Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Installation Guide
Publication Date: September 3, 2010 Worldwide Headquarters Blackboard Inc. 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW Sixth Floor Washington, DC 20001-3796 +1 800 424 9299 toll free US & Canada +1 202 463 4860 telephone +1 202 463 4863 facsimile www.blackboard.com +31 20 5206884 (NL) telephone +31 20 5206885 (NL) facsimile www.blackboard.com International Headquarters Blackboard International B.V. Dam 27 2nd Floor 1012 JS Amsterdam The Netherlands
Copyright 1997-2010. Blackboard, the Blackboard logo, BbWorld, Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Transact, Blackboard Connect, the Blackboard Outcomes System, Behind the Blackboard, and Connect-ED are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackboard Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. U.S. Patent Numbers: 6,988,138; 7,493,396; 6,816,878. Apache and the Apache feather logo are trademarks of The Apache Software Foundation. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Microsoft, Active Directory, SQL Server, and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Red Hat and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Sun, Java, JDBC, JDK, and Solaris are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. No part of the contents of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher, Blackboard Inc.
Page 2
Contents
Getting Started ............................................................................................................................... 9 About the Installation Process ................................................................................................ 10 Fresh Installations ............................................................................................................ 10 Upgrades .......................................................................................................................... 10 Preferred Technical Skills ....................................................................................................... 11 Database Skills ................................................................................................................. 11 Network Skills ................................................................................................................... 11 Operating System and Application Server Skills .............................................................. 11 Developer Skills ................................................................................................................ 12 About the Blackboard Learn Installer and Updater ................................................................. 13 The Installer and Updater Are One Tool .......................................................................... 13 Update Process ................................................................................................................ 13 What the Installer and Updater Can Do ........................................................................... 13 What the Installer and Updater Cannot Do ...................................................................... 14 Understanding the Database Schema .................................................................................... 15 Database Schema Naming............................................................................................... 15 The Database Statistics Schema ..................................................................................... 15 Statistics Schema Decoupling .......................................................................................... 16 Understanding Load Balancing ............................................................................................... 17 Load Balanced Configurations ......................................................................................... 17 Benefits of Scaling Out with Additional Web/Application Servers .................................... 18 Defining the Host Environment ............................................................................................... 19 Read the Hardware Sizing Information ............................................................................ 19 Choose an Operating System .......................................................................................... 19 Choose a Database .......................................................................................................... 19 Decide the Number of Servers ......................................................................................... 20 Database Clustering ......................................................................................................... 20 File System Storage and Database File Storage ............................................................. 20 Collaboration Server ......................................................................................................... 20 Review and Next Steps .................................................................................................... 21 Planning the Installation .......................................................................................................... 22 Develop a Learning Model................................................................................................ 22 Create a Test Environment............................................................................................... 22 Establish a Support Infrastructure .................................................................................... 22
Page 3
Run a Pilot Program ......................................................................................................... 23 Rollout ............................................................................................................................... 23 Install on Windows on One or Two Servers ............................................................................. 24 Set Up the Hardware and Software ........................................................................................ 25 Required Hardware .......................................................................................................... 25 Required Software ............................................................................................................ 25 Set JAVA_HOME ............................................................................................................. 25 Confirm NTFS File System ............................................................................................... 26 Confirm Windows Server 2003 Operating System Prerequisites ..................................... 26 Confirm Windows Server 2008 Operating System Prerequisites ..................................... 26 Configure Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features ............................................. 26 Create a Domain User ...................................................................................................... 26 Configure SQL Server Agent Startup ............................................................................... 27 Synchronize Server Clocks .............................................................................................. 27 Ports ................................................................................................................................. 27 Network ............................................................................................................................. 28 Database .......................................................................................................................... 28 Configuring Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features ................................................ 29 Before You Begin ............................................................................................................. 29 How to Configure Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features ................................ 29 (Optional) Set Up Database Clustering and Storage .............................................................. 32 Setting Up SQL Server Failover ....................................................................................... 32 Setting Up a Separate Storage Device for the Data Files and Log Files ......................... 32 (Optional) Set Up File System Storage ................................................................................... 33 About File System Storage ............................................................................................... 33 How to Set Up a Shared File System ............................................................................... 33 Complete the Pre-Installation Checklist .................................................................................. 35 Blackboard Basics ............................................................................................................ 35 Application Server Checklist ............................................................................................. 35 Database Server Checklist ............................................................................................... 36 Complete the Pre-Installation Worksheet ............................................................................... 37 Install the Blackboard Learn Application Server and Database ............................................. 42 Where to Find the Installer ............................................................................................... 42 Before Running the Installer ............................................................................................. 42 How to Run the Installer ................................................................................................... 42 Next Steps ........................................................................................................................ 45
Page 4
Install on Windows on a Load-Balanced Configuration .......................................................... 46 Set Up the Hardware and Software ........................................................................................ 47 Required Hardware .......................................................................................................... 47 Required Software ............................................................................................................ 47 Collaboration Server ......................................................................................................... 47 Dedicated File System Server .......................................................................................... 47 Set JAVA_HOME ............................................................................................................. 48 Confirm NTFS File System ............................................................................................... 48 Confirm Windows Server 2003 Prerequisites ................................................................... 48 Confirm Windows Server 2008 Operating System Prerequisites ..................................... 49 Configure Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features ............................................. 49 Create a Domain User ...................................................................................................... 49 Add the Domain User to the IIS_WPG Group .................................................................. 49 Set Up IIS Security ........................................................................................................... 50 Configure SQL Server Agent Automatic Startup .............................................................. 50 Synchronize Server Clocks .............................................................................................. 50 Ports ................................................................................................................................. 51 Network ............................................................................................................................. 51 Database .......................................................................................................................... 51 Configuring Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features ................................................ 53 Before You Begin ............................................................................................................. 53 How to Configure Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features ................................ 53 (Optional) Set Up Database Clustering and Storage .............................................................. 56 Setting Up SQL Server Failover ....................................................................................... 56 Setting Up a Separate Storage Device for the Data Files and Log Files ......................... 56 (Optional) Set Up File System Storage ................................................................................... 57 About File System Storage ............................................................................................... 57 How to Set Up a Shared File System ............................................................................... 57 Complete the Pre-Installation Checklist .................................................................................. 59 Blackboard Basics ............................................................................................................ 59 Application Servers Checklist ........................................................................................... 59 Database Server Checklist ............................................................................................... 60 (Optional) File System Server Checklist ........................................................................... 61 (Optional) Collaboration Server Checklist ........................................................................ 61 Complete the Pre-Installation Worksheet ............................................................................... 62 Install the Blackboard Learn Application Server and Database ............................................. 67 Where to Find the Installer ............................................................................................... 67
Page 5
Before Running the Installer ............................................................................................. 67 How to Run the Installer ................................................................................................... 67 Next Steps ........................................................................................................................ 70 Install the Blackboard Learn on Additional Application Servers ............................................. 71 (Optional) Set Up a Clustered Tomcat Environment .............................................................. 72 How to Set Up an Optional Clustered Tomcat Environment ............................................ 72 How to Remove a Tomcat Cluster ................................................................................... 73 (Optional) Set Up a Collaboration Server ............................................................................... 74 Set Up the Blackboard Services on Each Application Server................................................. 75 Set Up the Hardware Load Balancer ...................................................................................... 77 Test the System ................................................................................................................ 77 Troubleshooting Windows Installation ..................................................................................... 78 Log File.................................................................................................................................... 79 Pages Will Not Load................................................................................................................ 80 Installation Failure Due to Strict Password Requirements (SQL Server) ............................... 82 Blackboard Support Site and Knowledge Base ...................................................................... 83 Contact Blackboard Technical Support................................................................................... 84 Install on UNIX on One or Two Servers ..................................................................................... 85 Set Up the Hardware and Software ........................................................................................ 86 Required Hardware .......................................................................................................... 86 Required Software ............................................................................................................ 86 Create a UNIX User for Blackboard Learn ....................................................................... 86 Synchronize Server Clocks .............................................................................................. 86 Ports ................................................................................................................................. 87 Network ............................................................................................................................. 87 Configure Oracle 10g .............................................................................................................. 88 Oracle 10g (Release 2) Compatibility ............................................................................... 88 Database Block Size ........................................................................................................ 88 Confirm AL16UTF16 Character Set ................................................................................. 89 (Optional) Set Up Database Clustering and Storage .............................................................. 90 Oracle RAC....................................................................................................................... 90 Setup a Separate Storage Device for the Data Files and Log Files................................. 90 (Optional) Set Up File System Storage for UNIX .................................................................... 91 About File System Storage ............................................................................................... 91 How to Set Up Shared File System .................................................................................. 91 Complete the Pre-Installation Checklist .................................................................................. 92 Blackboard Basics ............................................................................................................ 92
Page 6
Application Server Checklist ............................................................................................. 92 Database Server Checklist ............................................................................................... 93 Complete the Pre-Installation Worksheet for UNIX ................................................................ 94 Install the Blackboard Learn Application Server and Database Server .................................. 99 Where to Find the Installer ............................................................................................... 99 Before Running the Installer ............................................................................................. 99 How to Run the Installer ................................................................................................... 99 Install on UNIX in a Load-Balanced Configuration ................................................................ 103 Set Up the Hardware and Software ...................................................................................... 104 Required Hardware ........................................................................................................ 104 Required Software .......................................................................................................... 104 Collaboration Server ....................................................................................................... 104 Dedicated File System Server ........................................................................................ 104 Load-Balancing Methods ................................................................................................ 105 Create a UNIX User for Blackboard Learn ..................................................................... 105 Synchronize Server Clocks ............................................................................................ 105 Ports ............................................................................................................................... 105 Network ........................................................................................................................... 106 Configure Oracle 10g ............................................................................................................ 107 Oracle 10g (Release 2) Compatibility ............................................................................. 107 Database Block Size ...................................................................................................... 107 Confirm AL16UTF16 Character Set ............................................................................... 108 (Optional) Set Up Database Clustering and Storage ............................................................ 109 Oracle RAC..................................................................................................................... 109 Setup a Separate Storage Device for the Data Files and Log Files............................... 109 (Optional) Set Up File System Storage ................................................................................. 110 About File System Storage ............................................................................................. 110 How to Set Up Shared File System ................................................................................ 110 Complete the Pre-Installation Checklist ................................................................................ 111 Blackboard Basics .......................................................................................................... 111 Application Server Checklist ........................................................................................... 111 File System Server Checklist.......................................................................................... 112 Collaboration Server Checklist ....................................................................................... 112 Database Server Checklist ............................................................................................. 112 Complete the Pre-Installation Worksheet ............................................................................. 113 Install the Blackboard Learn Application Server and Database Server ................................ 118 Where to Find the Installer ............................................................................................. 118
Page 7
Before Running the Installer ........................................................................................... 118 How to Run the Installer ................................................................................................. 118 Install the Blackboard Learn on Additional Application Servers ........................................... 122 (Optional) Set Up a Clustered Tomcat Environment ............................................................ 123 How to Set Up an Optional Clustered Tomcat Environment .......................................... 123 How to Remove a Tomcat Cluster ................................................................................. 124 (Optional) Set Up a Collaboration Server ............................................................................. 125 Set Up the Hardware Load Balancer .................................................................................... 126 Test the System .............................................................................................................. 126 Troubleshooting UNIX Installation........................................................................................... 127 Log File.................................................................................................................................. 128 Blackboard Support Site and Knowledge Base .................................................................... 129 Contact Blackboard Technical Support................................................................................. 130 Uninstalling Blackboard Learn ................................................................................................. 131 About Uninstalling Blackboard Learn .................................................................................... 132 Before Running the Uninstaller on UNIX ........................................................................ 132 Uninstalling on a Load-Balanced System ....................................................................... 132 How to Uninstall Blackboard Learn ................................................................................ 132
Page 8
Getting Started
Page 9
Getting Started
Upgrades
If you are upgrading from a previous version of Blackboard Learn, see the Upgrade topics in Blackboard Learn Help.
Page 10
Getting Started
Database Skills
The following database skills are recommended for installing and maintaining Blackboard Learn. Experience with Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle Accessing and running SQL scripts Performing online and offline database backup and restore Monitoring and reconfiguring database parameters to meet growing demand Tuning the performance of the host machine and the database server
Network Skills
The following networking skills are recommended for installing and maintaining Blackboard Learn. Troubleshooting network bottlenecks Knowledge of authentication and experience with institutional authentication methods (LDAP, Microsoft Active Directory, or similar method) Experience supporting 24/7 network environments with failover contingencies Experience configuring load-balanced solutions
Page 11
Getting Started
Knowledge of how application servers work and how to start and stop the various servers and system processes Knowledge of how to add hardware to the server Performing tape backups and tape archive programs and understand how to use these backup tools to move files around the system and between machines Experience managing multiple points of integration
Developer Skills
The following skills are recommended to create Blackboard Building Blocks or to use the EventDriven API. Knowledge of compiling software Experience with relational databases Experience with Java development at the mid to senior programmer level Experience programming Java Server pages Experience with JDBC 2.0 Experience with Java SE Experience with Connection pooling Creating and testing JSPs Experience with object-oriented programming
Page 12
Getting Started
Update Process
The Installer and Updater will update the system when run on an existing installation. Updates are used to install: New releases: Set of fixes and major new functions Application Packs: Set of fixes and some minor new functions Service Packs: Small set of fixes The update will include all previous updates, hotfixes, and service packs into one package. From time to time, Blackboard will release hotfixes to address specific issues. Hotfixes will not use the Installer and Updater tool because they are so limited in scope. All hotfixes are included in the next update.
Page 13
Getting Started
Provide New License: This option processes a new license file for the system. It is used to license additional capabilities or change the licensing of current capabilities. Uninstall: This option removes Blackboard Learn capabilities. Uninstall App Server Only: This option removes Blackboard Learn capabilities from a dedicated App Server in a load-balanced installation. It does not remove the database or shared file system. It does not remove any software from the other App servers. WARNING! When providing a new license, downtime is required. This installation option will perform a full upgrade, shutting down services.
Page 14
Getting Started
Page 15
Getting Started
Page 16
Getting Started
Page 17
Getting Started
Load-balanced configurations may include as many as six application servers. Also required are a database server (or failover cluster), a file system server, and a Collaboration Tool server. Select one of the existing application servers to also act as the Collaboration server. The Collaboration server may not be spread across multiple application servers because all users participating in a Collaboration session must share the same resources. A hardware loadbalancer is optional. Using a hardware load-balancer is the preferred method of load-balancing. A network switch is used to handle communications from the client machines to the application servers and the Collaboration server. A separate switch is used to handle a secure, private connection between the application servers and the file system and database servers. The database and file system must be on a secure, private network. The diagram also shows integration with an LDAP server or servers to handle authentication and an SIS system to share data with Blackboard Learn. Integrating these components with a loadbalanced configuration is not difficult, but does require each Web/application server to share the same settings. Finally, the diagram shows a Storage Area Network (SAN) device and a backup device. A SAN device is not required but many institutions choose to use one. Regular, frequent data backup and consistent recovery procedures are critical parts of any Blackboard Learn configuration. The diagram shows a tape drive backup but any backup method may be used that meets the needs of the institution.
Page 18
Getting Started
Choose a Database
This is an easy decision after selecting the operating system because Blackboard supports only one database for each supported operating system. Blackboard supports Microsoft SQL Server, Enterprise Edition, when Blackboard Learn is hosted on a Windows operating system (the Standard Edition is compatible with Blackboard Learn). Blackboard supports an Oracle database when Blackboard Learn is hosted on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Sun Solaris operating system. When Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition is hosted on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Sun Solaris operating system, Blackboard provides a special version of Oracle called Small-Scale Oracle. Small-Scale Oracle is the only database supported for Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition when hosted on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Sun Solaris operating system. For more information about Small-Scale Oracle, see the Small-Scale Oracle topics in Blackboard Learn Help. When Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition is hosted on a Windows operating system, the supported version of Microsoft SQL Server must be used. For the exact versions of the databases that are supported, see "Supported Technologies" in the Release Notes for the release that you are installing.
Page 19
Getting Started
Database Clustering
Some institutions may require database clustering as a redundancy to ensure that the system is always available, even in the event of a database server crash. For Windows, Blackboard supports installation on a Microsoft SQL Server Failover configuration. For more information, see Set Up Database Clustering and Storage for Windows. For UNIX, Blackboard offers support for Oracle RAC with all versions of Oracle supported by Blackboard. For more information, see Set Up Database Clustering and Storage for UNIX.
Collaboration Server
Blackboard Learn includes features for synchronous communication such as a Chat Tool and a Whiteboard Tool. These features are wrapped into the Collaboration Tool available within Courses. The Collaboration Tool communications are handled by a dedicated service that requires its own ports. Select one of the existing application servers to also act as the Collaboration server. The Collaboration server may not be spread across multiple application servers because all users participating in a Collaboration session must share the same resources. A single server must be configured to run the Collaboration server. This server must handle Collaboration sessions and performance will be unaffected by other requests. The application servers are configured to connect users to one server that handles all the Collaboration sessions.
Page 20
Getting Started
During installation, it is possible to specify that a separate machine will handle all Collaboration Tool communications. This requires that either an existing application server be dual-purposed, or a dedicated server be configured to host the Collaboration server. Those institutions running Blackboard Learn on just one or two servers, obviously would never opt to create a dedicated Collaboration server, and instead dual-purpose the existing application server. For more information, see Set Up a Collaboration Server for Windows in a Load-Balanced Configuration or Set Up a Collaboration Server for UNIX in a Load-Balanced Configuration. With the exception of that topic, all references to a Collaboration Server assume that your environment is using a single existing application server that has been dual-purposed as the Collaboration server. Do not connect the Collaboration server to the load balancer.
Refer to Section Install on Windows on One or Two Servers Install on Windows on One or Two Servers Install on Windows in a Load-Balanced Configuration Install on UNIX on One or Two Servers Install on UNIX on One or Two Servers Install on UNIX on One or Two Servers Install on UNIX on One or Two Servers Install on UNIX in a Load-Balanced Configuration Install on UNIX on One or Two Servers Install on UNIX on One or Two Servers Install on UNIX in a Load-Balanced Configuration
Page 21
Getting Started
Page 22
Getting Started
Rollout
When Blackboard Learn is ready for users, it is important to communicate key information to users. Make sure that the user base has access to training sessions, support, and other resources to help them begin using the system.
Page 23
Page 24
Required Hardware
The About Hardware Sizing in a Dell Environment and About Hardware Sizing in a Sun Microsystems Environment topics in Blackboard Learn Help detail several different hardware configurations based on performance, cost, and redundancy. Make sure that the planned hardware configuration meets the needs of the institution.
Required Software
For the exact versions of the operating systems, databases, and Java SE Developers Kit (JDK) that are supported, see "Supported Technologies" in the Release Notes for the release that you are installing. It is critical that the software used to host Blackboard Learn meets requirements. The supported version of the JDK can be downloaded at http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp. If installing on multiple servers, download and install the JDK on each application server. Make sure that the server or servers are dedicated to Blackboard Learn. Make sure that the server is not using valuable space and resources running unnecessary applications.
Set JAVA_HOME
The correct version of the JDK must be installed on the application server and the JAVA_HOME environment variable must be set. The JDK installer first installs the JDK, and then installs the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Ensure that these are installed to different locations and that the JRE installer is not allowed to overwrite portions of the JDK. WARNING! Make sure that the path to the JDK does not include any spaces. For example, do not use C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_18. Instead, use C:\Java\jdk1.6.0_18. Follow these steps to set the JAVA_HOME environment variable: 1. Make sure that the correct version of the JDK is installed on the application server. 2. Right-click Computer and select Properties. 3. Click Advanced System Properties. 4. Click Environment Variables. 5. In the system variables list, find JAVA_HOME and click Edit. If JAVA_HOME does not exist in the system variables list, click New. A pop-up window will appear. The Variable name should read JAVA_HOME.
6. Enter the full path to the JDK in the Variable value field. For example, C:\Java\jdk1.6.0_18. 7. Click OK. Note Click paths for Windows 2003 and SQL 2005 will vary slightly from the steps presented here for Windows 2008 and SQL Server 2008.
Page 25
Page 26
When the installation is complete, you may remove the domain user from the Administrators group as a security precaution. Remember to continue to use the domain user to run the Blackboard services.
Ports
Blackboard Learn requires TCP/IP ports to communicate. The following list details the required ports and their default values. Make sure to configure server security and any firewalls to allow communication on the required ports. Web server port (default value: 80): This port handles communication between users and the server. Collaboration server TCP/IP port (default value: 8010): This port handles TCP communication for the Collaboration server. By default, TCP communication connects users to the Collaboration server. Collaboration server HTTP port (default value: 8011): This port handles HTTP communication for the Collaboration server. HTTP is a backup if TCP communication fails. Secure Web server HTTPS port (default value:443): This port handles SSL over HTTP communication between the users and the server. SSL capability is usually configured after the initial installation is complete.
Page 27
WARNING! Do not use a firewall to redirect ports. The internal port configured on the server must match the external port on the external firewall.
Network
Keep in mind the following when connecting Blackboard Learn to the network: Do not use underscores in the machine name for the server or servers. Some versions of Internet Explorer block cookies if the machine name includes an underscore. Set up the DNS server to resolve server names. Check with a network engineer to make sure that the network can handle the anticipated load after Blackboard Learn is made available to users. An SMTP server is available so that the Installer can connect to it. An SMTP server has to remain available when the application is running in order to deliver email notifications.
Database
Keep in mind the following when installing and configuring Microsoft SQL Server: Install SQL Server at the drive level. For example, C:\SQL Server. Use Mixed Mode Security Authentication. Make sure SQL Server is installed using a local account. Blackboard recommends using the default instance name. If the default instance name is not used, the instance name must not include any underscores, spaces, or punctuation. Use only alphanumeric characters. If an instance other than the default is used, make sure that the instance is not case sensitive. The SQL Server Client Tools must be installed on the application server. This is not necessary if Blackboard Learn is installed on just one server. Blackboard Learn supports SQL Server failover. For more information, see Set Up Database Clustering and Storage.
Page 28
Once the configuration has been restored and verified through web browser access, then use the appcmd utility to configure the necessary features of IIS 7 as described in the section above. If this approach does not solve the problem with IIS 7 generating errors, remove and then reinstall the IIS 7 Role. If you need to reinstall the IIS 7 Role, you can use the %BLACKBOARD%\tools\admin\WebsiteReinstall.bat command to re-establish the Blackboard Web site within IIS.
Role Services > Web Server > Application Development > ISAPI Extensions Role Services > Web Server > Application Development > ISAPI Filters Role Services > Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Compatibility > IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility Role Services > Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Compatibility > IIS 6 WMI Compatibility
Page 29
Role Services > Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Compatibility > IIS 6 Scripting Tools
To enhance performance, troubleshooting, and offer additional web server configuration options, Blackboard recommends that the following role services also be installed:
Role Services > Web Server > Common HTTP Features > all five (5) role services enabled Role Services > Web Server > Application Development > all seven (7) role services enabled Role Services > Web Server > Security > all eight (8) role services enabled Role Services > Management Tools > all three (3) role services enabled Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Capabilities > all four (4) role services enabled.
Of the role services listed in this step, the following are will be of the most interest:
Role Services > Common HTTP Features > HTTP Redirection (to allow for HTTP redirection, in the event that the site is renamed) Role Services > Security > Windows Authentication (to allow for Active Directory integrated authentication) Role Services > Security > IP and Domain Restrictions (to allow for greater control of web server access) Role Services > Performance > Dynamic Content Compression (to allow for enhanced performance)
e. Select Windows Process Activation Service (.NET Environment), and then click Add Required Role services. 2. Disable the Default Web Site: a. b. c. d. e. Click Start, select Administrative Tools, and then select Server Manager. From the left menu, click the plus sign next to Roles to expand the tree. Click the plus sign next to Web Server IIS, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. Under the Connections heading, click the plus sign next to the %HOSTNAME%, and then click the plus sign next to Sites. Right-click Default Web Site and from the drop-down menu select Manage Web Site, and then select Stop.
3. Back up the current IIS 7 configuration and verify. %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe add backup "Blackboard Pre-Change" %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe list backup
Page 30
4. Modify the IIS 7 configuration to permit double escaping within URLs (applies to all sites). %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config /section:system.webServer/Security/requestFiltering allowDoubleEscaping:True 5. Modify the IIS 7 configuration to allow upload files greater than 20MB in size, specified in bytes (applies to all sites). %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config section:requestFiltering requestLimits.maxAllowedContentLength:104857600 6. Back up the current IIS 7 configuration and verify. %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe add backup "Blackboard Post-Change Backup" %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe list backup 7. Restart the IIS service. a. b. c. Click Start, select Administrative Tools, and then select Server Manager. From the left menu, click the plus sign next to Configuration and then click Services. From the list of services, right-click World Wide Web Publishing Service and select Restart.
Page 31
Setting Up a Separate Storage Device for the Data Files and Log Files
The Installer will prompt for the directory where the database data files and log files should be stored. Consult the Microsoft SQL Server documentation for information about storing these files on a separate device. Keep in mind that the storage device should have a dedicated, highbandwidth connection to the database server.
Page 32
Page 33
12. If the content management capabilities will be installed, the Installer will prompt for the location of the individual Content Collection directories. When prompted, type the path to \\FILESERVER\bb_content\storage followed by a subdirectory name for each individual content management directory. For example, the \users directory should be stored in \\FILESEVER\bb_content\storage\users. Alternatively, the Content Collection files can be stored on a separate, dedicated, share directory.
Page 34
Blackboard Basics
Review the following list to make sure that Blackboard has provided everything necessary to begin installation. A valid Blackboard Learn license file is accessible from the application servers. To receive a license file, contact your Blackboard Client Representative. The Installer has been downloaded to the application servers. To receive instructions for downloading the Installer, contact your Blackboard Client Representative. The Administrator has contact information for Blackboard Client Support and a login for Behind the Blackboard at https://behind.blackboard.com.
Page 35
the displayed availability of time-sensitive content and the actual availability of timesensitive content. The Windows file system is set to NTFS. Blackboard Learn will not work with a FAT32 file system. The Installer can connect to the SMTP server.
Page 36
Application Server Machine Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the application server. The Installer will automatically populate this value. The Installer must be run on the application server. To find the machine name of a server, follow the steps below. 1. Right-click My Computer and select Properties. 2. Click the Network Identification tab. 3. The full computer name and the domain name both appear. The full computer name is the application server Machine Name with the domain name appended (webservermachinename.domain).
Page 37
Application Server Domain Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the domain where the Web server resides. The application server Machine Name and the application server Domain Name form the URL for Blackboard (http://webservermachinename.domain). Because these names form the URL, do not use any characters other than standard letters and numbers in the application server name or the domain name. Underscores and spaces will cause problems. Application Server Port Number: ___________________________________________ The port that the application engine uses. The default value is 8009. Web Server Port Number: ___________________________________________ The port that the Web server will use for http connections with clients. The default value is 80. Database Hostname: ___________________________________________ The domain name and machine name where the SQL Server database that Blackboard Learn will use is installed. The database machine name can be found the same way as the Web server machine name. When installed on a one server configuration, the database machine name is the same as the application server machine name. For this reason, the default value is the machine name of the local machine. Database Instance: ___________________________________________ The name of the SQL Server instance that will run the Blackboard Learn database. This may be left blank if Blackboard Learn will run on the default instance of SQL Server. SQL System Database Administrator Password: _______________________________ The SQL System Database Administrator password associated with the "sa" login. Blackboard Database User Password: ___________________________________________ A password for a SQL Server user that Blackboard Learn creates at install. This account is also used by the application to access the database. Blackboard Database Report User Password: __________________________________ The password for the Database Report User. This is a SQL Server user that Blackboard Learn uses. Database Identifier: ___________________________________________ Database identifiers must be unique within the database server. The database identifier is, by default, BBLEARN. If this parameter is left blank, it will default to BBLEARN. This option is not visible during an upgrade, and is typically used exclusively in a multi-tenancy environment. A multi-tenancy environment offers the ability to host multiple Blackboard Learn instances on a single machine without the data being shared between instances. Multi-tenancy environments are not standard. If you are upgrading your environment and wish to rename your database identifier, contact Blackboard Support for assistance. Database Data Files Directory: ___________________________________________ The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database data files (.mdf). This directory will not store application data or content. This directory must be on the database server.
Page 38
Database Log Files Directory: ___________________________________________ The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database log files (.ldf). This directory will not store application or Web logs. This directory must be on the database server. Content Management Database Password: _______________________ This is the password for the database user that the Installer creates for the Content Collection databases. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Courses Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management \courses directory. This directory will store all of the files under the \courses heading. This value is only required if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Institution Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management \institution directory. This directory will store all of the files under the \institution heading. This value is only required if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Library Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management \library directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /library heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Organization Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management \orgs directory. This directory will store all of the files under the \orgs heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Users Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management \users directory. This directory will store all of the files under the \users heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Collaboration Server Machine Name: _________________________________________ The machine name that runs the Collaboration Server. It is possible to dual-purpose an existing application to also serve as the Collaboration Server. Though not typically required, a separate server may be dedicated as the Collaboration server exclusively. In one server and two server configurations, this machine name is the same as the application server machine name. Collaboration Server TCP/IP Port: ___________________________________________ TCP/IP is the preferred communication method for the Collaboration server. The default port is 8010. Collaboration Server HTTP Port: ___________________________________________ HTTP communication is used to connect users to the Collaboration server is TCP/IP communication is unavailable. The default port is 8011.
Page 39
SMTP Server: ___________________________________________ The full hostname of the SMTP server that Blackboard Learn will use to send emails. For example: smtp.blackboard.com. The parameter bbconfig.email.bitbucket_address=email_address must be added and set in the bbconfig.properties file to avoid system-generated messages, such as enrollment notifications and discussion board subscriptions from being sent to the system administrator. The bit-bucket email address should be set to a valid campus address that has no recipients, failure to use a valid address will result in rejection by email servers. Administrator Password: ___________________________________________ The Administrator account has full Administrator privileges. This account and the root_admin account are the only two accounts that can log in until more users are created. Integration User Password: ___________________________________________ The integration user is used only to facilitate Snapshot operations. This account cannot be used to log in through the GUI nor does it appear in any lists of users in the user interface. To change the password for this account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password. For more information about the integration account, see the Editing the Integration Password topic in Blackboard Learn Help. Root Administrator Password: ___________________________________________ The root_admin account has full administrative privileges including the management of Virtual Installations through the Administrator Panel. When the root_admin account user views the Administrator Panel, the Manage Virtual Installations link appears at the top of the panel. The root_admin can log in to any Virtual Installation and access the Virtual Installation management features from this link. The root_admin account is created even if your license does not include the use of additional Virtual Installations. The root_admin account can be modified from the Edit Root Administrator Profile page. Administrator Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the Administrator. Administrator Email: ___________________________________________ The email address of the Administrator. Institution Name: ___________________________________________ The institution that will be using Blackboard Learn. Institution Type: Select one of the following options: K-12 Higher Education Continuing Education Corporate Professional Association Hobby
Page 40
City: ___________________________________________ The state, province, or territory where the institution is located. State: ___________________________________________ The state, province, or territory where the institution is located. ZIP/Postal Code: ___________________________________________ The ZIP or Postal Code where the institution is located. Country: ___________________________________________ The Country where the institution is located.
Page 41
To launch the Installer command line interface, run the following command:
C:\bb_installer>java jar installer_file -text
Remember that the rest of these steps assume that the graphical interface is being used.
Page 42
4. After reading the welcome message, press ENTER to continue. 5. Provide the directory where Blackboard will be installed. To accept the default value of C:\blackboard, click Next. Blackboard does not recommend changing this default. 6. To select the type of installation, type 1for Full Installation and press ENTER. 7. After reading the License Agreement, click Accept to continue the installation. To refuse the terms of the agreement and close the Installer, click Do Not Accept. 8. Provide the path and location of the license file. To accept the default value, click Next. To search for the license file, click Browse and then click Next. 9. Provide the location of the JDK. To accept the default value, click Next. To search for the JDK, click Browse and then click Next. 10. Provide the location of the Shared Content Directory, which is used to store the content files associated with Courses, images uploaded to the system, and all other files added to the system. The location can be a share on one of the application servers or on the database server, or it can be a SAN (storage area network) or NAS (network-attached storage) on a separate file server. In a load-balanced configuration, this location must be accessible by all of the application servers. For more information about using a separate file server, see Set Up File System Storage for Windows. To accept the default value of c:\blackboard\content, press ENTER. Note Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients must use the local default location.
11. Provide the name of the application server. The Installer detects the machine name of the server it runs on and uses that to populate the default value. 12. Provide the domain that hosts the application server. The Installer detects this value and populates the default value. 13. Provide the port number for the application server. This is the port that the application uses for communication. The default value is 8009. 14. Provide the port number for the Web server. This is the port that is used for http connections with users. The default value is 80. 15. Click Next after completing all the fields on the page. The next page asks for information about the database server. Remember that single server installations use the same machine as both the application server and the database server. 16. Provide the database server hostname. The default value is the current machine. This is the correct value for single server installations. If installing on two servers, enter a value for the separate database machine. Keep in mind that the hostname is represented by machine_name.domain_name. 17. Provide the database instance. In most cases, the default instance, which has no name, is used. 18. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. The next page asks for the database passwords. 19. Provide the SQL Server database administrator password. This is the password associated with the sa login. By default, the password for this account is blank. 20. Provide the Blackboard database user password. This database login is used by the application to access the database. 21. Provide the Blackboard database report user password. This database login is used by the application to access the reporting database. 22. Optional step for Content Collection Users: Provide the content management database password. This login is used by the application to access content management database.
Page 43
23. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. The next page asks where to store the database data files and the database log files. 24. Provide the location where the database data files (.mdf) will be stored. This directory must be on the database server or on a storage device with a dedicated, high-bandwidth connection to the database server. On a single server installation, the default value is C:\blackboard\mssql\data\. Click Next to accept the default or click Browse to provide a new value and then click Next. 25. Provide the location where the database log files (.ldf) will be stored. This directory must be on the database server or on a storage device with a dedicated, high-bandwidth connection to the database server. On a single server installation, the default value is C:\blackboard\mssql\data\. Click Next to accept the default or click Browse to provide a new value and then click Next. 26. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 27. Optional step for Content Collection Users: Provide the storage directories for content management: /courses - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\courses. /institution - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\institution. /library - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\library. /orgs - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\orgs. /users - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\users. 28. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 29. Provide the Collaboration server hostname. In a one or two server environment, the default value is the application server. In a load-balanced environment, select one of the existing application servers to also act as the Collaboration server. Though not typically required, a separate server may be dedicated as the Collaboration server exclusively. For more information, see Set Up a Collaboration Server. The Collaboration server runs Virtual Classroom and chat sessions. 30. Provide the TCP port number for the Collaboration server. The Collaboration server uses TCP/IP as the preferred communication method for performance reasons. The default port number is 8010. 31. Provide the HTTP port number for the Collaboration server. The Collaboration server uses HTTP as a backup method of communication if TCP/IP is not available. The default port number is 8011. 32. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 33. Provide the location of the SMTP server and click Next. The SMTP server is used to send out email communications. Enter the hostname as machine_name.domain_name. 34. Provide the Blackboard Learn Administrator password. The Administrator account has full privileges. 35. Provide the Blackboard Integration password. The integration user is used only to facilitate Snapshot operations. This account cannot be used to log in through the GUI nor does it appear in any lists of users in the user interface. To change the password for this account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password. 36. Provide the Blackboard root administrator password. The root_admin account has full administrative privileges including the management of Virtual Installations through the
Page 44
Administrator Panel. When the root_admin account user views the Administrator Panel, the Manage Virtual Installations link appears at the top of the panel. The root_admin can log in to any Virtual Installation and access the Virtual Installation management features from this link. While it is necessary to enter a password for this account, it is very rare that a system with Virtual Installations will be run on one server or two servers. 37. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 38. Provide the following information about the administrator and the institution: Name and email address of the system administrator Name of Institution Type of Institution - The value must be one of the following: K-12, Higher Education, Continuing Education, Corporate, Professional Association, or Hobby City, State, Country, and ZIP Code of the institution's address 39. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 40. Select the Server Type. This is information is used for better management of centralized services. Options include: Production, Staging, Test, and Development. Properly categorize each server when running the installer. 41. Click Next. 42. Click Next again to install the software. If the Installer was launched from the command line, do not close the command line window or any of the other windows that pop-up during the installation. If the Installer failed, check the Installer log and see Troubleshooting to diagnose and fix the problem.
Next Steps
Make sure to remove the domain user from the Administrators group on each server. This is a security step recommended by Microsoft that prevents the domain user, which is used to run services, from acting as an Administrator. If a separate storage device has been configured with a UNC path (\\server\share),make sure configure the services with proper permissions.
Page 45
Page 46
Required Hardware
The About Hardware Sizing in a Dell Environment and About Hardware Sizing in a Sun Microsystems Environment topics in Blackboard Learn Help detail several different hardware configurations based on performance, cost, and redundancy. Make sure that the planned hardware configuration meets the needs of the institution.
Required Software
For the exact versions of the operating systems, databases, and Java SE Developers Kit (JDK) that are supported, see "Supported Technologies" in the Release Notes for the release that you are installing. It is critical that the software used to host Blackboard Learn meets requirements. The supported version of the JDK can be downloaded at http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp. Download and install the JDK on each application server. Make sure that the server or servers are dedicated to Blackboard Learn. Make sure that the server is not using valuable space and resources running unnecessary applications.
Collaboration Server
Select one of the existing application servers to also act as the Collaboration server. Alternatively, a separate server may be dedicated as the Collaboration server. For more information, see Set Up a Collaboration Server. The Collaboration server may not be spread across multiple application servers because all users participating in a Collaboration session must share the same resources. A single server must be configured to run the Collaboration server. This server must handle Collaboration sessions and performance will be unaffected by other requests. The application servers are configured to connect users to one server that handles all the Collaboration sessions. Do not connect the Collaboration server to the load-balancer.
Page 47
Set JAVA_HOME
The correct version of the JDK must be installed on the application server and the JAVA_HOME environment variable must be set. The JDK installer first installs the JDK, then the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Ensure that these are installed to different locations and the JRE installer is not allowed to overwrite portions of the JDK. WARNING! Make sure that the path to the JDK does not include any spaces. For example, do not use C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_18. Instead, use C:\Java\jdk1.6.0_18. Follow these steps to set the JAVA_HOME environment variable: 1. Make sure that the correct version of the JDK is installed on the application server. 2. Right-click Computer and select Properties. 3. Click Advanced System Properties. 4. Click Environment Variables. 5. In the system variables list, find JAVA_HOME and click Edit. If JAVA_HOME does not exist in the system variables list, click New. A pop-up window will appear. The Variable name should read JAVA_HOME.
6. Enter the full path to the JDK in the Variable value field. For example, C:\Java\jdk1.6.0_18. 7. Click OK. Note Click paths for Windows 2003 and SQL 2005 will vary slightly from the steps presented here for Windows 2008 and SQL Server 2008.
Page 48
Install the SQL Server Client Tools on each application server. The Client Tools allow the application servers to communicate with the database. Without the Client Tools, the Installer will fail. After installation, if the Client Tools are not available, the application server will not be able to query the database or enter database transactions.
Page 49
Page 50
Windows clients connected to a Domain can check their time offset using the following command where domain_name is replaced with your Windows domain: w32tm/monitor/domain:domain_name Windows clients that are connected to a domain can force time synchronization using the following command: w32tm/resync
Ports
Blackboard Learn requires ports to communicate. The list below details the required ports and their default values. Make sure to configure server security and any firewalls to allow communication on the required ports. All application servers must use the same port settings. Web server port (default value: 80): This port handles communication between users and the server. Collaboration server TCP/IP port (default value: 8010): This port handles TCP communication for the Collaboration server. By default, TCP communication connects users to the Collaboration server. Collaboration server HTTP port (default value: 8011): This port handles HTTP communication for the Collaboration server. HTTP is a backup if TCP communication fails. Secure Web server HTTPS port (default value:443): This port handles SSL over HTTP communication between the users and the server. SSL capability is usually configured after the initial installation is complete. WARNING! Do not use a firewall to redirect ports. The internal port configured on the server must match the external port on the external firewall.
Network
Keep in mind the following when connecting Blackboard Learn to the network: Do not use underscores in the machine name for the server or servers. Set up the DNS server to resolve the hardware load-balancer. The hardware loadbalancer will then direct traffic to the application servers. Set up a separate DNS entry for the dedicated Collaboration server. Check with a network engineer to make sure that the network can handle the anticipated load after Blackboard Learn is made available to users. An SMTP server is available so that the Installer can connect to it. An SMTP server has to remain available when the application is running in order to deliver email notifications.
Database
Keep in mind the following when installing and configuring Microsoft SQL Server: Install SQL Server at the drive level, for example, C:\SQL Server. Use Mixed Mode Security Authentication. Make sure SQL Server is installed using a local account.
Page 51
Blackboard recommends using the default instance name. If the default instance name is not used, the instance name must not include any underscores, spaces, or punctuation. Use only alphanumeric characters. If an instance other than the default is used, make sure that the instance is not case sensitive. The default password for the 'sa' account is a blank value. The SQL Server Client Tools must be installed on each application server. Blackboard Learn supports SQL Server failover. For more information, see Set Up Database Clustering and Separate Storage.
Page 52
Once the configuration has been restored and verified through web browser access, then use the appcmd utility to configure the necessary features of IIS 7 as described in the section above. If this approach does not solve the problem with IIS 7 generating errors, remove and then reinstall the IIS 7 Role. If you need to reinstall the IIS 7 Role, you can use the %BLACKBOARD%\tools\admin\WebsiteReinstall.bat command to re-establish the Blackboard Web site within IIS.
Role Services > Web Server > Application Development > ISAPI Extensions Role Services > Web Server > Application Development > ISAPI Filters Role Services > Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Compatibility > IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility Role Services > Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Compatibility > IIS 6 WMI Compatibility
Page 53
Role Services > Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Compatibility > IIS 6 Scripting Tools
To enhance performance, troubleshooting, and offer additional web server configuration options, Blackboard recommends that the following role services also be installed:
Role Services > Web Server > Common HTTP Features > all five (5) role services enabled Role Services > Web Server > Application Development > all seven (7) role services enabled Role Services > Web Server > Security > all eight (8) role services enabled Role Services > Management Tools > all three (3) role services enabled Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Capabilities > all four (4) role services enabled.
Of the role services listed in this step, the following are will be of the most interest:
Role Services > Common HTTP Features > HTTP Redirection (to allow for HTTP redirection, in the event that the site is renamed) Role Services > Security > Windows Authentication (to allow for Active Directory integrated authentication) Role Services > Security > IP and Domain Restrictions (to allow for greater control of web server access) Role Services > Performance > Dynamic Content Compression (to allow for enhanced performance)
e. Select Windows Process Activation Service (.NET Environment), and then click Add Required Role services. 2. Disable the Default Web Site: a. Click Start, select Administrative Tools, and then select Server Manager. b. From the left menu, click the plus sign next to Roles to expand the tree. c. Click the plus sign next to Web Server IIS, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. d. Under the Connections heading, click the plus sign next to the %HOSTNAME%, and then click the plus sign next to Sites. e. Right-click Default Web Site and from the drop-down menu select Manage Web Site, and then select Stop. 3. Back up the current IIS 7 configuration and verify. %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe add backup "Blackboard Pre-Change" %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe list backup
Page 54
4. Modify the IIS 7 configuration to permit double escaping within URLs (applies to all sites). %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config /section:system.webServer/Security/requestFiltering allowDoubleEscaping:True 5. Modify the IIS 7 configuration to allow upload files greater than 20MB in size, specified in bytes (applies to all sites). %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config section:requestFiltering requestLimits.maxAllowedContentLength:104857600 6. Back up the current IIS 7 configuration and verify. %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe add backup "Blackboard PostChange Backup"
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe list backup 7. Restart the IIS service. a. b. c. Click Start, select Administrative Tools, and then select Server Manager. From the left menu, click the plus sign next to Configuration and then click Services. From the list of services, right-click World Wide Web Publishing Service and select Restart.
Page 55
Setting Up a Separate Storage Device for the Data Files and Log Files
The Installer will prompt for the directory where the database data files and log files should be stored. Consult the Microsoft SQL Server documentation for information about storing these files on a separate device. Keep in mind that the storage device should have a dedicated, highbandwidth connection to the database server.
Page 56
Page 57
12. If the content management capabilities will be installed, the Installer will prompt for the location of the individual Content Collection directories. When prompted, type the path to \\FILESERVER\bb_content\storage followed by a subdirectory name for each individual content management directory. For example, the \users directory should be stored in \\FILESEVER\bb_content\storage\users. Alternatively, the Content Collection files can be stored on a separate, dedicated, share directory.
Page 58
Blackboard Basics
Review the following list to make sure that Blackboard has provided everything necessary to begin installation. A valid Blackboard Learn license file is accessible from the application servers. To receive a license file, contact your Blackboard Client Representative. The Installer has been downloaded to the application servers. To receive instructions for downloading the Installer, contact your Blackboard Client Representative. The Administrator has contact information for Blackboard Technical Support and a login for Behind the Blackboard at https://behind.blackboard.com.
Page 59
The server clock is synchronized with the other servers used in Blackboard Learn configuration. If the server clocks are not synchronized, there may be differences between the displayed availability of time-sensitive content and the actual availability of timesensitive content. The Windows file system is set to NTFS. Blackboard Learn will not work with a FAT32 file system. The Installer can connect to the SMTP server. If using a clustered Tomcat environment, the Server Groups and Ports have been configured. This is especially important when upgrading an existing clustered Tomcat environment.
Page 60
Page 61
Application Server Machine Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the application server. The Installer will automatically populate this value. The Installer must be run on the application server. Complete the following steps to find the machine name of a server. 1. Right-click My Computer and select Properties from the context menu. 2. Click the Network Identification tab.
Page 62
3. The full computer name and the domain name both appear. The full computer name is the application server Machine Name with the domain name appended (webservermachinename.domain). Application Server Domain Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the domain where the Web server resides. The application server Machine Name and the application server Domain Name form the URL for Blackboard (http://webservermachinename.domain). Because these names form the URL, do not use any characters other than standard letters and numbers in the application server name or the domain name. Underscores and spaces will cause problems. Application Server Port Number: ___________________________________________ The port that the application engine uses. The default value is 8009. Web Server Port Number: ___________________________________________ The port that the Web server will use for http connections with clients. The default value is 80. Database Hostname: ___________________________________________ The domain name and machine name where the SQL Server database that Blackboard Learn will use is installed. The database machine name can be found the same way as the Web server machine name. Database Instance: ___________________________________________ The name of the SQL Server instance that will run Blackboard Learn database. This may be left blank if Blackboard Learn will run on the default instance of SQL Server. SQL System Database Administrator Password: _______________________________ The SQL System Database Administrator password associated with the "sa" login. Blackboard Database User Password: ________________________________________ A password for a SQL Server user that Blackboard Learn creates at install. This account is also used by the application to access the database. Blackboard Database Report User Password: __________________________________ The password for the Database Report User. This is a SQL Server user that Blackboard Learn uses. Database Identifier: ___________________________________________ Database identifiers must be unique within the database server. The database identifier is, by default, BBLEARN. If this parameter is left blank, it will default to BBLEARN. This option is not visible during an upgrade, and is typically used exclusively in a multi-tenancy environment. A multi-tenancy environment offers the ability to host multiple Blackboard Learn instances on a single machine without the data being shared between instances. Multi-tenancy environments are not standard. If you are upgrading your environment and wish to rename your database identifier, contact Blackboard Support for assistance. Database Data Files Directory: ___________________________________________ The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database log files (.mdf). This directory will not store application data or content. This directory must be on the database server.
Page 63
Database Log Files Directory: ___________________________________________ The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database log files (.ldf). This directory will not store application or Web logs. This directory must be on the database server. Content Management Database Password: _______________________ The password for the database user that the Installer creates for the content management databases. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Courses Directory: ___________________________________________ Enter the path to the content management /courses directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /courses heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities is licensed. Institution Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /institution directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /institution heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Library Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /library directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /library heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Orgs Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /orgs directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /orgs heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Users Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /users directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /users heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Collaboration Server Machine Name: _________________________________________ The machine name that runs the Collaboration Server. It is possible to dual-purpose an existing application to also serve as the Collaboration Server. Though not typically required, a separate server may be dedicated as the Collaboration server exclusively. In Load-Balanced configurations, it is important to direct all Collaboration Tool traffic to one server to maintain session integrity across users. Collaboration Server TCP/IP Port: ___________________________________________ TCP/IP is the preferred communication method for the Collaboration Server. The default port is 8010. Collaboration Server HTTP Port: ___________________________________________ HTTP communication is used to connect users to the Collaboration Server is TCP/IP communication is unavailable. The default port is 8011.
Page 64
SMTP Server: ___________________________________________ The full hostname of the SMTP server that Blackboard Learn will use to send email. For example: smtp.blackboard.com. The parameter bbconfig.email.bitbucket_address=email_address must be added and set in the bbconfig.properties file to avoid system-generated messages, such as enrollment notifications and discussion board subscriptions from being sent to the system administrator. The bit-bucket email address should be set to a valid campus address that has no recipients, failure to use a valid address will result in rejection by email servers. Administrator Password: ___________________________________________ The Administrator account has full Administrator privileges. This account and the root_admin account are the only two accounts that can log in until more users are created. Integration User Password: ___________________________________________ The integration user is used only to facilitate Snapshot operations. This account cannot be used to log in through the GUI nor does it appear in any lists of users in the user interface. To change the password for this account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password For more information about the integration account, see the Editing the Integration Password topic in Blackboard Learn Help. Root Administrator Password: ___________________________________________ The root_admin account has full administrative privileges including the management of Virtual Installations through the Administrator Panel. When the root_admin account user views the Administrator Panel, the Manage Virtual Installations link appears at the top of the panel. The root_admin can log in to any Virtual Installation and access the Virtual Installation management features from this link. The root_admin account is created even if your license does not include the use of additional Virtual Installations. The root_admin account can be modified from the Edit Root Administrator Profile page. Administrator Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the Administrator. Administrator Email: ___________________________________________ The email address of the Administrator. Institution Name: ___________________________________________ The institution that will be using Blackboard Learn. Institution Type: choose from one of the following options K-12 Higher Education Continuing Education Corporate Professional Association Hobby
Page 65
City: ___________________________________________ The state, province, or territory where the institution is located. State: ___________________________________________ The state, province, or territory where the institution is located. ZIP/Postal Code: ___________________________________________ The ZIP or Postal Code where the institution is located. Country: ___________________________________________ The Country where the institution is located.
Page 66
Page 67
4. After reading the welcome message, press ENTER to continue. 5. Provide the directory where Blackboard will be installed. To accept the default value of C:\blackboard, click Next. Blackboard does not recommend changing this default. 6. To select the type of installation, type 1for Full Installation and press ENTER. 7. After reading the License Agreement, click Accept to continue the installation. To refuse the terms of the agreement and close the Installer, click Do Not Accept. 8. Provide the path and location of the license file. To accept the default value, click Next.To search for the license file, click Browse and then click Next. 9. Provide the location of the JDK. To accept the default value, click Next. To search for the JDK, click Browse and then click Next. 10. Provide the location of the Shared Content Directory, which is used to store the content files associated with Courses, images uploaded to the system, and all other files added to the system. The location can be a share on one of the application servers or on the database server, or it can be a SAN (storage area network) or NAS (network-attached storage) on a separate file server. In a load-balanced configuration, this location must be accessible by all of the application servers. For more information about using a separate file server, see Set Up File System Storage. To accept the default value of c:\blackboard\content, press ENTER. Note Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients must use the local default location.
11. Provide the name of the application server. The Installer detects the machine name of the server it runs on and uses that to populate the default value. 12. Provide the domain that hosts the application server. The Installer detects this value and populates the default value. 13. Provide the port number for the application server. This is the port that the application uses for communication. The default value is 8009. 14. Provide the port number for the Web server. This is the port that is used for http connections with users. The default value is 80. 15. Click Next after completing all the fields on the page. The next page asks for information about the database server. Remember that single server installations use the same machine as both the application server and the database server. 16. Provide the database server hostname. The default value is the current machine. This is the correct value for single server installations. If installing on two servers, enter a value for the separate database machine. Keep in mind that the hostname is represented by machine_name.domain_name. 17. Provide the database instance. In most cases, the default instance, which has no name, is used. 18. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. The next page asks for the database passwords. 19. Provide the SQL Server database administrator password. This is the password associated with the sa login. By default, the password for this account is blank. 20. Provide the Blackboard database user password. This database login is used by the application to access the database. 21. Provide the Blackboard database report user password. This database login is used by the application to access the reporting database. 22. Optional step for Content Collection Users: Provide the content management database password. This login is used by the application to access content management database.
Page 68
23. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. The next page asks where to store the database data files and the database log files. 24. Provide the location where the database data files (.mdf) will be stored. This directory must be on the database server or on a storage device with a dedicated, high-bandwidth connection to the database server. On a single server installation, the default value is C:\blackboard\mssql\data\. Click Next to accept the default or click Browse to provide a new value and then click Next. 25. Provide the location where the database log files (.ldf) will be stored. This directory must be on the database server or on a storage device with a dedicated, high-bandwidth connection to the database server. On a single server installation, the default value is C:\blackboard\mssql\data\. Click Next to accept the default or click Browse to provide a new value and then click Next. 26. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 27. Optional step for Content Collection Users: Provide the storage directories for content management: /courses - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\courses. /institution - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\institution. /library - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\library. /orgs - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\orgs. /users - The default value is blackboard_directory\storage\users. 28. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 29. Provide the Collaboration server hostname. In a one or two server environment, the default value is the application server. In a load-balanced environment, select one of the existing application servers to also act as the Collaboration server. Though not typically required, a separate server may be dedicated as the Collaboration server exclusively. For more information, see Set Up a Collaboration Server. The Collaboration server runs Virtual Classroom and chat sessions. 30. Provide the TCP port number for the Collaboration server. The Collaboration server uses TCP/IP as the preferred communication method for performance reasons. The default port number is 8010. 31. Provide the HTTP port number for the Collaboration server. The Collaboration server uses HTTP as a backup method of communication if TCP/IP is not available. The default port number is 8011. 32. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 33. Provide the location of the SMTP server and click Next. The SMTP server is used to send out email communications. Enter the hostname as machine_name.domain_name. 34. Provide the Blackboard Learn Administrator password. The Administrator account has full privileges. 35. Provide the Blackboard Integration password. The integration user is used only to facilitate Snapshot operations. This account cannot be used to log in through the GUI nor does it appear in any lists of users in the user interface. To change the password for this account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password. 36. Provide the Blackboard root administrator password.The root_admin account has full administrative privileges including the management of Virtual Installations through the
Page 69
Administrator Panel. When the root_admin account user views the Administrator Panel, the Manage Virtual Installations link appears at the top of the panel. The root_admin can log in to any Virtual Installation and access the Virtual Installation management features from this link. While it is necessary to enter a password for this account, it is very rare that a system with Virtual Installations will be run on one server or two servers. 37. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 38. Provide the following information about the administrator and the institution: Name and email address of the system administrator Name of Institution Type of Institution - The value must be one of the following: K-12, Higher Education, Continuing Education, Corporate, Professional Association, or Hobby City, State, Country, and ZIP Code of the institution's address 39. After completing all of the fields on the page, click Next. 40. Select the Server Type. This is information is used for better management of centralized services. Options include: Production, Staging, Test, and Development. Properly categorize each server when running the installer. 41. Click Next. 42. Click Next again to install the software. If the Installer was launched from the command line, do not close the command line window or any of the other windows that pop-up during the installation. If the Installer failed, check the Installer log and see Troubleshooting to diagnose and fix the problem.
Next Steps
Make sure to remove the domain user from the Administrators group on each server. This is a security step recommended by Microsoft that prevents the domain user, which is used to run services, from acting as an Administrator. If a separate storage device has been configured with a UNC path (\\server\share),make sure configure the services with proper permissions.
Page 70
Page 71
Page 72
10. Start your server by running ServiceController.bat services.start. WARNING! Upgrading an environment with an existing tomcat cluster, the cluster will be broken if the ServerGroup is not updated.
Page 73
4. Start the bb-tomcat service on each application server. Do not start the bbCollaboration service. The bb-Collaboration service must always be stopped on the application servers that are not acting as the Collaboration server. 5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for all application servers. 6. Stop the bb-tomcat service on the Collaboration server.
Page 74
Page 75
The user (account) name must be specified in the form {domainname}\\{username}, or if the account belongs to the local computer, specify the name in the form .\\{username}. Alternatively, it can be specified as {username}@{fqdn}. If this section is not configured, repeat the steps in this section after running PushConfigUpdates. IMPORTANT! After running any updates, ensure that these service settings are still correct.
Page 76
Page 77
Page 78
Log File
Log File
The Installer creates a log file named bb_installer_log.txt. This file is found in the blackboard\logs directory. If the Installer fails, check the log file to help determine the problem. The log file includes a considerable amount of information about the installation process. Each time the Installer is run, the attempt is appended to the log file. Make sure to focus on the latest attempt, which will be last in the log file. Because of the amount of information in the log file, the problem may not be immediately apparent. Try searching for the following strings at the bottom of the installation log: BUILD FAILED or Root Cause. Look closely at the log file both above and below the search string (BUILD FAILED or Root Cause) for the reason the installation failed. If the log file does not help diagnose the problem, keep a copy of the file in case you need to contact Blackboard Learn Technical Support by logging in to Behind the Blackboard at https://behind.blackboard.com. Technical Support will use the log file to diagnose the problem.
Page 79
These are DWORD values. After they have been created, you can double-click to edit their Decimal values. Turn off Full Text Search on SQL Server: 1. Click Start > Administrative Tools > Services. 2. Stop and disable Microsoft Search and SQL Server Full Text Search service. Turn off all network card offload functionality (disable TCP Checksum Offload): 1. Right-Click My Computer > Properties > Hardware Tab > Device Manager. 2. Click Network Adapters and then right-click Broadcom BCM5708S NetXtreme II GigE > Properties. 3. Click Advanced Tab > Property: Checksum Offload > Value: None. 4. Click Advanced Tab > Property: Large Send Offload > Value: Disable. Disable network card power saving features: 1. Right-click My Computer > Properties > Hardware Tab > Device Manager. 2. Click Network Adapters and then right-click Broadcom BCM5708S NetXtreme II GigE > Properties. 3. Click Management Tab > Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power > OK. 4. Reboot the system. Turn off the TCP Chimney: 1. Click Start > Run. 2. Type cmd, and then press ENTER. 3. At the command prompt, type Netsh int ip set chimney DISABLED, and then press ENTER. To dynamically turn on TCP Chimney by using the NETsh.exe tool: 1. Click Start > Run. 2. Type cmd, and then press ENTER.
Page 80
3. At the command prompt, type Netsh int ip set chimney ENABLED, and then press ENTER. Note For more information, consult the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 912222.
Page 81
Page 82
Page 83
Page 84
Page 85
Required Hardware
The About Hardware Sizing in a Dell Environment and About Hardware Sizing in a Sun Microsystems Environment topics in Blackboard Learn Help detail several different hardware configurations based on performance, cost, and redundancy. Make sure that the planned hardware configuration meets the needs of the institution. SPARC hardware is required for to install and run Blackboard Learn under Solaris operating systems.
Required Software
For the exact versions of the operating systems, databases, and Java SE Developers Kit (JDK) that are supported, see "Supported Technologies" in the Release Notes for the release that you are installing. It is critical that the software used to host Blackboard Learn meets requirements. The supported version of the JDK can be downloaded at http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp. Make sure that the server or servers are dedicated to Blackboard Learn. Make sure that the server is not using valuable space and resources running unnecessary applications.
Page 86
Ports
Blackboard Learn requires ports to communicate. The list below details the required ports and their default values. Make sure to configure server security and any firewalls to allow communication on the required ports. Web server port (default value: 80): This port handles communication between users and the server. Collaboration server TCP/IP port (default value: 8010): This port handles TCP communication for the Collaboration server. By default, TCP communication connects users to the Collaboration server. Collaboration server HTTP port (default value: 8011): This port handles HTTP communication for the Collaboration server. Web server SSL port (default: 443): Primary web application port when SSL is in use. Collaboration server SSL port (default: 8443): Secure communication for the collaboration server. WARNING! Do not use a firewall to redirect ports. The internal port configured on the server must match the external port on the external firewall.
Network
Keep in mind the following when connecting Blackboard Learn to the network: Do not use underscores in the machine name for the server or servers. Internet Explorer 6 blocks cookies if the machine name includes an underscore. Set up the DNS server to resolve server names. Check with a network engineer to make sure that the network can handle the anticipated load after Blackboard Learn is made available to users. An SMTP server must be available so that the Installer can connect to it. An SMTP server has to remain available when the application is running in order to deliver email notifications.
Page 87
Page 88
Page 89
Oracle RAC
Blackboard offers support for Oracle RAC with all versions of Oracle supported by Blackboard. For more information, see Supported Technologies in the Release Notes for the release that you are installing. For information about running Blackboard Learn with RAC, see the Oracle RAC Support on UNIX topic in Blackboard Learn Help.
Setup a Separate Storage Device for the Data Files and Log Files
The Installer will prompt for the directory where the database data files and log files should be stored. For information about storing these files on a separate device, see the Oracle documentation. Keep in mind that the storage device should have a dedicated, high-bandwidth connection to the database server.
Page 90
Page 91
Blackboard Basics
Review the following list to make sure that Blackboard has provided everything necessary to begin installation. A valid Blackboard Learn license file has been downloaded and is accessible from the application server. To receive a license file, contact your Blackboard Client Representative. The Installer has been downloaded to the application servers. To receive instructions for downloading the Installer, contact your Blackboard Client Representative. The Administrator has contact information for Blackboard Technical Support and a login for Behind the Blackboard at https://behind.blackboard.com.
Page 92
The bash shell is specified as the bbuser login shell and is also being used by the root user for all Blackboard Learn tasks including installation. The Installer can connect to the SMTP server.
Page 93
Application Server Machine Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the application server. The Installer will find the name of the machine that the Installer is on and automatically populate this value. The Installer must be run on the application server. Application Server Domain Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the domain where the Web server resides. The application server Machine Name and the application server Domain Name form the URL for Blackboard (http://webservermachinename.domain). Because these names form the URL do not use any characters other than standard letters and numbers in the application server name or the domain name. Underscores and spaces will cause problems. Application Server Port Number: ___________________________________________ The port that the application engine uses. The default value is 8009. This port is internal to the Blackboard application and should not be available to end users.
Page 94
Web Server Port Number: ___________________________________________ The port that the Web server will use for http connections with clients. The default value is 80. Database Hostname: ___________________________________________ The domain name and machine name where the Oracle database that Blackboard Learn will use is installed. The database machine name can be found the same way as the Web server machine name. When installed on a one server configuration, the database machine name is the same as the application server machine name. For this reason, the default value is the machine name of the local machine. Oracle Database Instance Name: ___________________________________________ The Oracle SID where Blackboard Learn databases will reside. Oracle Database Port: ___________________________________________ The Oracle Database port used by Blackboard Learn to communicate with the database. The default value is 1521. Oracle (sys) System Database Administrator Password: _________________________ The Oracle Database Administrator password. Blackboard Database User Password: ________________________________________ A password for an Oracle user that Blackboard Learn creates at install. This account is also used by the application to access the database. Blackboard Database Report User Password: __________________________________ The password for the Database Report User. This is an Oracle user that Blackboard Learn uses to access the reporting database. Content Management Database Password: _______________________ The password a database user that the Installer creates for content management databases. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Database Identifier: ___________________________________________ Database identifiers must be unique within the database server. The database identifier is, by default, BBLEARN. If this parameter is left blank, it will default to BBLEARN. This option is not visible during an upgrade, and is typically used exclusively in a multi-tenancy environment. A multi-tenancy environment offers the ability to host multiple Blackboard Learn instances on a single machine without the data being shared between instances. Multi-tenancy environments are not standard. If you are upgrading your environment and wish to rename your database identifier, please contact Blackboard Support for assistance. Database Data Directory: ___________________________________________ The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database data files. This directory will not store application data or content. This directory must be on the database server in a directory where Oracle has read/write/execute privileges. Make sure that the directory has space to accommodate database growth. This directory must be created before installing Blackboard Learn.
Page 95
Database Index Data File Directory: __________________________________________ The directory that will store database index data files. This directory must be on the database server in a directory where Oracle has read/write/execute privileges. If possible, this directory should be separate from the data directory. Courses Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /courses directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /courses heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Institution Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /institution directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /institution heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Library Directory: ___________________________________________ Enter the path to the content management /library directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /library heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Orgs Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /orgs directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /orgs heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities is licensed. Users Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /users directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /users heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities is licensed. Collaboration Server Machine Name: _________________________________________ The machine name that runs the Collaboration Server. It is possible to dual-purpose an existing application to also serve as the Collaboration Server. Though not typically required, a separate server may be dedicated as the Collaboration server exclusively. In one server and two server configurations, this machine name is the same as the application server machine name. Collaboration Server TCP/IP Port: ___________________________________________ TCP/IP is the preferred communication method for the Collaboration server. The default port is 8010. Collaboration Server HTTP Port: ___________________________________________ HTTP communication is used to connect users to the Collaboration server is TCP/IP communication is unavailable. The default port is 8011.
Page 96
SMTP Server: ___________________________________________ The full hostname (example: smtp.blackboard.com) of the SMTP server that Blackboard Learn will use to send emails. The parameter bbconfig.email.bitbucket_address=email_address must be added and set in the bbconfig.properties file to avoid system-generated messages, such as enrollment notifications and discussion board subscriptions from being sent to the system administrator. The bit-bucket email address should be set to a valid campus address that has no recipients. Failure to use a valid address will result in rejection by email servers. Administrator Password: ___________________________________________ The Administrator account has full Administrator privileges. This account and the root_admin account are the only two accounts that can log in until more users are created. Integration User Password: ___________________________________________ The integration user is used only to facilitate Snapshot operations. This account cannot be used to log in through the GUI nor does it appear in any lists of users in the user interface. To change the password for this account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password. For more information about the integration account, see the Editing the Integration Password topic in Blackboard Learn Help. Root Administrator Password: ___________________________________________ The root_admin account has full administrative privileges including the management of Virtual Installations through the Administrator Panel. When the root_admin account user views the Administrator Panel, the Manage Virtual Installations link appears at the top of the panel. The root_admin can log in to any Virtual Installation and access the Virtual Installation management features from this link. The root_admin account is created even if your license does not include the use of additional Virtual Installations. The root_admin account can be modified from the Edit Root Administrator Profile page. Administrator Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the Administrator. Administrator Email: ___________________________________________ The email address of the Administrator. Institution Name: ___________________________________________ The institution that will be using Blackboard Learn. Institution Type: choose from one of the following options K-12 Higher Education Continuing Education Corporate Professional Association Hobby
Page 97
City: ___________________________________________ The state, province, or territory where the institution is located. State: ___________________________________________ The state, province, or territory where the institution is located. ZIP/Postal Code: ___________________________________________ The ZIP or Postal Code where the institution is located. Country: ___________________________________________ The Country where the institution is located.
Page 98
Page 99
If Xwindows or a similar GUI is running, the Installer will launch in GUI mode. (The following steps assume that the command line Installer is used). Use the -text option to force text mode even if a GUI is running. 5. After reading the welcome message, press ENTER to continue. Instructions display for navigating through the Installer prompts. The Installer, in most cases, will provide a default value in brackets. Press ENTER to accept the default and continue or enter a different value. Press ENTER to continue after entering a new value. 6. Provide the directory where Blackboard will be installed. To accept the default value of /usr/local/blackboard, press ENTER. Blackboard does not recommend changing this default. 7. To select the type of installation, type 1 and press ENTER to select Full Installation. 8. After reading the License Agreement, type Y and press ENTER to continue the installation. To refuse the terms of the agreement and close the Installer, type N and press ENTER 9. Provide the location of the license file. The Installer will detect the license file and use it as the default value if the license file is renamed bb-license.xml and placed in the same directory as the Installer. Press ENTER to accept the default or enter a new value and then press ENTER. 10. Provide the location of the JDK. The Installer will use the path that was provided to launch the Installer. 11. Provide the location of the Shared Content Directory, which is used to store the content files associated with Courses, images uploaded to the system, and all other files added to the system. The location can be a share on one of the application servers or on the database server, or it can be a SAN (storage area network) or NAS (network-attached storage) on a separate file server. In a load-balanced configuration, this location must be accessible by all of the application servers. For more information about using a separate file server, see Set Up File System Storage. To accept the default value of /usr/local/blackboard/content, press ENTER. Note Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients must use the local default location.
12. Provide the name of the application server. The Installer detects the machine name of the server it runs on and uses that to populate the default. Press ENTER to accept the default. 13. Provide the domain that hosts the application server. The Installer detects this value and populates the default. Press ENTER to accept the default. 14. Provide the port number for the application server. This is the port that the application uses for communication. The default value is 8009. Press ENTER to accept the default, or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 15. Provide the port number for the Web Server. This is the port that is used for http connections with users. The default value is 80. Press ENTER to accept the default, or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 16. Provide the database server hostname. The default value is the current machine. This is the correct value for one server installations. Press ENTER to accept the default if installing on only one server. If installing on two servers, provide a value for the separate database machine and press ENTER to continue. Keep in mind that the hostname is represented by machine_name.domain_name. 17. Provide the Oracle SID. Provide a value and then press ENTER.
Page 100
18. Provide the Oracle sys database administrator password. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 19. Provide the Blackboard database user password. This database login is used by the application to access the database. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 20. Provide the Blackboard database report password. This database login is used by the application to access the reporting database. Enter a value and then press ENTER. 21. Optional Step for Content Collection Users: Provide the content management database password and then press ENTER. This login is used by the application to access content management database. 22. Provide the location for the database data directory and then press ENTER. The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database data files. This directory will not store application data or content. This directory must be in a directory where Oracle has read/write/execute privileges. Make sure that the directory has space to accommodate database growth. This directory must be created before installing Blackboard Learn. 23. Provide the location for the database index directory and then press ENTER. The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database index files. This directory must be in a directory where Oracle has read/write/execute privileges. If possible, this directory should be separate from the data directory. 24. Optional Step for Content Collection Users: Provide the storage directories for the content management storage locations and then press ENTER. For example, the default value is /usr/local/blackboard/cms/courses. 25. Provide the path to the content management /institution directory. The default value is /usr/local/blackboard/institution. Repeat for each of the four additional locations: Institution, Library, Orgs, and Users. 26. Provide the Collaboration server hostname. In a one or two server environment, the default value is the application server. In a load-balanced environment, select one of the existing application servers to also act as the Collaboration server. Though not typically required, a separate server may be dedicated as the Collaboration server exclusively. For more information, see Set Up a Collaboration Server. The Collaboration server runs Virtual Classroom and chat sessions. Press ENTER to accept the default or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 27. Provide the TCP port number for the Collaboration server. The default port number is 8010. Press ENTER to accept the default or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 28. Provide the HTTP port number for the Collaboration server. The default port number is 8011. Press ENTER to accept the default or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 29. Provide the hostname of the SMTP server. The SMTP server is used to send out email communications. Keep in mind that the hostname is the represented by machine_name.domain_name. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 30. Provide the Blackboard Administrator password. The Administrator account has full privileges. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 31. Provide the Blackboard Integration password. The integration user is used only to facilitate Snapshot operations. This account cannot be used to log in through the GUI nor does it appear in any lists of users in the user interface. To change the password for this account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 32. Provide the Blackboard root administrator password.The root_admin account has full administrative privileges including the management of Virtual Installations through the Administrator Panel. When the root_admin account user views the Administrator Panel,
Page 101
the Manage Virtual Installations link appears at the top of the panel. The root_admin can log in to any Virtual Installation and access the Virtual Installation management features from this link. While it is necessary to enter a password for this account, it is very rare that a system with Virtual Installations will be run on one server or two servers. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 33. Follow the prompts to enter the System Administrator's contact information. 34. Enter the Server Type. This is information is used for better management of centralized services. Options include: Production, Staging, Test, and Development. Properly categorize each server when running the installer. 35. Press ENTER to install the software. Do not close the command line window during the installation. If the Installer failed, please check the Installer log and see Troubleshooting to diagnose and fix the problem.
Page 102
Page 103
Required Hardware
The About Hardware Sizing in a Dell Environment and About Hardware Sizing in a Sun Microsystems Environment topics in Blackboard Learn Help detail several different hardware configurations based on performance, cost, and redundancy. Read this document to make sure that the planned hardware configuration meets the needs of the institution. SPARC hardware is required for to install and run Blackboard Learn under Solaris operating systems.
Required Software
For the exact versions of the operating systems, databases, and Java SE Developers Kit (JDK) that are supported, see "Supported Technologies" in the Release Notes for the release that you are installing. It is critical that the software used to host Blackboard Learn meets requirements. The supported version of the JDK can be downloaded at http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp. Download and install the JDK on each application server. Make sure that the server or servers are dedicated to Blackboard Learn. Make sure that the server is not using valuable space and resources running unnecessary applications.
Collaboration Server
Select one of the existing application servers to also act as the Collaboration server. Optionally, configure a separate Collaboration server. For more information, see Set Up a Collaboration Server. The Collaboration server may not be spread across multiple application servers because all users participating in a Collaboration session must share the same resources. A single server must be configured to run the Collaboration server. This server must handle Collaboration sessions and performance will be unaffected by other requests. The application servers are configured to connect users to one server that handles all the Collaboration sessions. Do not connect the Collaboration server to the load-balancer.
Page 104
Load-Balancing Methods
Institutions can use the load-balancing method of their choice as long as it adheres to a few basic principles: The load-balancing method must use cookie-based session affinity. If SSL is used, the same certificate must be shared by all the application servers. More information about SSL can be found in the About SSL and SSL Choice topic in Blackboard Learn Help. Do not use the "SSL acceleration" or "SSL off-load" features of the load-balancer. The /etc/hosts file must have an entry for the virtual IPs hostname that points to the localhost (127.0.0.1).
Ports
Blackboard Learn requires ports to communicate. The list below details the required ports and their default values. Make sure to configure server security and any firewalls to allow communication on the required ports. The port values must be the same for each application server. Web server port (default value: 80): This port handles communication between users and the server. Collaboration server TCP/IP port (default value: 8010): This port handles TCP communication for the Collaboration server. By default, TCP communication connects users to the Collaboration server. Collaboration server HTTP port (default value: 8011): This port handles HTTP communication for the Collaboration server. Web server SSL port (default: 443): Primary web application port when SSL is in use. Collaboration server SSL port (default: 8443): Secure communication for the collaboration server.
Page 105
WARNING! Do not use a firewall to redirect ports. The internal port configured on the server must match the external port on the external firewall.
Network
Keep in mind the following when connecting Blackboard Learn to the network: Do not use underscores in the machine name for the server or servers. Some versions of Internet Explorer block cookies if the machine name includes an underscore. Set up the DNS server to resolve the hardware load-balancer. The hardware loadbalancer will then direct traffic to the application servers. Set up a separate DNS entry for the Collaboration server. Check with a network engineer to make sure that the network can handle the anticipated load after Blackboard Learn is made available to users. An SMTP server must be available so that the Installer can connect to it. An SMTP server has to remain available when the application is running in order to deliver email notifications.
Page 106
Page 107
Page 108
Oracle RAC
Blackboard offers support for Oracle RAC with all versions of Oracle supported by Blackboard. For more information, see Supported Technologies in the Release Notes for the release that you are installing. For information about running Blackboard Learn with RAC, see the Oracle RAC Support on UNIX topic in Blackboard Learn Help.
Setup a Separate Storage Device for the Data Files and Log Files
The Installer will prompt for the directory where the database data files and log files should be stored. For information about storing these files on a separate device, see the Oracle documentation. Keep in mind that the storage device should have a dedicated, high-bandwidth connection to the database server.
Page 109
Page 110
Blackboard Basics
Review the following list to make sure that Blackboard has provided everything necessary to begin installation. A valid Blackboard Learn license file has been downloaded and is accessible from the application server. To receive a license file, contact your Blackboard Client Representative. The Installer has been downloaded to the application servers. To receive instructions for downloading the Installer, contact your Blackboard Client Representative. The Administrator has contact information for Blackboard Technical Support and a login for Behind the Blackboard at https://behind.blackboard.com.
Page 111
Page 112
Application Server Machine Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the application server. The Installer will find the name of the machine that the Installer is on and automatically populate this value. The Installer must be run on the application server. Application Server Domain Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the domain where the Web server resides. The application server Machine Name and the application server Domain Name form the URL for Blackboard (http://webservermachinename.domain). Because these names form the URL do not use any characters other than standard letters and numbers (underscores and spaces will cause problems) in the application server name or the domain name.
Page 113
Application Server Port Number: ___________________________________________ The port that the application engine uses. The default value is 8009. This port is internal to the Blackboard application and should not be available to end users. Web Server Port Number: ___________________________________________ The port that the Web server will use for http connections with clients. The default value is 80. Database Hostname: ___________________________________________ The domain name and machine name where the Oracle database that Blackboard Learn will use is installed. The database machine name can be found the same way as the Web server machine name. When installed on a one server configuration, the database machine name is the same as the application server machine name. For this reason, the default value is the machine name of the local machine. Oracle Database Instance Name: ___________________________________________ The Oracle SID where Blackboard Learn databases will reside. Oracle Database Port: ___________________________________________ The Oracle Database port used by Blackboard Learn to communicate with the database. The default value is 1521. Oracle (sys) System Database Administrator Password: _________________________ The Oracle Database Administrator password. Blackboard Database User Password: ________________________________________ A password for an Oracle user that Blackboard Learn creates at install. This account is also used by the application to access the database. Blackboard Database Report User Password: __________________________________ The password for the Database Report User. This is an Oracle user that Blackboard Learn uses to access the reporting database. Content Management Database Password: _______________________ The password for the database user the Installer creates for the content management databases. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Database Identifier: ___________________________________________ Database identifiers must be unique within the database server. The database identifier is, by default, BBLEARN. If this parameter is left blank, it will default to BBLEARN. This option is not visible during an upgrade, and is typically used exclusively in a multi-tenancy environment. A multi-tenancy environment offers the ability to host multiple Blackboard Learn instances on a single machine without the data being shared between instances. Multi-tenancy environments are not standard. If you are upgrading your environment and wish to rename your database identifier, please contact Blackboard Support for assistance.
Page 114
Database Data Directory: ___________________________________________ The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database data files. This directory will not store application data or content. This directory must be on the database server in a directory where Oracle has read/write/execute privileges. Make sure that the directory has space to accommodate database growth. This directory must be created before installing Blackboard Learn. Database Index Data File Directory: __________________________________________ The directory that will store database index data files. This directory must be on the database server in a directory where Oracle has read/write/execute privileges. If possible, this directory should be separate from the data directory. Courses Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /courses directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /courses heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Institution Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /institution directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /institution heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Library Directory:: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /library directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /library heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Orgs Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /orgs directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /orgs heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Users Directory: ___________________________________________ The path to the content management /users directory. This directory will store all of the files under the /users heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have been licensed. Collaboration Server Machine Name: _________________________________________ The machine name that runs the Collaboration Server. It is possible to dual-purpose an existing application to also serve as the Collaboration Server. Though not typically required, a separate server may be dedicated as the Collaboration server exclusively. In Load-Balanced configurations, it is important to direct all Collaboration Tool traffic to one server to maintain session integrity across users. Collaboration Server TCP/IP Port: ___________________________________________ TCP/IP is the preferred communication method for the Collaboration server. The default port is 8010.
Page 115
Collaboration Server HTTP Port: ___________________________________________ HTTP communication is used to connect users to the Collaboration server is TCP/IP communication is unavailable. The default port is 8011. SMTP Server: ___________________________________________ The full hostname (example: smtp.blackboard.com) of the SMTP server that Blackboard Learn will use to send emails. The parameter bbconfig.email.bitbucket_address=email_address must be added and set in the bbconfig.properties file to avoid system-generated messages, such as enrollment notifications and discussion board subscriptions from being sent to the system administrator. The bit-bucket email address should be set to a valid campus address that has no recipients, failure to use a valid address will result in rejection by email servers. Administrator Password: ___________________________________________ The Administrator account has full Administrator privileges. This account and the root_admin account are the only two accounts that can log in until more users are created. Integration User Password: ___________________________________________ The integration user is used only to facilitate Snapshot operations. This account cannot be used to log in through the GUI nor does it appear in any lists of users in the user interface. To change the password for this account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password. For more information about the integration account, see the Editing the Integration Password topic in Blackboard Learn Help. Root Administrator Password: ___________________________________________ The root_admin account has full administrative privileges including the management of Virtual Installations through the Administrator Panel. When the root_admin account user views the Administrator Panel, the Manage Virtual Installations link appears at the top of the panel. The root_admin can log in to any Virtual Installation and access the Virtual Installation management features from this link. The root_admin account is created even if your license does not include the use of additional Virtual Installations. The root_admin account can be modified from the Edit Root Administrator Profile page. Administrator Name: ___________________________________________ The name of the Administrator. Administrator Email: ___________________________________________ The email address of the Administrator. Institution Name: ___________________________________________ The institution that will be using Blackboard Learn. Institution Type: choose from one of the following options K-12 Higher Education Continuing Education
Page 116
Corporate Professional Association Hobby City: ___________________________________________ The state, province, or territory where the institution is located. State: ___________________________________________ The state, province, or territory where the institution is located. ZIP/Postal Code: ___________________________________________ The ZIP or Postal Code where the institution is located. Country: ___________________________________________ The Country where the institution is located.
Page 117
Page 118
If Xwindows or a similar GUI is running, the Installer will launch in GUI mode. (The following steps assume that the command line Installer is used). Use the -text option to force text mode even if a GUI is running. 5. After reading the welcome message, press ENTER to continue. Instructions display for navigating through the Installer prompts. The Installer, in most cases, will provide a default value in brackets. Press ENTER to accept the default and continue or enter a different value. Press ENTER to continue after entering a new value. 6. Provide the directory where Blackboard will be installed. To accept the default value of /usr/local/blackboard, press ENTER. Blackboard does not recommend changing this default. 7. To select the type of installation, type 1 and press ENTER to select Full Installation. 8. After reading the License Agreement, type Y and press ENTER to continue the installation. To refuse the terms of the agreement and close the Installer, type N and press ENTER 9. Provide the location of the license file. The Installer will detect the license file and use it as the default value if the license file is renamed bb-license.xml and placed in the same directory as the Installer. Press ENTER to accept the default or enter a new value and then press ENTER. 10. Provide the location of the JDK. The Installer will use the path that was provided to launch the Installer. 11. Provide the location of the Shared Content Directory, which is used to store the content files associated with Courses, images uploaded to the system, and all other files added to the system. The location can be a share on one of the application servers or on the database server, or it can be a SAN (storage area network) or NAS (network-attached storage) on a separate file server. In a load-balanced configuration, this location must be accessible by all of the application servers. For more information about using a separate file server, see Set Up File System Storage. To accept the default value of /usr/local/blackboard/content, press ENTER. Note Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients must use the local default location.
12. Provide the name of the application server. The Installer detects the machine name of the server it runs on and uses that to populate the default. Press ENTER to accept the default. 13. Provide the domain that hosts the application server. The Installer detects this value and populates the default. Press ENTER to accept the default. 14. Provide the port number for the application server. This is the port that the application uses for communication. The default value is 8009. Press ENTER to accept the default, or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 15. Provide the port number for the Web Server. This is the port that is used for http connections with users. The default value is 80. Press ENTER to accept the default, or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 16. Provide the database server hostname. The default value is the current machine. This is the correct value for one server installations. Press ENTER to accept the default if installing on only one server. If installing on two servers, provide a value for the separate database machine and press ENTER to continue. Keep in mind that the hostname is represented by machine_name.domain_name. 17. Provide the Oracle SID. Provide a value and then press ENTER.
Page 119
18. Provide the Oracle sys database administrator password. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 19. Provide the Blackboard database user password. This database login is used by the application to access the database. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 20. Provide the Blackboard database report password. This database login is used by the application to access the reporting database. Enter a value and then press ENTER. 21. Optional Step for Content Collection Users: Provide the content management database password and then press ENTER. This login is used by the application to access content management database. 22. Provide the location for the database data directory and then press ENTER. The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database data files. This directory will not store application data or content. This directory must be in a directory where Oracle has read/write/execute privileges. Make sure that the directory has space to accommodate database growth. This directory must be created before installing Blackboard Learn. 23. Provide the location for the database index directory and then press ENTER. The directory that will store Blackboard Learn database index files. This directory must be in a directory where Oracle has read/write/execute privileges. If possible, this directory should be separate from the data directory. 24. Optional Step for Content Collection Users: Provide the storage directories for the content management storage locations and then press ENTER. For example, the default value is /usr/local/blackboard/cms/courses. 25. Provide the path to the content management /institution directory. The default value is /usr/local/blackboard/institution. Repeat for each of the four additional locations: Institution, Library, Orgs, and Users. 26. Provide the Collaboration server hostname. In a one or two server environment, the default value is the application server. In a load-balanced environment, select one of the existing application servers to also act as the Collaboration server. Though not typically required, a separate server may be dedicated as the Collaboration server exclusively. For more information, see Set Up a Collaboration Server. The Collaboration server runs Virtual Classroom and chat sessions. Press ENTER to accept the default or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 27. Provide the TCP port number for the Collaboration server. The default port number is 8010. Press ENTER to accept the default or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 28. Provide the HTTP port number for the Collaboration server. The default port number is 8011. Press ENTER to accept the default or provide a new value and then press ENTER. 29. Provide the hostname of the SMTP server. The SMTP server is used to send out email communications. Keep in mind that the hostname is the represented by machine_name.domain_name. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 30. Provide the Blackboard Administrator password. The Administrator account has full privileges. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 31. Provide the Blackboard Integration password. The integration user is used only to facilitate Snapshot operations. This account cannot be used to log in through the GUI nor does it appear in any lists of users in the user interface. To change the password for this account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 32. Provide the Blackboard root administrator password.The root_admin account has full administrative privileges including the management of Virtual Installations through the Administrator Panel. When the root_admin account user views the Administrator Panel,
Page 120
the Manage Virtual Installations link appears at the top of the panel. The root_admin can log in to any Virtual Installation and access the Virtual Installation management features from this link. While it is necessary to enter a password for this account, it is very rare that a system with Virtual Installations will be run on one server or two servers. Provide a value and then press ENTER. 33. Follow the prompts to enter the System Administrator's contact information. 34. Enter the Server Type. This is information is used for better management of centralized services. Options include: Production, Staging, Test, and Development. Properly categorize each server when running the installer. 35. Press ENTER to install the software. Do not close the command line window during the installation. If the Installer failed, please check the Installer log and see Troubleshooting to diagnose and fix the problem.
Page 121
Page 122
7. Launch the Install Cluster script by issuing ./InstallCluster.sh. After running the command, you will be prompted for the following information. a. b. c. d. Cluster ID: Provide a unique ID, such as node1 or node2. It should not be a cluster ID that is already assigned. Server shutdown port: The default is 8005. Add 1000 to the default to make it 9005. If you already have 9005 in use, use 10005. JK Connector port: The default is 8009. Add 1000 to the default to make it 9009. Cluster Listener port: The default is 4000. Add 1000 to the default to make it 5000.
The cluster is now created. 8. Stop your server by issuing ./ServiceController.sh services.stop. 9. Start your server by issuing ./ServiceController.sh services.start.
Page 123
10. Run the jps command from JAVA_HOME to see the bootstrap processes. You should see one Tomcat Process, and the number of Cluster Process IDs. WARNING! Upgrading an environment with an existing tomcat cluster, the cluster will be broken if the ServerGroup is not updated.
Page 124
4. Start the bb-tomcat and IIS services on each application server. Do not start the bbCollaboration service. The bb-Collaboration service must always be stopped on the application servers that are not acting as the Collaboration server. 5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for all application servers. 6. Stop the bb-tomcat service on the Collaboration server.
Page 125
Page 126
Page 127
Log File
Log File
The Installer creates a log file named bb_installer_log.txt. This file is found in the blackboard/logs directory. If the Installer fails, check the log file to help determine the problem. The log file includes a considerable amount of information about the installation process. Each time the Installer is run, the attempt is appended to the log file. Make sure to focus on the latest attempt, which will be last in the log file. Because of the amount of information in the log file, the problem may not be immediately apparent. Try searching for the following strings at the bottom of the installation log: BUILD FAILED or Root Cause. Look closely at the log file both above and below the search string (BUILD FAILED or Root Cause) for the reason the installation failed. If the log file does not help diagnose the problem, keep a copy of the file in case you need to contact Blackboard Technical Support by logging in to Behind the Blackboard at https://behind.blackboard.com. Technical Support will use the log file to diagnose the problem.
Page 128
Page 129
Page 130
Page 131
2. Stop all Blackboard Learn services. 3. Terminate database connections by shutting down and restarting Oracle Database Server. -orIssue the following SQL command to find connected sessions:
SQL>select process from v$session where schemaname IN (BBADMIN,BB_BB60,BB_BB60_STATS);
3. After reading the welcome message, click Next or press ENTER to continue.
Page 132
4. To specify the directory where Blackboard is located, click Next to accept the default, or enter a new value and then click Next. If Blackboard Learn is not found in the directory provided, the Updater will attempt to install at the given location. 5. Select the Uninstall Blackboard Learn option and click Next. 6. A message displays explaining what will be uninstalled. Click Next to uninstall.
Page 133