add the BesAdmin user:

Log into the server as the BesAdmin user and launch the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion installer package:

Select the option for Custom Install and select the BlackBerry Device Service product.

You will be prompted to confirm that the user account currently logged in is the account that should be used to install the software:

Click Continue Installation. You will be prompted to read and accept the license agreement:

Click Next. The components that are to be installed will be displayed:

Click Next. The components that to be installed on the system will be displayed. Verify that all prerequisite checks pass without any errors:

Click Next. You will be prompted to specify whether you want to install SQL Express on the host server, or specify the details of a separate SQL server:

Click Next. Enter the password for the user account used to log into the server, and also enter a name for the BlackBerry Device Service instance - this can be anything meaningful to you to identify the installation:

Click Next, your installation selections will be displayed:

Click Install. The required program components will now be copied to the server:

When finished, click Complete. If prompted to do so, reboot the server and log back in as the same user account. The installation will resume. You will be prompted to enter the details of the SQL instance to use - if you are installing SQL Express locally, leave all of the settings at their default values:

Click Next, you will be prompted to create the required configuration database:

Click Yes. When complete, you will be notified that the database has been created:

Click OK. You will be prompted to your license details, supplied via email when you registered for the product:

Enter a name for the Administration Service, this is the web address that will be used to access the service from a web browser. You will also be prompted to enter a password for the SSL certificate which will be generated automatically by the installer and assigned to the web site:

Click Next. You will be prompted to specify whether you want access to the administration service web site to be solely handled by Active Directory authentication, or whether you want the option of BlackBerry built-in authentication also. I always advise enabling BlackBerry authentication as it provides a means of accessing the interface should AD authentication not be functioning for any reason:

Click Next. Your installation is now complete:

Select the option to Start Services and ensure all services start correctly:

Click Next. Your web address details will be displayed:

Click Finish.

The BlackBerry Administration Service can be accessed within your browser at the address you made a note of earlier. A shortcut will also have been added to the Start Menu.

The site should be added to the Trusted Sites security group within your browser. Once trusted, refresh the browser and you will have the option to install the self-generated SSL certificate:

Add the certificate to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities folder:

You can then log into the web site using either AD or BlackBerry login details as preferred, depending on the options specified during the installation:

The interface is similar to that used by the BES 5 product, so will be familiar to BES administrators for consistency.

IT Policies can be defined, with the following policy items available for PlayBook devices:

WiFi Profiles can be defined:

Exchange ActiveSync server settings can also be defined:

Users can be added to the BlackBerry Device Service in the same way as with the BES and BES Express products, by selecting entries from the Global Address List. If an email policy has been defined, when adding a user, you will be prompted to specify user details to complement the server settings already populated:

Users can enrol their PlayBooks by connecting to the web desktop (using the URL given at the end of the installation) from their PC - provided that their PC is on the same network as the BDS. Again the user will need to add the site to their Trusted Sites and then install the SSL certificate to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities folder in order to be able to install the required Active X components.
Once installed, users can log in using their Active Directory details, and connect their PlayBook to their PC via USB:

NOTE - if you experience problems adding users to the BDS from Active Directory. On the BDS open the Start Menu and browse to Programs --> BlackBerry Device Service --> BlackBerry Server Configuration. Right click on the icon and select the option to Run as Administrator:

On the AD Settings tab, verify that the BesAdmin user account details are entered correctly: