Managing BlackboardManaging Blackboard

Blackboard Academic Suite™, Blackboard Learning System™, Blackboard Community System™, Blackboard Content System™

This session will focus on best practices from a technology point of view

–Best Practices for System Administration–New System Administrators–System architecture–Building blocks management–Problem solving and strategy

Blackboard Academic Suite™, Blackboard Learning System™, Blackboard Community System™, Blackboard Content System™

This session will focus on best practices from a technology point of view

–Best Practices for System Administration–New System Administrators–System architecture–Building blocks management–Problem solving and strategy

[ A System Administrator Discussion ]

Summary: To AVOID This…Summary: To AVOID This…

Consider This…Consider This…

Panel MembersPanel Members• Larry Lambert

Online Instructional Support SpecialistSouthwestern College * Chula Vista, CA

• Dave Dean, Ph.D.Information Technology System Specialist VEastern Washington University * Cheney, WA

• Larry LambertOnline Instructional Support SpecialistSouthwestern College * Chula Vista, CA

• Dave Dean, Ph.D.Information Technology System Specialist VEastern Washington University * Cheney, WA

About SouthwesternAbout Southwestern• Community System: Enterprise

Level for two-years– 7-servers: Load Balance, 2-Web

Apps, NAS, SQL Database, Collaboration, Testing

– Version 6.3.1.5– 20K students and 1,500 faculty– Snapshot, IIS integration– Windows 2000 platform– Portal used on Learning System

only but campus wide in fall-2006

• Community System: Enterprise Level for two-years– 7-servers: Load Balance, 2-Web

Apps, NAS, SQL Database, Collaboration, Testing

– Version 6.3.1.5– 20K students and 1,500 faculty– Snapshot, IIS integration– Windows 2000 platform– Portal used on Learning System

only but campus wide in fall-2006

About SouthwesternAbout Southwestern• Physical space for employees

and students to get technical support– Dedicated to Online Learning– 2-part time tech support people– 1-FT faculty Instructional Designer– 1-FT back and front-end System

Administrator– 1-FT Multimedia Specialist– 1 FT Clerical Support– 1-FT Academic Administrator

• Physical space for employees and students to get technical support– Dedicated to Online Learning– 2-part time tech support people– 1-FT faculty Instructional Designer– 1-FT back and front-end System

Administrator– 1-FT Multimedia Specialist– 1 FT Clerical Support– 1-FT Academic Administrator

• Finding money! – (Title V had deep pockets)

• Inadequate skills to be a system administrator

• Inadequate support (no people)

• An anonymous project (nobody knew what online was)

• Finding money! – (Title V had deep pockets)

• Inadequate skills to be a system administrator

• Inadequate support (no people)

• An anonymous project (nobody knew what online was)

About Southwestern - ChallengesAbout Southwestern - Challenges

About EWUAbout EWU• Self-hosted BASIC since 1999

• Learning System Enterprise (1 year)– Version 6.3.1.424

• 1,000 Courses / Term

• 700 Instructors / Leaders

• 8,000 Students active each week

• ONE FTE TOTAL for server, systems, & application administration– Primary sysadm (.80) and backup (.15)

and third backup (.05)

• No snapshot, LDAP, SIS integration

• Self-hosted BASIC since 1999

• Learning System Enterprise (1 year)– Version 6.3.1.424

• 1,000 Courses / Term

• 700 Instructors / Leaders

• 8,000 Students active each week

• ONE FTE TOTAL for server, systems, & application administration– Primary sysadm (.80) and backup (.15)

and third backup (.05)

• No snapshot, LDAP, SIS integration

Discussion BulletsDiscussion Bullets• Best Practices that we have

found for:– System Administration

• Server platform• Data protection• Problem tracking• Communicating• Planning / Upgrading

– New System Administrators– System architecture– Building blocks management– Problem solving and strategy

• Best Practices that we have found for:– System Administration

• Server platform• Data protection• Problem tracking• Communicating• Planning / Upgrading

– New System Administrators– System architecture– Building blocks management– Problem solving and strategy

Server Platform - EWUServer Platform - EWU

• Production– Dual Dell PowerEdge 6650s– Hot spare 6650

• Production and Test servers• Windows 2003, IIS, MS SQL

Enterprise

• Production– Dual Dell PowerEdge 6650s– Hot spare 6650

• Production and Test servers• Windows 2003, IIS, MS SQL

Enterprise

Server Platform - EWUServer Platform - EWU

“Don’t mess with the server during the school year.”

– No optional patches, building blocks, tweaks, etc.

– If you do have to mess with the server, GHOST it first.

“Don’t mess with the server during the school year.”

– No optional patches, building blocks, tweaks, etc.

– If you do have to mess with the server, GHOST it first.

Scheduled Downtimes - EWUScheduled Downtimes - EWU

• ½ day, 3rd, 6th, 9th Friday afternoons of each term from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• Thursday of break week

• Entire last week of August

• ½ day, 3rd, 6th, 9th Friday afternoons of each term from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• Thursday of break week

• Entire last week of August

Data Protection - EWUData Protection - EWU• Service level: If catastrophic

server failure, won’t loose more than 2 hours of data– SQL backup every two hours– File replication at two hour

intervals (courses subdirectories)

– Full Ghost every three weeks– Nightly backups (incremental)– Weekly backups (full)

• Service level: If catastrophic server failure, won’t loose more than 2 hours of data– SQL backup every two hours– File replication at two hour

intervals (courses subdirectories)

– Full Ghost every three weeks– Nightly backups (incremental)– Weekly backups (full)

Tools - EWUTools - EWU• Sentry/Go monitor

– (internal) monitors events and restarts services

• SiteScope– (external) service monitoring and alerting– Accumulates history (hits, cpu, disk, etc.)

used for forecasting of necessary upgrades

• PeerSync– File replication service

• BlackICE– Software firewall

• Ghost and Veritas– Server imaging and backups

• Sentry/Go monitor– (internal) monitors events and restarts

services

• SiteScope– (external) service monitoring and alerting– Accumulates history (hits, cpu, disk, etc.)

used for forecasting of necessary upgrades

• PeerSync– File replication service

• BlackICE– Software firewall

• Ghost and Veritas– Server imaging and backups

Problem Tracking - EWUProblem Tracking - EWU• Capture, then fix error

– Need to capture via screen shots, log files, monitoring reports, etc.

– Organize in way you understand

• Monitoring BBADMIN-L– I have a “bbadmin-keepers” folder.– Also keep copies of bbadmin

emails.

• Do the basics, read release notes, etc.

• Capture, then fix error– Need to capture via screen shots,

log files, monitoring reports, etc.– Organize in way you understand

• Monitoring BBADMIN-L– I have a “bbadmin-keepers” folder.– Also keep copies of bbadmin

emails.

• Do the basics, read release notes, etc.

New System AdministratorsNew System Administrators• Develop key relationships with

faculty and computer support areas

• Become an expert in systems and online education– Create your Operations Manual

• Set goals for support– 2-hour replies to support requests– Conduct periodic user surveys– Round-the-clock attention to make

sure the system satys up and running

• Develop key relationships with faculty and computer support areas

• Become an expert in systems and online education– Create your Operations Manual

• Set goals for support– 2-hour replies to support requests– Conduct periodic user surveys– Round-the-clock attention to make

sure the system satys up and running

New System AdministratorsNew System Administrators• Develop a working relationship with

administrators• Ensure your salary matches your

responsibility level• Communicate, communicate,

communicate! . . . But not too much!– Begin messages via Blackboard with “BB”– Be conservative– Don’t tell everyone everything!

• Place yourself on working committees• Grow thicker skin• Drink heavily……. And often

• Develop a working relationship with administrators

• Ensure your salary matches your responsibility level

• Communicate, communicate, communicate! . . . But not too much!– Begin messages via Blackboard with “BB”– Be conservative– Don’t tell everyone everything!

• Place yourself on working committees• Grow thicker skin• Drink heavily……. And often

Building blocks managementBuilding blocks management

• Test drive first• Understand what they are: Third

party software for PROFIT!• Define support for faculty• Make contact list for tech

support• Include course cartridges• Some good ones:

– Discussion grader– Seneca Who’s online?– Advanced Group Management– MAPQuest

• Test drive first• Understand what they are: Third

party software for PROFIT!• Define support for faculty• Make contact list for tech

support• Include course cartridges• Some good ones:

– Discussion grader– Seneca Who’s online?– Advanced Group Management– MAPQuest

Problem solving and strategyProblem solving and strategy

• Duplicate the problem• Create support webpage

with request forms• Get complete information,

including course ID and location

• Follow through and resolve all problems

• Care calls to faculty• Statistics will promote and

protect your existence

• Duplicate the problem• Create support webpage

with request forms• Get complete information,

including course ID and location

• Follow through and resolve all problems

• Care calls to faculty• Statistics will promote and

protect your existence

Summary: To AVOID This…Summary: To AVOID This…

Consider This…Consider This…

Monitor Service & Support

ReliabilityPacking Their Chute

Communication

Thank You!Thank You!Larry Lambert - Southwestern College

LLambert@swccd.edu Chula Vista, CA

Dave Dean, Ph.D. - Eastern Washington University

dave.dean@mail.ewu.eduCheney, WA

Larry Lambert - Southwestern College LLambert@swccd.edu

Chula Vista, CA

Dave Dean, Ph.D. - Eastern Washington University

dave.dean@mail.ewu.eduCheney, WA