Ares CNX User Guide

Operational reference for CM, kitting, support, and license administrators. Use this guide in the app or print it from the browser when a training packet is needed.

Overview Dashboard Review Organizations Purchased Licenses Devices Generated Device License Files Configurations Deployment Profiles And Activation QR Codes Operating Practices

Overview

Ares CNX manages organizations, purchased licenses, devices, generated license files, AppConfig versions, and AresNXT activation profiles.

Core Workflow

Create or review an organization.
Add purchased licenses for that organization.
Create or assign devices.
Create AppConfig versions for the deployment scenario.
Assign a purchased license and configuration to each device.
Generate or download the device license file when the device is ready.
Create deployment profiles and share activation QR codes when devices need self-service activation or configuration.

Dashboard Review

The dashboard summarizes license utilization, registered devices, configuration coverage, and Focus review items.

Use Focus First

Review renewal risk, high utilization, and devices that still need generated licenses.
Mark items as Under review when they are being handled.
Dismiss items only when they no longer need attention.
Open the related organization from the review item when follow-up is needed.

Organizations

Organizations represent customer or operational programs. Open an organization to manage profile details, purchased licenses, devices, configurations, and deployment profiles.

Organization Detail Includes

Organization profile, contact, renewal, billing, notes, and image.
Purchased licenses and current assignment counts.
Assigned devices and license generation status.
AppConfig records associated with the organization.
Deployment profiles for activation QR workflows.

Purchased Licenses

Purchased licenses are entitlements from purchase orders. They are not generated device license files.

Required Fields

License name and purchase order.
License type: Desktop or Mobile.
Quantity of purchased seats.
Expiration date.
At least one enabled module.

Assignment Rules

Assigned devices cannot exceed purchased quantity.
Assigned devices must match the purchased license type.
A device must have a compatible purchased license before a device license file can be generated.

Devices

The Devices page shows assigned devices and unassigned inventory in one list.

Create Or Manage A Device

Select the organization.
Enter the device name and Device ID when available.
Choose Desktop or Mobile.
Associate a compatible purchased license.
Assign one active configuration.
Save the device before generating or downloading license files.

Manual Kitting Outputs

Generated device license files show a QR code and Download .lic action.
Assigned configurations show a QR code and Download .config action.
Use Print from the manage device modal when CM or kitting teams need a paper activation/configuration sheet.

Unassigning

Unassign returns the device to the available pool.
Purchased license and configuration assignments are removed.
The app prompts for confirmation before unassigning.

Generated Device License Files

Generated device license files are separate from purchased licenses. Purchased licenses track entitlement and modules; generated device license files are delivered to devices.

Before Generating

The device must have a Device ID.
A compatible purchased license must be assigned.
The purchased license must have an expiration date.
Modules are inherited from the assigned purchased license.

After Generation

The generated file is stored in the device license history.
Devices with a generated file show QR and Download .lic actions.
Changing license assignment does not regenerate an existing device license file.

Configurations

Configurations are AppConfig records that can be assigned to devices and shared as JSON payloads.

Configuration Builder

Create or edit generated AppConfig JSON from structured fields.
Review generated JSON before saving.
Use versioning for revised deployment profiles instead of overwriting a working configuration.
Unsupported existing fields are preserved when editing an existing payload.

Sharing And Assignment

Share a configuration from the Configurations page to get a QR code and configuration URL.
Assign one active configuration from the manage device workflow.
Unassigning a device removes its configuration assignment.

Deployment Profiles And Activation QR Codes

Deployment profiles support AresNXT activation and configuration workflows for an organization.

Profile Actions

License + configuration activates a purchased license and applies AppConfig.
License only activates a purchased license without applying AppConfig.
Configuration only applies AppConfig without assigning a purchased license.

What A Profile Defines

Profile name and description.
Profile action.
Purchased license when activation includes licensing.
Configuration when activation includes AppConfig.

Activation QR

Select the share icon on a deployment profile to generate an activation QR code.
Use Print from the share dialog when a QR sheet is needed for kitting teams.
Install type, activation limits, modules, and expiration are inherited from the associated purchased license and configuration.

Operating Practices

Create or confirm the organization record before entering licenses, devices, configurations, or deployment profiles.
Create purchased licenses before assigning licenses to devices.
Keep Device IDs accurate; they are required for generated license files and device activation.
Use license names, purchase order values, and notes that match source purchase records.
Keep configuration names and versions clear so users can select the correct AppConfig quickly.
Use unassign instead of delete when a device should return to inventory.
Print modal QR sheets for kitting workflows instead of maintaining separate exported documents.