'InstallProfile' command via MDM

Question

I'm able to query device information, get list of profiles installed on the device etc, but am unable to install a profile onto the device.

I've configured a restrictions profile. When I host it on my server and download it via Safari, it installs. But when I encode it as base64 (as per MDM requirements) and try installing it, I get the following error.

DM: Attempting to perform MDM request: InstallProfile
Oct 10 10:25:32 iPhone-4 mdmd[516] <Notice>: (Error) MC: Failed to parse profile data. Error: NSError:
Desc   : Invalid Profile
US Desc: Invalid Profile
Domain : MCProfileErrorDomain
Code   : 1000
Type   : MCFatalError
Oct 10 10:25:32 iPhone-4 mdmd[516] <Notice>: (Error) MDM: Command Status: Error
Error: NSError:
Desc   : Invalid Profile
US Desc: Invalid Profile
Domain : MCProfileErrorDomain
Code   : 1000
Type   : MCFatalError

Below is the Base64 encoded data of the profile I'm trying to install. I generated the below data based on the suggestions here and here
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ZXk+CgkJCTxmYWxzZS8+CgkJPC9kaWN0PgoJPC9hcnJheT4KCTxrZXk+UGF5bG9hZERlc2NyaXB0
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aW5nPgoJPGtleT5QYXlsb2FkT3JnYW5pemF0aW9uPC9rZXk+Cgk8c3RyaW5nPjwvc3RyaW5nPgoJ
PGtleT5QYXlsb2FkUmVtb3ZhbERpc2FsbG93ZWQ8L2tleT4KCTxmYWxzZS8+Cgk8a2V5PlBheWxv
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ZFVVSUQ8L2tleT4KCTxzdHJpbmc+MUU4MjY0NEEtQjRCRi00RkM0LTgxQTgtNTdCRTFDOTg4MTg1
PC9zdHJpbmc+Cgk8a2V5PlBheWxvYWRWZXJzaW9uPC9rZXk+Cgk8aW50ZWdlcj4xPC9pbnRlZ2Vy
Pgo8L2RpY3Q+CjwvcGxpc3Q+Cg==

I have enabled profile installation in the MDM payload. Please help me in figuring out the problem.

Answer 1

You are missing the XML Declaration and the plist doctype. Add the following two lines to the top of the profile (before base64 encoding it):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

Answer 2

The problem is solved. Just out of annoyance I removed the extra spaces between the XML tags of the .mobileConfig. See below...

Changed

<dict>
    <key>PayloadContent</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>PayloadDescription</key>
            <string></string>
            <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
            <string>Restrictions</string>
..........
</dict>

to

<dict><key>PayloadContent</key><array><dict><key>PayloadDescription</key><string></string><key>PayloadDisplayName</key><string>Restrictions</string>..........</dict>

I used this site to encode it into base64. (for testing only)

For future viewers, you need to start from the <dict> tag