Blue Cedar Platform Release Notes - February 26, 2021
Blue Cedar Platform 5.1.0
App Import
Added streamlined server-side workflows for import and distribution. If you use continuous integration and delivery pipelines on GitHub and GitLab, you can now include those updates automatically in your Blue Cedar workflows without having to manually check or shuttle mobile apps between systems. Your mobile app deployments will always include the latest updates from your build system. See the referenced online documentation pages for more information, or click Help when you’re logged into the Blue Cedar platform.
What do I need to do?
Enable the GitHub or GitLab Import extension, configure it with project/repository details, and then add an Import step to your workflow. See Incorporating automatic app updates from GitHub and Incorporating automatic app updates from GitLab.
Distribution - BlackBerry Apps
Added a new BlackBerry UEM distribution extension simplifies distribution of BlackBerry Dynamics-enabled apps. You can now set up a workflow to automate BlackBerry app distribution, instead of manually downloading the app and uploading it to the BlackBerry UEM. This automation is especially helpful when different parts of your organization control different phases of the app's lifecycle; the automation enabled by this step helps avoid potential confusion around shuttling different versions of the apps between groups.
What do I need to do?
Configure the BlackBerry UEM extension with details for your UEM. Then include a BlackBerry UEM step in the Production stage of your Blue Cedar workflow to make your apps available through your enterprise’s BlackBerry UEM App Catalog. You can automatically publish to your BlackBerry UEM, or choose to manually download an app prepared for BlackBerry UEM distribution and then publish it later.
Enhance Service
Updated the Blue Cedar Mobile Client version 4.10.12 to include the BlackBerry Dynamics features listed below. Most of these features are automatically included when you integrate an app with the BlackBerry Dynamics SDK. The exception is Launcher, which requires an extra step to enable the BlackBerry Launcher Library when you integrate BlackBerry Dynamics SDK with the Blue Cedar Platform. After integration, you can configure and manage each feature via the BlackBerry UEM.
Mobile Client 4.10.12 Updates
AppKinetics
(Android only)
BlackBerry AppKinetics is a method for securely exchanging data and commands between two BlackBerry Dynamics apps on the same device. AppKinetics support includes BlackBerry Data Loss Prevention (DLP) support for secure file viewing, URL opening, and sending email.
AppKinetics is also known as Inter-Container Communication (ICC).
Launcher
The BlackBerry Dynamics Launcher is the blue BlackBerry icon located in your BlackBerry Dynamics apps. It allows users to switch quickly between the BlackBerry Dynamics app that is currently open and any other BlackBerry Dynamics apps on your device.
Persona
BlackBerry Persona collects data from BlackBerry Dynamics apps and determines a user's current risk level. The service then takes action to adapt device and app behavior to that level of risk. For example, if a user's current risk level is high, BlackBerry Persona can limit the user's access to work apps and disable certain device features. BlackBerry Persona protects the integrity of work data by dynamically responding to a user's real-world context, adapting a security policy based on user geolocation, device, time, IP address and BlackBerry Dynamics app identifiers. Persona is available with BlackBerry Dynamics 8.0+.
Prior to SDK 8.0, BlackBerry Persona was known as BlackBerry Intelligent Security and was part of BlackBerry Analytics; with SDK 8.0+, BlackBerry Analytics and Persona are included with the BlackBerry Dynamics SDK.
Licensing note: BlackBerry Persona requires a separate licensing agreement with BlackBerry in addition to BlackBerry Dynamics.
Watermark
The BlackBerry Watermark feature provides the possibility to add a watermark to the app screens in an app integrated with BlackBerry Dynamics SDK. Such a watermark contains the username of the logged user and the current date and time, to protect against data leakage by deterring users from taking photos of potentially sensitive information and by giving your organization a means to trace a data leak.
BlackBerry Dynamics releases
The Blue Cedar Accelerator for BlackBerry integrates these BlackBerry Dynamics releases.
iOS
BlackBerry Dynamics SDK release v8.1.0.67 for iOS.
Android
BlackBerry Dynamics SDK release v8.1.0.37 for Android. Requires Android OS 7.0 or later, minimum API level 24.
Notice of deprecation
Blue Cedar support for BlackBerry Analytics is deprecated. Please use BlackBerry Persona instead.
Resolved in Mobile Client 4.10.12
Item | Mobile OS | Accelerator | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Item | Mobile OS | Accelerator | Description |
SPT-2170 | iOS | Blue Cedar | Resolved issue with multiple "No such file or directory" errors. |
SPT-2482 | iOS | BlackBerry | Added support for UIScene apps with the BlackBerry accelerator. |
MOB-1533 | Android | BlackBerry | Improved media playback handling in Android WebView. |
MOB-1573 | Android | Microsoft | Fixed an issue with packageName parsing on Android. |
SPT-2486 | iOS | Blue Cedar | Modified file handling to better support file writing. |
SPT-2494 | iOS | Blue Cedar | Resolved an issue with NSURLSession where authentication challenges were not being handled correctly. |
SPT-2493 | iOS | Blue Cedar | Resolved an issue where pages using mmap and custom signal handlers may not work correctly when using Data at Rest. |
SPT-2507 | iOS | Blue Cedar | Resolved an issue where some portrait-only apps may display incorrectly if the device is held in landscape mode. |
SPT-2512 | iOS | BlackBerry | Resolved an issue where some React-native apps may get stuck on a white screen during enrollment. |
SPT-2515 | iOS | Policy Console | Fixed an issue with invalid Icon error when uploading iOS apps to the policy console. |
BBY-73 | Android | BlackBerry | Fixed an issue that was causing hangs during authorization when BlackBerry Dynamics root detection policy was enabled. |
BBY-86 | Android, iOS | BlackBerry | Resolved an issue where AppConfig values may not be successfully delivered to an app running on a device with MDM. |
Open issues/limitations in Mobile Client 4.10.12
Limitations with this Blue Cedar release for iOS 14 include:
Support for new iOS 14 features is not fully implemented in this release, including:
New Photos picker: a way to access pictures from the Photos app without requesting direct library access
HTTP Live Streaming (HLS)
App Clips: small parts of an app designed for quick task completion
Limitations with this Blue Cedar release for Android 11 include:
No support for Android Emulators running Android 11.
Limitations for BlackBerry features include:
BlackBerry AppKinetics: No iOS support.
Xamarin/client certificates don't work with BlackBerry: HTTP-specific traffic is not sent into the BlackBerry HTTP client (Xamarin or platform native).
Platform Resolved Issues
Workflow builder
Item | Description |
|---|---|
BCP 5436, BCP-5727 | Added the ability to rename workflows on the workflow builder screen. Workflows by default are named after the main step in the App Enhancement stage. |
BCP-5489, BCP-5530 | Added the option to add an Approval step in any stage in a workflow after a configured step. |
BCP-5531 | The App-Ray service is now configured in a workflow as a step without any sub-steps. All existing App-Ray sub-step configurations are now converted to App-Ray steps to ensure backward compatibility. |
BCP-5726 | Extension-based workflow components are not shown as options in the workflow builder unless the extension is properly configured for the organization. |
BCP-5731 | Added the ability to save workflow changes even if the workflow isn't "ready to run." Errors and missing configurations must be resolved before running the workflow. |
BCP-5729 | Added a confirmation option to give you the ability to save changes to the workflow if you accidentally try to move from the workflow builder without saving. |
BCP-5134 | Fixed an issue that caused a Signing step to fail in the Production stage if it immediately followed a Signing step in the Testing stage. |
Running workflows
Item | Description |
|---|---|
BCP-5442 | Updated mail notifications for signing and approval steps to include the link to the workflow that triggered the notification. |
BCP-5440, BCP-5493 | Added the ability to run a workflow on all available valid versions of an app at one time. |
BCP-5685 | Improved the information about the Signing step shown on the workflow run status page:
|
General
Item | Description |
|---|---|
BCP-4713 | Fixed an issue where uploading an app binary with a different app version resulted in a warning indicating the version already exists. |
BCP-5559 | Fixed an issue where hovering over the App-Ray step did not display the duration correctly. |
BCP-5478 | Added an Import versions tab to the App List to show a list of versions available from external sources as enabled with Import extensions. |