Remote activation of Josys Browser Extension using Google Admin Console

The Josys Browser Extension enables organizations to gain valuable insights into SaaS application usage. Josys allows seamless activation of the browser extension by allowing remote installation and activation of the browser extension on the end user's browser using Google Admin Console. This enables monitoring the saas application usage and detecting Shadow IT. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to activate the Josys browser extension on any browser (Google Chrome/Microsoft Edge) and validate the activation using Google Admin Console.

The deployment includes the following two steps:

1. Pushing the browser extension

2. Activating and validating the browser extension on your browser

1. Pushing the browser extension

Step 1: Log in to Google Admin Console using an admin account. Navigate to Devices and select Chrome. Click on Apps & Extensions and select Users & Browsers.

Step 2: Select your organization unit and click the Plus icon on the right. Select the Chrome icon.

Step 3: Enter the Josys browser extension ID (moaklgcgokbgplldonjkoochhlefkbjf) and press Enter. Click Select.

Step 4: Click Select to select the Josys browser extension.

Step 5: Click Allow Install.

Step 6: Select an Installation Policy according to your requirements and other permissions:

• Force install: Silently installs the extension on the end user's Chrome profile.
• Force install + pin to browser toolbar:  Silently install the extension and pin it to the toolbar. This method is preferred by the IT Admin.

Step 7: After selecting the Installation Policy, scroll down to locate the Policy for extensions section. Here, you have to enter the JSON code to initiate the activation. 

You can activate the browser extension in three different ways:

• Using Chrome/Edge user's profile
• Using Device Identity
• Using the end-user's email ID

For each of the activation methods, the organization key is mandatory. Refer to section 1 of the Remote activation of Josys Browser Extension to learn how to locate your organization key. 

a) Activating using the Chrome/Edge user's profile

When you choose this option, provide only the organization key. The user's profile is fetched from the browser. In the Policy for extensions section, enter the following JSON value. Replace the "org_key" with your organization key. 

{
  "OrganizationKey": {
    "Value": "org_key"
  }
}

For example, if "abccompany" is your organization key, enter the following JSON:

{

  "OrganizationKey": {

    "Value": "abccompany"

  }

}

b) Activating using the Device Identity

Note: Prior to activation through the Device Identity, it is mandatory to first upload Device Identity to Josys using the bulk CSV upload. Follow the same steps as described in How to import bulk devices data using a CSV File? for devices 

To activate the browser extension using the device identity, enter the following JSON value under the Policy for extensions section. Replace the "org_key" with your organization key and "DeviceIdentity" with the device identity. Learn how to fetch the device identity from How to add Device Identity to the User Profile.

{
  "OrganizationKey": {
    "Value": "org_key"
  },
"DeviceIdentity" {
"Value": "DeviceIdentity"
}
}

For example, if "abccompany" is your organization key and "device123" is the device identity, then enter the following JSON:

{

  "OrganizationKey": 

{

    "Value": "abccompany"

  },

   "DeviceIdentity":

{

    "Value": "device123"

  }

}

The following are the recommended fields that can be used as a Device Identity:

c) Activating using the end-user's email id

To activate the browser extension using the end-user's email id, enter the following JSON value under the Policy for extensions section. Replace the "org_key" with your organization key and the "user@email.com" with the user email id. You can fetch the user email id from User Profile>>Open any user's profile>>Email.

{
  "OrganizationKey": {
    "Value": "org_key"
  },
"UserEmail" {
"Value": "user@email.com"
}
}

For example, if "abccompany" is your organization key, and "marga@example.com" is the user email id, then enter the following JSON:

{

  "OrganizationKey": 

{

    "Value": "abccompany"

  },

   "UserEmail":

{

     "Value": "marga@exmaple.com"

  }

}

Step 8: Save the changes.

2. Validating browser extension activation

After activating the browser extension, follow these steps to validate that the activation is successful.

Step 1: Log in to Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge on your targeted device using an admin account.

Step 2: Open your browser, type <browsername>://extensions into your browser URL, and press Enter. 

For example, for Google Chrome, type "chrome://extensions" or enter <browsername>://extensions (for Microsoft Edge) in the URL bar and press Enter.

Step 3: Verify if the extension is listed in the extension list.

By following the above-mentioned steps, you can deploy, activate, and validate the Josys browser extension on your organization's Google Chrome/Microsoft Edge browsers.

When Extension Policies Conflict

If there is a conflict in extension policies, you may not be able to install the Josys Browser Extension.

How to check for conflict?

Step 1: Enter "chrome://policy" in the address bar of the Chrome browser you want to install the extension in and open the policy screen. 

Step 2: Check for conflict warning in the ExtensionInstallForcelist section.

How to Resolve Conflict?

Step 1: Register the target browser in the Google Admin console. Learn about the steps in Registering a Cloud-Managed Chrome Browser. After registration is complete, check that the target device name is displayed in Managed browsers under the Chrome browser.

Step 2: Now, select Settings under the Chrome browser to update your Chrome policy settings. Select the organizational unit for which you want to update the settings. Learn more from Chrome Policy Management Overview.

Step 3: Select "Policy mergelist" from Settings sources under the selected Organizational Units. 

Step 4: Enter " * " in Configuration and click Save.

Step 5: Verify that the conflict is resolved in the target browser.

How to remove extensions

Step 1: Log in to your Google Admin console and select Apps & extensions in Chrome browsers.

Step 2: Select the app and click the Delete icon.

This will remove the target browser.

FAQ

Q. If the Josys Browser Extension is set in the Google Admin Console but does not appear in the user's Chrome extensions, what should I check?

A. If the Josys Browser Extension does not appear, then do the following:

1. Open the Chrome browser of the person you want to install it on, enter "chrome://extensions/" in the address bar, and check if the Josys Browser Extension appears in "Extensions".

2. Open the Google Admin Console and check if the Josys Browser Extension is set in "Apps and Extensions".