DDM Explorer: Learn, Build, and Test Declarations

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GUEST & TOPIC

Presented by: Mark Buffington - Senior Consulting Engineer @ Jamf

Presented on: Friday, September 4, 2026

Description: Declarative Device Management is changing how we manage Apple devices, and DDM Explorer is the fastest way to get up to speed. Mark Buffington, a leading contributor to the project, will walk through how the app helps you explore Apple's DDM framework, build your own declarations, and deploy them via Jamf Pro.

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WATCH THE KEYNOTE

https://youtu.be/sxujqa_nCbQ

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WATCH THE FULL EPISODE

View this month's full podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

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KEYNOTE RESOURCES

SLIDE DECK

None this time around! :)

DDM & BLUEPRINT RESOURCES

• Scott Kendall's JAMFGetDDMInfo script: run mass DDM checks across your fleet

  • https://github.com/ScottEKendall/JAMF-Pro-Scripts/tree/main/JAMFGetDDMInfo

• Deploying custom DDM declarations using Blueprints in Jamf Pro (Rich Trouton, Der Flounder)

  • https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2025/11/26/deploying-custom-ddm-declarations-using-blueprints-in-jamf-pro/

• Declarative Device Management: user channel vs. device channel (Der Flounder)

  • https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2025/09/09/declarative-device-management-user-channel-and-device-channel/

• Identifying MDM-managed user accounts on macOS Sequoia (Der Flounder)

  • https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/identifying-mdm-managed-user-accounts-on-macos-sequoia/

• jamf-cli wiki: includes converting configuration profiles to Blueprints

  • https://github.com/Jamf-Concepts/jamf-cli/wiki

• JSON Formatter: handy for building and validating custom declarations

  • https://jsonformatter.org

JAMF FEATURE REQUESTS TO UPVOTE

• Add granularity of scheduling to the Jamf App Catalog

  • https://ideas.jamf.com/ideas/JPRO-I-1719

• Add "like" and "matches regex" operators to the Cached Packages smart group criterion

  • https://ideas.jamf.com/ideas/JPRO-I-2237

• Add Apple Beta Token retrieval/deployment natively to the Jamf Pro interface

  • https://ideas.jamf.com/ideas/JPRO-I-1584

JAMF PLATFORM API & TRAINING

• Jamf Platform API Gateway announcement: beta integrations were reset and the URL format changed

  • https://www.jamf.com/blog/platform-api-gateway/

• Jamf Blueprints workshop (free training from Jamf)

  • https://training.jamf.com/blueprints-workshop

ROCKETMAN TOOLS & NEWS

• App Setup Helper: guides users through enabling Remote Desktop and Screen Recording permissions

  • https://github.com/Rocketman-Tech/rcc/wiki/App-Setup-Helper

• Rocketman at JNUC 2026: booth info and giveaways

  • https://www.rocketman.tech/jnuc26

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FOLLOW & REPLAY

Catch the entire meetup — including the Gravity Times, guest keynote, and Q&A — by subscribing to the LaunchPad Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Prefer to watch just the keynote? Head over to our YouTube channel for the presenter keynote and more Jamf and Mac Admin content.

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