Blackboard Learn 9.1 Installation Guide - Versão Desactualizada!!!

Release 9.
Installation Guide
2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential
Publication Date: September 3, 2010

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Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

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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

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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
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

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Install on Windows on a Load-Balanced Configuration .......................................................... 46

Collaboration Server ......................................................................................................... 47
Dedicated File System Server .......................................................................................... 47
Set JAVA_HOME ............................................................................................................. 48
Confirm NTFS File System ............................................................................................... 48
Confirm Windows Server 2003 Prerequisites ................................................................... 48
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
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
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
How to Set Up a Shared File System ............................................................................... 57
Application Servers Checklist ........................................................................................... 59
(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

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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
Create a UNIX User for Blackboard Learn ....................................................................... 86
Ports ................................................................................................................................. 87
Network ............................................................................................................................. 87
Configure Oracle 10g .............................................................................................................. 88
Oracle 10g (Release 2) Compatibility ............................................................................... 88
Database Block Size ........................................................................................................ 88
Confirm AL16UTF16 Character Set ................................................................................. 89
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
How to Set Up Shared File System .................................................................................. 91

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Application Server Checklist ............................................................................................. 92

Complete the Pre-Installation Worksheet for UNIX ................................................................ 94
Install the Blackboard Learn Application Server and Database Server .................................. 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

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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

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Getting Started

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Getting Started
About the Installation Process
About the Installation Process

Fresh Installations
If this is the first time you have installed Blackboard Learn, make sure to read the Release Notes
for the release that you are installing and any subsequent Service Packs, and then read this
section carefully. After reading the Release Notes and this section, you should be able to make
informed decisions about the configuration of Blackboard Learn at your institution. The next step
will be to read the configuration and installation instructions appropriate for the host environment:
Windows or UNIX.
If you are an experienced Blackboard Learn administrator, you will find some helpful information
in this section. After a quick review, proceed to the configuration and installation instructions
appropriate for your host environment.
Upgrades
If you are upgrading from a previous version of Blackboard Learn, see the Upgrade topics in
Blackboard Learn Help.

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Getting Started
Preferred Technical Skills

Installing and supporting a Blackboard installation hosted at the institution requires some specific
technical skills. It is important that human resources that understand the installation and support
of enterprise software are available to install and maintain Blackboard Learn.
Before attempting to install, ensure that the appropriate skill sets are available to support the
installation and maintenance of Blackboard Learn.
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
Operating System and Application Server Skills

The following operating system and application server skills are recommended for installing and
maintaining Blackboard Learn.
Experience with Microsoft IIS or Apache
Experience with the operating system including file management and permissions
Experience with optimization and monitoring techniques
Comfortable using a text editor to make changes to configuration files
Experience installing software
Starting and stopping applications on the server to avoid damaging or corrupting the
workstation or database
Creating scheduled jobs to automate system processes such as backup and log file
management
Installing and troubleshooting operating systems
Comfortable using the command line interface

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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

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Getting Started
About the Blackboard Learn Installer and Updater

The Blackboard Learn Installer and Updater scans the server and either installs a new installation
of Blackboard Learn or updates an existing installation. The Installer and Updater also handles
the capabilities that can be licensed with Blackboard Learn.
Course Delivery
Community Engagement
Content Management
Outcomes Assessment
The features related to these capabilities are installed or updated based on the license file. This
means that all users follow the same install and update procedures regardless of which
capabilities are licensed.
The Installer and Updater Are One Tool

Install and update tasks are accomplished using the same tool. When this tool is referred to as
the Installer, it is describing how the tool functions when installing software for the first time.
When this tool is referred to as the Updater, it is describing how the tool functions when it is run
on an existing installation.
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.
What the Installer and Updater Can Do

The Installer and Updater can install set of capabilities in Blackboard Learn. It can be run on
single-server, dual-server, and load-balanced configurations. The Installer and Updater can be
run more than once. If stopped, the Installer and Updater must be restarted from the beginning.
The Installer and Updater presents several options when it is run on an existing installation:
Update: Installs the new features and fixes associated with a new release. An error
message will appear if it is not possible to update from the current version to the Updater
version.
Pre-Update Change Report: Reviews the current system configuration to ensure that the
Updater can be run successfully. The Pre-Update Change Report also details the files
that will be changed by the Updater.

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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.
What the Installer and Updater Cannot Do

The Installer and Updater cannot be used to return to an earlier release. Running the Installer of
an earlier version on a newer installation will not successfully convert the installation to the earlier
release.
The Installer and Updater does not install any other software, including prerequisite operating
systems and databases. For example, Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients must first install
Small-Scale Oracle, provided by Blackboard, before running the Installer and Updater. For more
information about Small-Scale Oracle, see the Small-Scale Oracle topics in Blackboard Learn
Help.
The Installer and Updater does not install supplemental tools such as OptiSERV or EnviSERV for
communicating with the Blackboard Transact and the Snapshot Tools for integration with other
information system on campus. These tools must be downloaded and installed separately.
Finally, the Installer and Updater does not allow for any advanced configuration such as setting
up LDAP Authentication, SSL, or Virtual Installation. For more information, see the Using
Blackboard Learn Authentication, About SSL and SSL Choice, and About Virtualizing the
Blackboard Reference Architecture topics in Blackboard Learn Help.

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Getting Started
Understanding the Database Schema

Database Schema Naming
Database schema names have received a re-work for this latest version of Blackboard Learn.
When upgrading an existing instance, or creating a testing environment for an institution using the
legacy database schema names, please refer to the following table. Manual database schema
name changes on an existing schema should only be done with the assistance of Blackboard
support. Legacy environments should specify the legacy information within the database identifier
option in the installer when creating testing environments.
Schema Name
Legacy Schema Name
BBLEARN
BB_BB60
BBLEARN_ADMIN
BBADMIN
BBLEARN_STATS
BB_BB60_STATS
CMS_DOC
CMS_FILES_*
The Database Statistics Schema

The activity_accumulator_cr procedure has been modified to insert new records into
the new table activity_accumulator_queue instead of directly into the
activity_accumulator table. The new table will be smaller in size, which reduces the
performance impact of activity_accumulator_cr, which runs for every user action. Use of
indexes on activity_accumulator_queue table should be avoided in the interest of
application performance.
A job has been scheduled via the Oracle DBMS_JOB interface to run a stored procedure
activity_accumulator_update which flushes the queue table every 10 minutes into the
actual activity_accumulator. The activity_accumulator_update copies data from the
queue table to activity_accumulator. The production table that holds the data permanently.
This job inserts data in 2000-record batches to the activity_accumulator (though it leaves
between 500-2000 records behind each time). Between the hours of 23:00 and 00:00 each night,
database time, the job moves a higher volume of data in order to clean up any missed records
from previously.
The activity_accumulator table contains attendance/activity data which is used by many
institutions as part of grading information, and is thus among the most important data in the
database. It is crucial that this table be recoverable in the event of media failure. Though the
insertion and deletion are performed at the same time, with the insert taking place first, the data is
still available in the queue table and available for the next push should a rollback be required.
Given the importance of this data, logging is enabled should an incident occur in an incorrectly
configured Database or other disaster recovery need arise.
The PurgeAccumulator job is unchanged and still runs at 1:00 am every day to perform its
three functions of summarize (system tracking), synchronize (BBLEARN to BBLEARN_STATS), and
purge (BBLEARN).
Note If the Oracle parameter job_queue_processes is set to zero, the
activity_accumulator_update job will not run. As a symptom, the system tracking pages
would start showing zeros and course activity reports would show no activity.

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Getting Started
Statistics Schema Decoupling

The statistics schema BBLEARN_STATS can be moved to a separate database or physical
system, and settings will be preserved when running PushConfigUpdates. The values in
BBLEARN_admin.BB_INSTANCE are populated from
bbconfig.database.stats.server.name in bb-config.properties. This performance
enhancement benefits clients who use Managed Hosting, as well as those with sophisticated data
management needs.

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Getting Started
Understanding Load Balancing

Blackboard Learn supports installation across multiple application servers with a hardware load
balancer or a software solution. Blackboard Learn performance is better when the servers are
dedicated to Blackboard Learn processes and requests. Using a software solution for loadbalancing puts additional strain on the processors as load-balancing is handled by the application
servers, not by a separate piece of hardware.
Load Balanced Configurations

The following diagram shows an example of a multiple application server configuration.
Multiple Application Server Configurations

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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.
Benefits of Scaling Out with Additional Web/Application Servers

Scaling out distributes the computing workload among multiple servers by clustering or load
balancing, with the ability to add servers to increase capacity. By distributing the workload,
processing resources are spread among multiple servers, which improves both performance and
the availability of the overall service.
Down time is reduced with a scale out approach because most single points of failure are
removed. If a server goes down, other servers pick up the load dynamically, allowing the
application to continue servicing clients.
For more information about configuring a Blackboard Learn environment to achieve the best
performance possible, see the Optimization topics in Blackboard Learn Help.

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Getting Started
Defining the Host Environment

Before installing the Blackboard Learn software, it is necessary to create a healthy environment
to host Blackboard Learn. At this stage, decisions include determining the number of servers, the
operating system and database software to use, how powerful the servers must be, the
appropriate amount of disk space, and whether the network is capable of handling the anticipated
traffic.
Read the Hardware Sizing Information

The About Hardware Sizing in a Dell Environment and About Hardware Sizing in a Sun
Microsystems Environment topics in Blackboard Learn Help provide detailed information about
choosing the appropriate hardware based on size, scalability, performance, and redundancy
needs. Read this guide before continuing.
Choose an Operating System

Blackboard supports operating systems from three vendors for hosting Blackboard Learn:
Microsoft Windows Server
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Sun Solaris
For the exact versions of the databases that are supported, see "Supported Technologies" in the
Release Notes for the release that you are installing. It is critical that the operating system used
to host Blackboard Learn is a supported or compatible operating system. It is critical that the
operating system used to host Blackboard Learn is a supported or compatible operating system.
SPARC hardware is required for to install and run Blackboard Learn under Solaris operating
systems.
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.

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Getting Started
Decide the Number of Servers

Read the About Hardware Sizing in a Dell Environment and About Hardware Sizing in a Sun
Microsystems Environment topics in Blackboard Learn Help to determine hardware requirements
for the installation. For the purposes of running the Installer, match the hardware to one of the
following models:
One server: This configuration hosts Blackboard Learn application software, file system,
and database on one machine. Keep in mind that a one server configuration is
appropriate for running a test system or Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition. Blackboard
Learn - Basic Edition can be run only on one server.
Two servers: This configuration hosts Blackboard Learn application software with the file
system on one machine and the database on another machine. This configuration is
appropriate for institutions with a smaller user base that do not need the performance or
redundancy of a load-balanced configuration.
Load-balanced: This configuration hosts the file system on one machine, the database on
another machine, and the application software is replicated on multiple machines to
handle more activity. This configuration offers the greatest scalability and redundancy.
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.
File System Storage and Database File Storage

In many instances, it is useful to store data, such as the files uploaded to a Course, on separate
storage hardware. For more information, see Set Up File System Storage for Windows or Set Up
File System Storage for UNIX. This is handled at the operating system level by pointing some
directories or all directories to a separate storage device. Likewise, it is possible to offload
storage of the database files to a separate hardware, such as a SAN.
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.

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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.
Review and Next Steps

The decisions that define the host environment guide the installation process. The next step
before running the Installer is configuring the environment. The following table outlines the
configuration path to follow for each possible configuration:
Operating System and Database
Number of
Servers
Microsoft Windows and SQL Server
One
Install on Windows on One or Two

Servers
Two
Install on Windows on One or Two

Servers
Load-Balanced
Install on Windows in a Load-Balanced

Configuration
Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SmallScale Oracle
One
Install on UNIX on One or Two Servers
Sun Solaris and Small-Scale Oracle
One
Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Oracle
One
Two
Load-Balanced
Install on UNIX in a Load-Balanced

Configuration
One
Two
Load-Balanced

Configuration
Sun Solaris and Oracle

Refer to Section
Page 21
Getting Started
Planning the Installation

This topic covers some issues that may need to be addressed while planning and preparing for
Blackboard Learn. Each school or institution that uses Blackboard Learn is unique and will
require specific and detailed planning to implement Blackboard Learn. The information in this
topic should not be used as a comprehensive guide but rather as a set of items that should be
considered and adapted to each institution.
Develop a Learning Model

Before installing Blackboard Learn or making it available to users, it is important to define how it
will be used at the institution. Having a sound plan for how Blackboard Learn will be used helps
ensure that configuration and security decisions are aligned with the goals of the institution. Some
items to consider include:
Define a naming convention for Courses and users on the system.
Determine what information and areas of the system are accessible to each set of users
(Instructors, Students, Guests, and so forth). When the community engagement
capabilities have been licensed, Administrators have the flexibility to present different
brands and content to users depending on their assigned Institution Roles. Institution
Roles are defined by the institution to match their organization.
Identify the other information systems will interact with Blackboard Learn. Define which
system owns the data.
Build a team to manage the system, support users, and develop tools and content.
These are just a few examples of the decisions that go into developing a learning model. Each
institution will have a unique approach appropriate for its users.
Create a Test Environment

Creating a test environment is a critical step in the process. A test environment allows system
and database administrators to tune the software for maximum performance based on the needs
of the institution. Developers use the test environment to build System Extensions prior to rollout
as well as developing tools for integrating with other information systems at the institution.
Finally, a test environment helps resolve potential issues with hardware or software before rolling
out Blackboard Learn to users.
Establish a Support Infrastructure

Having qualified, trained staff to support users is important to operating smoothly with little
interruptions to users. Define what level of support is required and when it should be available to
users. Some institutions may require 24/7 support while others can operate with less. After
training staff and defining support availability and expectations be sure to communicate this
information to users.

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Getting Started
Run a Pilot Program

After the software is installed, configured, and tested and the support staff is trained, it is a good
idea to launch a pilot program. A pilot program lets a few users on the system to work with the
software in the context of the learning model. This is a good time to spot roadblocks or issues that
may impact users when the software is rolled out. Also, the pilot program participants (especially
the Instructors) can take a leadership role among their peers when the software is rolled out.
These users can train other users on the software and help them successfully adopt the learning
model.
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.

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Install on Windows
on One or Two Servers
This section explains the required hardware, software, and necessary steps to properly install
Blackboard Learn on one or two Windows servers.
1. Set Up the Hardware and Software
2. (Optional) Set Up Database Clustering and Storage
3. (Optional) Set Up File System Storage
4. Complete the Pre-Installation Checklist
5. Complete the Pre-Installation Worksheet
6. Install the Blackboard Learn Application Server and Database

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Install on Windows on One or Two Servers
Set Up the Hardware and Software

This section reviews the configuration steps necessary before installing Blackboard Learn.
Required Hardware
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.

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Confirm NTFS File System

Blackboard Learn will work only with the NTFS file system. It will not work correctly if the
Windows file system is FAT32. Follow the steps below to confirm that the disk is using the NTFS
file system.
1. Double-click My Computer on your desktop.
2. Right-click the drive where Blackboard Learn will be installed.
3. Select Properties.
4. The File system field must display NTFS. If it displays FAT32, consult the operating
system documentation for steps to convert the drive to NTFS.
5. Repeat these steps on each application server, the database server, and the file system
server.
Confirm Windows Server 2003 Operating System Prerequisites

If using Windows Server 2003, the following requirements must be met before beginning:
Install the Windows 2003 Resource Kit and the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit on each application
server.
Download the Windows Resource Kit and the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit from Microsoft at
http://download.microsoft.com.
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.

There is no Windows 2008 Resource Kit software package available from Microsoft for download
at this time. The resource kit exists primarily as documentation for the Windows 2008 release.
There is no IIS 7 Resource Kit software package available from Microsoft for download at this
time. The resource kit exists primarily as documentation for the Windows 2008 release.
SQL Server Client Tools needs to be installed on each application server.
Configure Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features

For more information, see Configuring Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features.
Create a Domain User

Create a domain user (for example, "blackboard") that will have access to the application server,
the file server, and the database server. This user must be part of the Administrators group
throughout the setup and installation. After this user is created, use it to log in to the servers.
When installing on one server, the application server, file system, and database are all run on one
machine.

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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.
Configure SQL Server Agent Startup

The SQL Server Agent must be running and set to Automatic startup for Blackboard Learn, where
instance is the name of the database instance (blank for a default instance).
1. Right-click Computer and select Manage.
2. From the Server Manager, click Configuration and then click Services.
3. Right-click SQL Server Agent (instance) and select Properties.
4. From the Startup type drop-down list, select Automatic.
5. Click OK.
Synchronize Server Clocks

Check the date and time on the system and make sure it is accurate and that the time zone is set
correctly. If installing on two servers, check that the time on the application server and database
server match. Remember that the servers may be in a different time zone than the users. The
server time zone should be the same as the time zone used by the majority of users, instead of
the physical location of the server. Blackboard Learn uses the server date and time to control the
availability of time-sensitive materials. It is important that users have a clear expectation of when
materials will be available and when assignments are due.
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 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.

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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.

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Configuring Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features

Before You Begin
Windows Server 2008 uses IIS 7. Before installation of Blackboard Learn 9.1, IIS 7 needs to be
configured with specific Role Services and other settings.
Blackboard recommends that you do not manually edit the
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\config\applicationHost.config file to configure these
options. This will result in errors that require a backup and restore of the last known good backup
of the IIS 7 configuration that was managed by the IIS.
If you manually backed up the applicationHost.config file, restoring this manual backup
and restarting IIS 7 will not fix errors generated by manually editing this file to configure IIS 7.
By default, IIS 7 will check every two minutes for changes to the configuration files and will
automatically create backups of them, maintaining a history of ten backups. Use the oldest of
these backups to restore IIS 7 to a working state.
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe list
backup%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe restore backup
"CFGHISTORY_0000000021"
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.
How to Configure Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features

1. Install the IIS 7 Role in Windows Server 2008 Server Manager and configure Role
Services:
a. Click Start, select Administrative Tools, and then select Server Manager.
b. Click Roles, and under the Roles Summary heading, click Add Roles.
c. From the list of displayed roles, select Web Server (IIS).
d. Click Next.
At a minimum, the following five (5) role services must be installed in addition to the
default role services:
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

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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

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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
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe
add backup "Blackboard Post-Change Backup"
7. Restart the IIS service.
a.
b.
From the left menu, click the plus sign next to Configuration and then click
Services.
c.
From the list of services, right-click World Wide Web Publishing Service and
select Restart.

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(Optional) Set Up Database Clustering and Storage

Setting up SQL Server Failover and setting up a separate storage device for the data files and log
files are optional steps. Many institutions, particularly Blackboard Learn Basic Edition clients,
will not need to set up SQL Server Failover or to set up the data files and log files on a separate
storage device.
Setting Up SQL Server Failover

Blackboard Learn can be run using database clustering for redundancy. Database clustering
instantly transfers database requests to an identical server if the database server fails.
Blackboard Learn is designed to work with Microsoft SQL Server Failover clusters. SQL Server
Failover provides added fault tolerance to the database by using another database in the cluster
in the case of an error that causes the production database to fail.
A SQL Server Failover cluster is based on the same design as a Windows cluster. A group of
servers are joined to provide continual service in the event of an outage or failure.
When SQL Server is forced to shut down, another server steps in to handle requests.
The process for setting up a Microsoft SQL Server failover cluster is done at the operating system
and database level before installing Blackboard Learn.
1. Set up the Microsoft server cluster.
2. Install SQL Server and configure the failover cluster.
3. Install Blackboard Learn.
The following is a list of tips for setting up SQL Server failover.
Use four public IP addresses: node 1, node 2, Windows cluster server, and virtual SQL
server.
The local disk of each node must be attached to a separate SCSI controller. It should not
use the same one that is attached to the RAID system.
The RAID SCSI controller IDs of the two nodes must be different.
RAID SCSI BIOS must be set up to enable cluster (shared bus).
The names of the network cards cannot contain spaces or special characters.
Do not use the default instance name for installing SQL server on a virtual server.
MSDTC service must be running before starting SQL server setup.
For more information about installing and configuring a Microsoft SQL Server failover cluster, see
Microsoft TechNet at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/. While Blackboard supports SQL Server
failover with Blackboard Learn, Microsoft is the best resource for information about installing and
configuring a Microsoft SQL Server failover cluster.
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.

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(Optional) Set Up File System Storage

Setting up file system storage on a separate storage device is an optional step for Blackboard
Learn - Enterprise Edition clients.
Note Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients must use the local default location of
c:\blackboard\content.
About File System Storage

All of the content files for Blackboard Learn, such as files uploaded to Courses and image files,
are stored by default in the blackboard\content directory. If the content management
capabilities have been licensed, the Content Collection has several content directories, each one
dedicated to one of the top-level directories. For example, the \library directory stores all the
files for the Library.
In a load-balanced configuration, this location must be accessible by all of the application servers.
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.
These instructions detail how to set up the blackboard\content directory on a separate file
server. The same methods can be repeated to set up the content management directories on a
separate file server. The use of a separate storage device requires additional configuration of the
Blackboard services to allow them to run under the permission of a domain user.
How to Set Up a Shared File System

Follow these steps to setup the blackboard\content directory on another server.
1. Log in to the file server as a domain user (for example, domain\blackboard) with
administrative privileges. This is the user that runs the Web/application server. That is,
this must be the user that logs in to the application server and owns control of the
Blackboard services. In this example, the domain user is "blackboard."
2. Create a directory to store Blackboard Learn content files. For example,
C:\bb_content.
3. Right-click on the bb_content directory and select Properties.
4. From the Sharing tab, click Advanced Sharing.
5. Select Share this folder.
6. Click Permissions. The Permissions for bb_content window displays.
7. Set Permissions so that the Administrators and the domain user who will be running the
Blackboard services, such as "blackboard," have full control. No other users should have
access to this directory.
8. After setting permissions, click the Security tab, and then click Edit.
9. Set Security so that the Administrators and the domain user who will be running the
10. Click OK.
11. When prompted by the Installer for the location of the blackboard\content directory,
type \\FILESERVER\bb_content.

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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.

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Complete the Pre-Installation Checklist

The installation checklist below and the installation worksheet should be completed before
installing Blackboard Learn on one or two servers. Completing both the checklist and the
worksheet prior to installation will help ensure a successful installation.
If Blackboard Learn will only be installed on one server, that machine must pass the checklist for
both the application server and the database server.
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.
Application Server Checklist

Review the following list to make sure that the application server is prepared for installation.
The machine is connected to the network and powered on.
The machine meets the minimum hardware requirements.
A supported version of the operating system is installed on the machine.
The supported version of the JDK is installed on the machine.
The supported version of IIS is installed. If a remote content directory will be used, a
domain user has been created and IIS security configured appropriately.
The machine is dedicated to Blackboard Learn and has no unnecessary software
installed.
The Administrator has a plan for managing log files.
The Administrator has a plan for backing up the application file system.
The DNS (Domain Name Server) is set to resolve the server name. Note that the server
name should not contain underscore characters. Some versions of Microsoft Internet
Explorer block cookies from machines with an underscore in the name.
If the database is running on a separate server, the SQL Server Client libraries are
installed on the application server.
Any firewalls are configured to allow access to Blackboard Learn ports. These ports are
defined when the Installer is run. It is not possible to use a firewall to redirect to a different
port. Blackboard Learn must be available to users on the ports specified during the
installation and not served through an alternate port.
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

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.
Database Server Checklist

Review the following list to make sure that the database server is prepared for installation.
Remember that if Blackboard Learn will only be installed on one server, the database server and
application server are configured on one machine.
A supported version of SQL Server was installed on the root directory with Mixed Mode
Security authentication using a local account.
If using a SQL Server failover cluster, make sure that the cluster is configured and SQL
Server is running properly.
The person installing Blackboard Learn knows the SQL Server Administrator password
and what instance of SQL Server will support Blackboard Learn.
installed.
SQL Server is running. If SQL Server was installed just prior to Blackboard Learn, restart
the database machine after installing SQL Server and prior to installing Blackboard Learn.
The database administrator has a plan for backing up the database and managing
database log files.
system.
If a database instance other than the default will be used, the instance name includes only
alphanumeric characters. Do not use punctuation or other characters, including
underscores.
Verify that the SQL Server Database job agent can be successfully started up before
installing or updating the database. (See SQL Server Agent Automatic Startup.) If the job
cannot be run, notify the Database Administrator so that it can be fixed before running the
Installer.

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Complete the Pre-Installation Worksheet

The installation worksheet helps identify all the information required by the Installer when
installing on one or two servers. Filling out the worksheet prior to installation will help the
installation process run smoothly.
The following information is needed by the Installer to complete the installation.
Blackboard Destination Directory: ___________________________________________
The path to a directory on the application server where Blackboard Learn will reside. The Installer
will create a directory called blackboard within this directory.
Setup Type: Select the Full Installation option to install Blackboard Learn on one or two servers.
This option is also used when installing Blackboard Learn on the database and first application
server in a Load-Balanced configuration.
License File: ___________________________________________
The path to the current license file for this release and your institution. If a current License File is
not available, contact your Blackboard Client Representative to request one. The License file
determines which capabilities, such as the Content Collection, are installed. The license file will
be detected automatically if it is renamed bb-license.xml and placed in the same directory as
the Installer.
Java Location: ___________________________________________
The path to the JDK.
Shared Content Directory: ___________________________________________
The path to the directory where the Blackboard Learn content files associated with Courses,
images uploaded to the system, and all other files added to the system will be stored. The default
location is c:\blackboard\content. 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 (networkattached storage) on a separate file server. For more information about using a separate file
server, see Set Up File System Storage for Windows.
Note
Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients must use the local default location.
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).

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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.

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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.

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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

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City: ___________________________________________
The state, province, or territory where the institution is located.
State: ___________________________________________
ZIP/Postal Code: ___________________________________________
The ZIP or Postal Code where the institution is located.
Country: ___________________________________________
The Country where the institution is located.

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Install the Blackboard Learn Application Server and Database

The Installer is launched from a command line prompt and may be run using the command line
interface or the graphical interface. The Installer presents a series of questions about the system.
In many cases, the Installer automatically detects the required settings and provides default
values.
Where to Find the Installer

To request a current license file for this release and your institution and instructions for
Before Running the Installer

Make sure that the system meets the supported software requirements and is properly configured
before running the Installer. To confirm that the system is ready for installation, see the PreInstallation Checklist.
The instructions below assume the following:
You are currently logged in as the domain user, such as "blackboard."
The Installer is run on a two server system. The instructions reference the application
server and the database server. When installing on one server, these machines are the
same.
The Installer is run using the graphical interface. The command line interface requires the
same inputs from the user. The only difference between the command line and the GUI
interface is navigation. The graphical interface uses mouse-clicks instead of keystrokes to
accept a value and continue. The command line places the default or anticipated value in
brackets. You may either enter a new value or simply press ENTER to select the value in
brackets.
The optional steps for installing the content management capabilities: These steps are
included for testing purposes. Blackboard recommends that the content management
capabilities be used only with Load-Balanced systems.
The user is logged in as the "domain user."
How to Run the Installer

1. Place both the Installer and the license file in a directory on the application server. The
Installer will automatically recognize the license file as long as it is named bblicense.xml and placed in the same directory as the Installer. The following steps use
C:\bb_installer as an example.
2. Double-click the Installer. Alternatively, open a command line prompt and navigate to the
directory that contains the Installer.
3. Run the following command to launch the Installer graphical interface:
C:\bb_installer>java jar installer_file
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.

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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
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.

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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
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.
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.
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

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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.
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
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.

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Install on Windows on a Load-Balanced

Configuration
The following section explains the required hardware, software, and necessary steps to properly
install Blackboard Learn on Windows in a load-balanced configuration. It also includes a section
on proper review of the installation and next steps in administration of the system.
7. Install the Blackboard Learn Software on Additional Application Servers
8. (Optional) Set Up a Clustered Tomcat Environment
9. (Optional) Set Up Collaboration Server
10. Set Up the Blackboard Services on Each Application Server
11. Set Up the Hardware Load Balancer

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Install on Windows on a Load-Balanced Configuration

A load-balanced configuration requires that the first application server and database server be
installed using the two server configuration model. After that, the Installer can be run again on
each additional application server to install only those components. Each additional
Web/application server must also meet the required prerequisites.
Make sure that the hardware, software, and network are prepared before beginning to configure
and install Blackboard Learn in a load-balanced environment.
Required Hardware
Required Software
Download and install the JDK on each application 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.
Dedicated File System Server

Set aside one server as a dedicated file system server. The content files must be centralized so
that all files are available to users regardless of the application server handling the connection.
The application servers are configured to find the content files in a directory on the file system
server.

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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.
Confirm NTFS File System

Blackboard Learn will work only with the NTFS file system. It will not work correctly if the
Windows file system is FAT32. Follow the steps below to confirm that the disk is using the NTFS
file system.
1. Double-click My Computer.
2. Right-click on the disk where Blackboard Learn will be installed.
3. Select Properties.
4. The File System field should show NTFS. If it shows FAT32, consult the operating system
documentation for instructions on converting the disk to a NTFS file system.
5. Repeat these steps on each application server, the database server, and the file system
server.
Confirm Windows Server 2003 Prerequisites

If using Windows Server 2003, the following requirements must be met before beginning:
Install the Windows 2003 Resource Kit and the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit on each application
server.
Download the Windows Resource Kit and the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit from Microsoft at
http://download.microsoft.com.

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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.

There is no Windows 2008 Resource Kit software package available from Microsoft for download
at this time. The resource kit exists primarily as documentation for the Windows 2008 release.
There is no IIS 7 Resource Kit software package available from Microsoft for download at this
time. The resource kit exists primarily as documentation for the Windows 2008 release.
SQL Server Client Tools needs to be installed on each application server.
Configure Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features

For more information, see Configuring Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features.
Create a Domain User

Create a domain user (for example, blackboard) that will have access to the application servers,
the file server, and the database server. This user must be part of the Administrators group
throughout the setup and installation. After this user is created, use it to log in to the servers.
Add the Domain User to the IIS_WPG Group

The domain user created in the steps above must be added to the IIS_IUSRS Group, where
domain_name is replaced with your Windows domain:
w32tm/monitor/domain:domain_name. If this association is not created, the website will not
display.
1. Log in as the domain user.
3. From the Server Manager, click Configuration, and then click the plus sign next to Local
Users and Groups to expand the folders.
4. Click Groups.
5. Right-click on IIS_IUSRS.
6. Select Add to Group from the drop-down list.
7. Click Add.
8. Enter the domain user blackboard.
9. Click OK.
10. If asked to enter the username and password for that account, do so, and then click OK.

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Set Up IIS Security

The domain user created in the steps above must be added to IIS security. Follow these steps to
configure IIS on each application server.
1. Log in as the domain user (for example, domain\blackboard) on the first application
server.
3. From the Server Manager, click Roles, click Web Server (IIS) and then click Internet
4. Stop the Default Web Site by expanding Sites, right-clicking on Default Web Site,
selecting Manage Web Site, and then selecting Stop.
5. Configure Directory Security by clicking the Features View button at the bottom of the
page and then double-clicking Authentication.
6. Right-click on Anonymous Authentication and select Edit. IUSR should appear in the
specific user field.
7. Configure the Application Pool by clicking Application Pools.
8. Right-click DefaultAppPool and select Advanced Settings.
9. Under the Process Model heading, in the Identity /NetworkService cell, click the ...
(ellipses) button.
10. Select Custom account and then click Set.
11. Enter the domain user name and password and then click OK.
12. Restart IIS so that the changes will take effect.
13. Repeat these steps for each application server.
Configure SQL Server Agent Automatic Startup

The SQL Server Agent must be running and set to Automatic startup for Blackboard Learn where
%INSTANCE% is the name of the database instance (blank for a default instance).
2. From the Server Manager, click Configuration and then click Services.
3. Right-click SQL Server Agent (instance) and select Properties.
4. From the Startup type drop-down list, select Automatic.
5. Click OK.

correctly. Check that the time on the application server and database server match. Remember
that the servers may be in a different time zone than users. Blackboard Learn uses the server
date and time to control the availability of time-sensitive materials. It is important that users have
a clear expectation of when materials will be available and when assignments are due.

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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.
the server.
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!
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.
An SMTP server is available so that the Installer can connect to it.
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.

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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.

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Before You Begin
Windows Server 2008 uses IIS 7. Before installation of Blackboard Learn 9.1, IIS 7 needs to be
configured with specific Role Services and other settings.
Blackboard recommends that you do not manually edit the
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\config\applicationHost.config file to configure these
options. This will result in errors that require a backup and restore of the last known good backup
of the IIS 7 configuration that was managed by the IIS.
If you manually backed up the applicationHost.config file, restoring this manual backup
and restarting IIS 7 will not fix errors generated by manually editing this file to configure IIS 7.
By default, IIS 7 will check every two minutes for changes to the configuration files and will
automatically create backups of them, maintaining a history of ten backups. Use the oldest of
these backups to restore IIS 7 to a working state.
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe list
backup%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe restore backup
"CFGHISTORY_0000000021"
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.
How to Configure Windows Server 2008 IIS 7 Roles and Features

1. Install the IIS 7 Role in Windows Server 2008 Server Manager and configure Role
Services:
b. Click Roles, and under the Roles Summary heading, click Add Roles.
c. From the list of displayed roles, select Web Server (IIS).
d. Click Next.
At a minimum, the following five (5) role services must be installed in addition to the
default role services:
Role Services > Web Server > Application Development > ISAPI Extensions
Role Services > Web Server > Application Development > ISAPI Filters
Metabase Compatibility
Role Services > Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Compatibility > IIS 6 WMI
Compatibility

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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:
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
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.
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe add backup "Blackboard Pre-Change"

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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
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe add backup "Blackboard PostChange Backup"

7. Restart the IIS service.
a.
b.
From the left menu, click the plus sign next to Configuration and then click
Services.
c.
From the list of services, right-click World Wide Web Publishing Service and
select Restart.

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Setting up SQL Server Failover and setting up a separate storage device for the data files and log
files are optional steps. Many institutions, particularly Blackboard Learn Basic Edition clients,
will not need to set up SQL Server Failover or to set up the data files and log files on a separate
storage device.
Setting Up SQL Server Failover

Blackboard Learn can be run using database clustering for redundancy. Database clustering
instantly transfers database requests to an identical server if the database server fails.
Blackboard Learn is designed to work with Microsoft SQL Server Failover clusters. SQL Server
Failover provides added fault tolerance to the database by using another database in the cluster
in the case of an error that causes the production database to fail.
A SQL Server Failover cluster is based on the same design as a Windows cluster. A group of
servers are joined to provide continual service in the event of an outage or failure.
When SQL Server is forced to shut down, another server steps in to handle requests.
The process for setting up a Microsoft SQL Server failover cluster is done at the operating system
and database level before installing Blackboard Learn.
1. Set up the Microsoft server cluster.
2. Install SQL Server and configure the failover cluster.
3. Install Blackboard Learn.
The following is a list of tips for setting up SQL Server failover.
Use four public IP addresses: node 1, node 2, Windows cluster server, and virtual SQL
server.
The local disk of each node must be attached to a separate SCSI controller. It should not
use the same one that is attached to the RAID system.
The RAID SCSI controller IDs of the two nodes must be different.
RAID SCSI BIOS must be set up to enable cluster (shared bus).
The names of the network cards cannot contain spaces or special characters.
Do not use the default instance name for installing SQL server on a virtual server.
MSDTC service must be running before starting SQL server setup.
For more information about installing and configuring a Microsoft SQL Server failover cluster, see
Microsoft TechNet at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/. While Blackboard supports SQL Server
failover with Blackboard Learn, Microsoft is the best resource for information about installing and
configuring a Microsoft SQL Server failover cluster.
Setting Up a Separate Storage Device for the Data Files and Log Files
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.

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c:\blackboard\content.

are stored by default in the blackboard\content directory. If the content management
capabilities have been licensed, the Content Collection has several content directories, each one
dedicated to one of the top-level directories. For example, the \library directory stores all the
files for the Library.
These instructions detail how to set up the blackboard\content directory on a separate file
separate file server. The use of a separate storage device requires additional configuration of the
Blackboard services to allow them to run under the permission of a domain user.
How to Set Up a Shared File System

Follow these steps to setup the blackboard\content directory on another server.
1. Log in to the file server as a domain user (for example, domain\blackboard) with
administrative privileges. This is the user that runs the Web/application server. That is,
this must be the user that logs in to the application server and owns control of the
Blackboard services. In this example, the domain user is "blackboard."
2. Create a directory to store Blackboard Learn content files. For example,
C:\bb_content.
3. Right-click on the bb_content directory and select Properties.
4. From the Sharing tab, click Advanced Sharing.
5. Select Share this folder.
6. Click Permissions. The Permissions for bb_content window displays.
7. Set Permissions so that the Administrators and the domain user who will be running the
8. After setting permissions, click the Security tab, and then click Edit.
9. Set Security so that the Administrators and the domain user who will be running the
10. Click OK.
11. When prompted by the Installer for the location of the blackboard\content directory,
type \\FILESERVER\bb_content.

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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.

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The installation checklist below and the installation worksheet should be completed before
installing Blackboard Learn in a load-balanced configuration. Completing both the checklist and
the worksheet prior to installation will help ensure a successful installation.
Blackboard Basics
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 Administrator has contact information for Blackboard Technical Support and a login
for Behind the Blackboard at https://behind.blackboard.com.
Application Servers Checklist

Review the following list to make sure that each application server is prepared for installation.
The supported version of the JDK is installed on the machine.
The supported version of IIS is installed. If a remote content directory will be used, a
domain user has been created and IIS security configured appropriately.
installed.
The DNS (Domain Name Server) is set to resolve the name of the load balancer. Note
that the load balancer name should not contain underscore characters. Some versions of
Microsoft Internet Explorer block cookies from machines with an underscore in the name.
Blackboard Learn application servers must be part of the Windows domain. An alternate
scenario involves the DNS service may be enabled on Blackboard Learn application
server with a forward lookup record created for it on the application server.
If the database is running on a separate server, the SQL Server Client libraries are
installed on the application server.
Blackboard Learn connects to the SQL Server instance over TCP/IP. The SQL Server
network utility must be used to enable the TCP/IP protocol before installation. Blackboard
recommends use of the Named Pipes protocol.

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system.
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.

Review the following list to make sure that the database server is prepared for installation:
A supported version of SQL Server was installed on the root directory with Mixed Mode
Security authentication using a local account.
If using a SQL Server failover cluster, the cluster is configured and SQL Server is running
properly.
The person installing Blackboard Learn knows the SQL Server Administrator password
and what instance of SQL Server will support Blackboard Learn.
installed.
SQL Server is running. If SQL Server was installed just prior to Blackboard Learn, restart
the database machine after installing SQL Server and prior to installing Blackboard Learn.
database log files.
The file system is set to NTFS. Blackboard Learn will not work with a FAT32 file system.
If a database instance other than the default will be used, the instance name includes only
alphanumeric characters. Do not use punctuation or other characters, including
underscores.
Verify that the SQL Server Database job agent can be successfully started up before
installing or updating the database. For more information, see SQL Server Agent
Automatic Startup. If the job cannot be run, notify the Database Administrator so that it
can be fixed before running the Installer.

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(Optional) File System Server Checklist

If file system storage will be set up on a separate storage device, review the following list to make
sure that the file system server is prepared for installation.
A directory to store the Blackboard content is configured and shared. Another directory for
content management content (available only if the content management capabilities have
been licensed) is configured and shared, if desired.
The domain user that will run the application services has full access to the shared
directories.
(Optional) Collaboration Server Checklist

If the Collaboration server will be set up on a Separate Device, make sure that the Collaboration
server uses a different DNS name than that of the application servers.

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The installation worksheet helps identify all of the information required by the Installer when
installing in a load-balanced configuration. Filling out the worksheet prior to installation will help
the installation process run smoothly.
Note Most of the values asked for by the Installer must be the same for each application server
and the Collaboration server. All ports and settings that point to the database server,
Collaboration server, and file system server must be the same for all.
The path to a directory on the application server where Blackboard Learn will reside. Note that
the Installer will create a directory called blackboard within this directory.
Setup Type: Select one of the following options:
Full Installation: Select this option to install the database and the first application server.
Appserver-only Installation Select this option when installing the second and all
subsequent application servers or when setting up the Collaboration server on a separate
device.
License File: ___________________________________________
The path to the current license file for this release and your institution. If a current License File is
not available, contact your Blackboard Client Representative to request one. The License file
determines which capabilities, such as the Content Collection, are installed. The license file will
be detected automatically if it is renamed bb-license.xml and placed in the same directory as
the Installer.
Java Location: ___________________________________________
location is c:\blackboard\content. 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 (networkattached 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.
Note

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.

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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).
(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.
The port that the application engine uses. The default value is 8009.
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.
The password for the Database Report User. This is a SQL Server user that Blackboard Learn
uses.
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.

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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.
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.
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.
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
The path to the content management /library directory. This directory will store all of the files
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.
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.
TCP/IP is the preferred communication method for the Collaboration Server. The default port is
8010.
HTTP communication is used to connect users to the Collaboration Server is TCP/IP

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SMTP Server: ___________________________________________

The full hostname of the SMTP server that Blackboard Learn will use to send email. For example:
smtp.blackboard.com. The parameter
Password
Profile page.
Institution Type: choose from one of the following options
K-12
Higher Education
Corporate
Hobby

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City: ___________________________________________
State: ___________________________________________
ZIP/Postal Code: ___________________________________________
Country: ___________________________________________

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The Installer is launched from a command line prompt and may be run using the command line
interface or the graphical interface. The Installer presents a series of questions about the system.
In many cases, the Installer automatically detects the required settings and provides default
values.


before running the Installer. To confirm that the system is ready for installation, see the PreInstallation Checklist.
You are currently logged in as the domain user, such as "blackboard."
The Installer is run on a two server system. The instructions reference the application
same.
The Installer is run using the graphical interface. The command line interface requires the
same inputs from the user. The only difference between the command line and the GUI
interface is navigation. The graphical interface uses mouse-clicks instead of keystrokes to
accept a value and continue. The command line places the default or anticipated value in
brackets. You may either enter a new value or simply press ENTER to select the value in
brackets.
The user is logged in as the "domain user."

Installer will automatically recognize the license file as long as it is named bblicense.xml and placed in the same directory as the Installer. The following steps use
C:\bb_installer as an example.
2. Double-click the Installer. Alternatively, open a command line prompt and navigate to the
directory that contains the Installer.
3. Run the following command to launch the Installer graphical interface:
C:\bb_installer>java jar installer_file
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.

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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.
file server, see Set Up File System Storage. To accept the default value of
c:\blackboard\content, press ENTER.
Note
server it runs on and uses that to populate the default value.
populates the default value.
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.
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.
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.

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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
25. Provide the location where the database log files (.ldf) will be stored. This directory
C:\blackboard\mssql\data\. Click Next to accept the default or click Browse to provide a
new value and then 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.
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.
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.
account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration
Password.
36. Provide the Blackboard root administrator password.The root_admin account has full

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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.
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
40. Select the Server Type. This is information is used for better management of centralized
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.

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Install the Blackboard Learn on Additional Application Servers

The Installer must be run multiple times to set up each application server. After the first
application server and the database have been installed using the Full Installation option, run the
installer again using the Appserver-only Installation option to install the rest of the application
servers and the optional Collaboration server.
The Installer will prompt for the same information as a Full Installation. Instead of creating the
database, however, the Installer will attempt to connect to the database.
When executing the Installer on the additional application servers, pay close attention to the
values of the ports and host names. Be sure that the hostname for the Web server matches the
load-balanced URL and is not set to the name of the individual server. Be sure that the
Collaboration tool (virtual chat, virtual classroom) ports are set properly. Remember that the
following settings must be the same across all application servers (and the Collaboration server):
Application Server Port Number
Web Server Port Number
Database Machine Name
Database Domain Name
SQL Server Instance Name
SQL Server Database Administrator Password
Blackboard Database User Password
Blackboard Database Report User Password
CMS Database User Password
Database Data Files Directory
Database Log Files Directory
Content Directory
Content Management Directories
Collaboration server Machine Name
Collaboration server http Port
Collaboration server TCP/IP Port
Administrator Password
root_admin Password
Integration Password
Administrator and Institution Details
When the installation is complete, each application server can be accessed individually and
tested separately. Complete tests should also be run from the load-balanced URL.

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(Optional) Set Up a Clustered Tomcat Environment

Tomcat clustering was introduced for scalability purposes when the Blackboard Learn
architecture was 32-bit and customers wanted the ability to increase their memory usage on a
single server. With the option to virtualize on both 32-bit and 64-bit, Blackboards benchmarking
efforts have moved away from Tomcat cluster deployments.
Customers can achieve similar performance in a virtual environment on the same physical server
with multiple virtual instances as with a bare metal configuration with many Tomcat cluster
instances. The difference in configurations is a smaller demand on the Apache or IIS web server
fronting the Tomcat instance(s). The option to deploy a 64-bit JVM with larger heap sizes has
suppressed the need for customers to run in a cluster option.
Blackboard recommends that customers consider a deployment approach consisting of larger 64bit JVMs that are distributed across physical servers with the option to virtualize the hardware to
take advantage of the CPU and Memory capacity of these systems.
However, new installations can optionally be configured to use a clustered Tomcat environment.
Existing clustered Tomcat environments performing an upgrade must use the following steps.
How to Set Up an Optional Clustered Tomcat Environment

1. Go to blackboard_home\config.
2. Open the bb-config.properties file.
3. Search for the bbconfig.tomcat.cluster.enable variable.
4. Change the default value from FALSE to TRUE.
5. Go to blackboard_home\tools\admin.
6. Launch the Push Config Updates script by running the PushConfigUpdates.bat file.
7. Create a new ServerGroup in Blackboard Learn
a. Go to blackboard_home\tools\admin.
b. Create a ServerGroup with a specified port number by running the following
command:
ServerGroupManager.bat -c -n new_group_name -p new_port_number
8. Launch the Install Cluster script by running the InstallCluster.bat file. After running
the file, you will be prompted for the following information:
a. Cluster ID: Provide a unique ID, such as node1 or node2. It should not be a
cluster ID that is already assigned.
b. 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.
c. JK Connector port: The default is 8009. Add 1000 to the default to make it
9009.
d. Cluster Listener port: The default is 4000. Add 1000 to the default to make it
5000.
The cluster is now created.
9. Stop your server by running ServiceController.bat services.stop.

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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.
How to Remove a Tomcat Cluster

1. Go to blackboard_home\tools\admin.
2. Stop your server by running ServiceController.bat services.stop.
3. Launch the Remove Cluster script by running RemoveCluster.bat.
4. Specify the cluster to be deleted, when prompted.

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(Optional) Set Up a Collaboration Server

The separate collaboration server is optional because one of the application servers can be used
as the Collaboration server.
Complete the following steps to configure a separate Collaboration server.
1. Install an additional application server on a machine that is not configured as part of the
load-balanced server environment. This application server must have a hostname
separate from the multiple Web/app configuration host name. Finally, the Collaboration
server should be resolvable in the DNS so that it is accessible from the Internet.
2. For each application server, set the following property in the bb-config.properties
file to prevent the Collaboration server from running on the local host:
bbconfig.Collaborationserver.run.on.localhost=false
3. Run the following command:

blackboard\tools\admin\PushConfigUpdates.cmd
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.

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Set Up the Blackboard Services on Each Application Server

The Blackboard services on each application server must be configured to run with permissions
of the 'domain user' to properly access shared resources.
Follow these steps to modify the IIS and Blackboard services on each application server.
1. Log on to the first application server as the domain user with administrative privileges.
3. Front the Server Manager, click Configuration, and then double-click Services.
4. Open Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Services.
5. Configure the Blackboard Collaboration Service by right clicking BBLEARN-Collab,
and then selecting Properties.
6. Click the Log on tab.
7. Select This account.
8. Browse to and select the domain user.
9. Enter and confirm the password for the domain user.
10. Click OK.
11. Configure the Blackboard Learn Tomcat service by right-clicking BBLEARN-Tomcat, and
then selecting Properties.
12. Click the Log on tab.
13. Select This account.
14. Browse to and select the domain user.
15. Enter and confirm the password for the domain user.
16. Click OK.
17. Repeat these steps for each application server.
Note When setting up services and using a domain user, go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/enus/library/ms143504.aspx. If services are not correctly associated to a domain user, it is possible
that the service or services will not start when the server is started.
When PushConfigUpdates is run to modify configuration parameters, the above changes to the
services will need to be re-applied. To avoid this extra step, add the domain user and password
to the Blackboard configuration file, bb-config.properties.
The following parameters can be configured with the username (account) and password of the
domain user. These are found in the windows - platform configuration section of bbconfig.properties:
bbconfig.appserver.service.account.win
bbconfig.appserver.service.password.win
bbconfig.Collaborationserver.service.account.win
bbconfig.Collaborationserver.service.password.win

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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.

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Set Up the Hardware Load Balancer

The hardware load balancer should be set up according to the instructions included with the load
balancer.
When setting up a hardware load balancer, it is important that each application server maintains
user session affinity for the entire of the session. Session affinity must be based on the user's
cookie. In other words, after a user logs in and a session is created on a particular application
server, that server must handle all requests associated with that session until it is closed.
Test the System

Test the system by going to a workstation other than any of the Blackboard servers. Open a Web
browser and go the URL of the shared hostname configured during load balancing setup.

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Troubleshooting Windows Installation

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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.

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Pages Will Not Load
Pages Will Not Load

If certain pages in Blackboard Learn will not open or take too long to load, do the following to
resolve this issue:
Modify the Windows registry and add the following keys:
1. Click Start > Run > regedit.
2. Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Paramet
ers.
3. Add the following two values:
TcpTimedWaitDelay=dword:0000001e
MaxUserPort=dword:0000fde8
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.

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Pages Will Not Load
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.

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Installation Failure Due to Strict Password Requirements (SQL Server)
Installation Failure Due to Strict Password Requirements (SQL

Server)
For an installation with SQL Server, the installation may fail because of the strict parameters for
password requirements. The user will receive the following message:
Password validation failed. The password does not meet Windows policy
requirements because it is too short.
To override or reset the password requirements, complete the following steps:
1. Create a text file mycustom.properties and add the following line to it (substitute the
right value):
bbconfig.database.jreport.password=pAssw0rd
2. Run the Installer as follows (text in caps should be filled in as appropriately):

java -jar bb-as-PLATFORM-VERSION.jar -config mycustom.properties

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Blackboard Support Site and Knowledge Base

The Blackboard Knowledge Base, which is accessible through Behind the Blackboard at
https://behind.blackboard.com, includes several articles that may address your problem. If a login
for Behind the Blackboard is unavailable, please contact a Blackboard Account Manager.

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Contact Blackboard Technical Support

For information about contacting Blackboard Technical Support, log in to Behind the Blackboard
at https://behind.blackboard.com.

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install Blackboard Learn on one or two UNIX servers. It also includes a section on proper review
of the installation and next steps in administration of the system.
2. Configure Oracle 10g
The Oracle media and initiation must be installed and configured manually. Blackboard
Learn - Basic Edition clients must install Small-Scale Oracle, which is provided by
Blackboard, instead of Oracle 10g. For more information, see the Small-Scale Oracle
topics in Blackboard Learn Help.
7. Install the Blackboard Learn Application Server and Database Server

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This section reviews the configuration steps necessary before installing Blackboard Learn.
Required Hardware
systems.
Required Software
Create a UNIX User for Blackboard Learn

The Installer requires a user with permissions on the directory where Blackboard Learn will be
installed. The UNIX user must be created prior to installation with the following parameters.
The user name must be bbuser.
bbuser must have a valid home directory. Blackboard recommends using /home/bbuser
for Linux operating systems and /export/home/bbuser for Sun Solaris operating
systems.

correctly. If installing on two servers check that the time on the application server and database
server match. Remember that the servers may be in a different time zone than the users. The
server time zone should be the same as the time zone used by the majority of users, instead of
the physical location of the server. Blackboard Learn uses the server date and time to control the

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Ports
communication on the required ports.
the server.
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!
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.
An SMTP server must be available so that the Installer can connect to it.

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Configure Oracle 10g

The Blackboard Learn Installer will not install the Oracle media and initial database for the
Blackboard schema by default. System administrators should follow the instructions provided by
Oracle for installing the Oracle media and database.
After the Oracle media and database are installed, configuration changes will need to be made to
the Oracle instance before installing Blackboard Learn.
Oracle has made many changes in Release 10g to simplify administration responsibilities and
improve sophistication of use.
For more information about configuring Oracle in a Blackboard Learn environment to achieve the
best performance possible, see the Oracle topics in the Optimization section in Blackboard Learn
Help.
Oracle 10g (Release 2) Compatibility

Prior to Oracle 10g (Release 2), the CONNECT role was granted eight privileges: create
session, create table, create view, create synonym, create database link,
create cluster, create sequence, and alter session. With the release of Oracle
10.2.0.1, only the create session privilege is granted to the CONNECT role. Oracle removed
the additional privileges granted to the CONNECT role in Oracle 10g (Release 2) to provide
additional security by enforcing a principle of least privileges.
Standard installations and upgrades require the CONNECT role to have the create session,
create table, create view, create synonym, create sequence, and alter
session privileges. Clustered installations and upgrades additionally require the CONNECT role
to have the create cluster privilege. The following script will grant all eight privileges for
installations and upgrades of Blackboard Learn on Oracle 10g (Release 2). The privileges are
only required during the installation or upgrade, and may be revoked at the time of completion.
sqlplus "/as sysdba"
SQL> @$ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/rstrconn.sql
SQL> commit; SQL> exit
Database Block Size

The parameter DB_BLOCK_SIZE specifies (in bytes) the size of the Oracle database blocks. This
parameter must be set to 8192. Prior installations may have been set to 4096, and must be
changed to 8192. Failure to set the Oracle database block size 8192 can cause an incorrect
installation of Blackboard Learn.

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Confirm AL16UTF16 Character Set

The national alternate character set value for Oracle is AL16UTF16 (also referred to as UTF16).
Administrators using Oracle should confirm that the national alternate character set is
AL16UTF16 before installing Blackboard Learn. The National Character Set value can be
determined by querying the v$ table using the following SQL command:
$ sqlplus / as sysdba
SQL> select parameter, value from v$nls_parameters where parameter
= NLS_NCHAR_CHARACTERSET;
PARAMETER
Value
---------------------------------------------
-----------
NLS_NCHAR_CHARACTERSET
AL16UTF16

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These steps are optional. Many institutions will have no need to set up RAC or to set up the data
files and index files on a separate storage device. If these options are unnecessary, proceed to
the instructions for setting up a separate file system server.
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
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.

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(Optional) Set Up File System Storage for UNIX
(Optional) Set Up File System Storage for UNIX

/usr/local/blackboard/content.

are stored in the blackboard/content directory. If the content management capabilities have been
licensed, the Content Collection has several content directories, each one dedicated to one of the
top-level directories. For example, the /library directory stores all the files for the Library.
These instructions detail how to set up the blackboard/content directory on a separate file
separate file server.
How to Set Up Shared File System

Follow these steps to setup the blackboard/content directory on another server.
1. Log in to the file system server and create a directory that will store the content files.
2. Log in to the application server and create a mount at
usr/local/blackboard/content that points directly to the content directory on the
file system server. Using a symbolic link may cause problems with permissions when
using building blocks.

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The installation checklist and the installation worksheet should be completed before installing
Blackboard Learn on one or two servers. Completing both the checklist and the worksheet prior to
installation will help ensure a successful installation.
If Blackboard Learn will be installed on only one server, the server must pass the checklist for
both the application server and the database server.
Blackboard Basics
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.

Review the following list to make sure that the application server is prepared for installation.
The supported version of JDK is installed on the machine.
installed.
The DNS (Domain Name Server) is set to resolve the server name. Note that the server
name should not contain underscore characters. Some versions of Microsoft Internet
Explorer 6 block cookies from machines with an underscore in the name.
The server clock is synchronized with the other server or 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
time-sensitive content.
A bbuser account has been created.

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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.

Remember that if a one server configuration is used the database server and application server
are configured on one machine.
A supported operating system is installed on the machine.
installed.
database log files.
A supported version of Oracle is installed on the machine. Blackboard Learn - Basic
Edition users must install Small-Scale Oracle, which is provided by Blackboard. For more
information, see the Small-Scale Oracle topics in Blackboard Learn Help. Other
Blackboard Learn users must install a supported, full version of Oracle obtained
separately.
The database has been created with the necessary initialization parameters.
Oracle Listener and the Oracle database are running.
The national (alternate) database character set is AL16UTF16.

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Complete the Pre-Installation Worksheet for UNIX

The installation worksheet helps identify all of the information required by Installer when installing
on one or two servers. Filling out the worksheet prior to installation will help the installation
process run smoothly.
Setup Type: Select the Full Installation option to install Blackboard Learn on one or two servers.
This option is also used when installing Blackboard Learn on the database and first application
server in a Load-Balanced configuration.
License File: ___________________________________________
The path to the License File. If a License File is not available, contact your Blackboard Client
Representative to request one. The License file determines which capabilities are installed. The
license file will be detected automatically if it is renamed bb-license.xml and placed in the
same directory as the Installer.
Java Location: ___________________________________________
location is /usr/local/blackboard/content. 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. For more information about using a
separate file server, see Set Up File System Storage.
Note

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.
(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.
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.

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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.
A password for an Oracle user that Blackboard Learn creates at install. This account is also used
by the application to access the database.
The password for the Database Report User. This is an Oracle user that Blackboard Learn uses
to access the reporting database.
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.
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.

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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.
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.
Enter the path to the content management /library directory. This directory will store all of the files
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: ___________________________________________
under the /users heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities is
licensed.
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.
8010.

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SMTP Server: ___________________________________________

The full hostname (example: smtp.blackboard.com) of the SMTP server that Blackboard Learn
will use to send emails. The parameter
email address should be set to a valid campus address that has no recipients. Failure to use a
Password.
Profile page.
K-12
Higher Education
Corporate
Hobby

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City: ___________________________________________
State: ___________________________________________
ZIP/Postal Code: ___________________________________________
Country: ___________________________________________

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Install the Blackboard Learn Application Server and Database Server

Server
The Installer is launched from a command line prompt and may be run in command-line mode or
GUI mode. The Installer presents a series of questions about the system. In many cases, the
Installer automatically detects the required settings and provides default values. This topic also
includes detailed information about the values required at each Installer prompt.


before running the Installer. To confirm that the system is ready for installation, see PreInstallation Checklist.
Blackboard Learn must be installed as root. Service startup and shutdown must also be
performed as root.
The Installer is run on a two-server system: The instructions reference the application
same.
The Installer is run using the command-line interface: The GUI Installer requires the same
inputs from the user. The only difference between the command-line and the GUI
interface is navigation. The GUI interface uses mouse-clicks instead of using keystrokes
to accept a value and continue. The command line places the default or anticipated value
in brackets. You may either enter a new value or simply press ENTER to select the value
in brackets.

Follow the steps below to run the Installer on UNIX:
Installer will automatically recognize the license file if it is renamed bb-license.xml
and placed in the same directory as the Installer. The following steps use
/usr/local/bbinstaller/ as an example.
2. Open a command-line prompt and navigate to the directory that contains the Installer.
3. Execute the root user login profile:
./su -root
4. Run the following command to launch the Installer:

/usr/local/bbinstaller/java -jar bb-installer.jar

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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.
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.
/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.
/usr/local/blackboard/content, press ENTER.
Note
server it runs on and uses that to populate the default. Press ENTER to accept the
default.
populates the default. Press ENTER to accept the default.
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
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.

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18. Provide the Oracle sys database administrator password. Provide a value and then press
ENTER.
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.
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
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.
account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password.
Provide a value and then press ENTER.

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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
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.

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Configuration
install Blackboard Learn on UNIX on a load-balanced configuration. It also includes a section on
proper review of the installation and next steps in administration of the system.
2. Configure Oracle 10g
The Oracle media and initiation must be installed and configured manually. Blackboard
Learn - Basic Edition clients must install Small-Scale Oracle, which is provided by
Blackboard, instead of Oracle 10g. For more information, contact Blackboard Learn
Technical Support by logging in to Behind the Blackboard at
https://behind.blackboard.com.
8. Install the Blackboard Learn Software on Additional Application Servers
9. (Optional) Set Up a Clustered Tomcat Environment
10. (Optional) Install the Separate Collaboration Server
11. Set Up the Hardware Load Balancer

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Install on UNIX in a Load-Balanced Configuration

A load-balanced configuration requires that the first application server and database server be
installed using the two server configuration model. After that, the Installer can be run again on
each additional application server to install only those components. Each additional
Web/application server must also meet the required prerequisites.
Make sure that the hardware, software, and network are prepared before beginning to configure
and install Blackboard Learn in a load-balanced environment.
Required 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.
systems.
Required Software
Download and install the JDK on each application 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.
Dedicated File System Server

Set aside one server as a dedicated file system server. The content files must be centralized so
that all files are available to users regardless of the application server handling the connection.
The application servers are configured to find the content files in a directory on the file system
server.

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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).
Create a UNIX User for Blackboard Learn

The Installer requires a user with permissions on the directory where Blackboard Learn will be
installed. The UNIX user must be created prior to installation with the following parameters.
The user name must be bbuser.
bbuser must have a valid home directory. Blackboard recommends using /home/bbuser
for Linux operating systems and /export/home/bbuser for Sun Solaris operating
systems.

correctly. If installing on two servers check that the time on the application server and database
server match. Remember that the servers may be in a different time zone than users. The server
time zone should be the same as the time zone used by the majority of users, instead of the
physical location of the server. Blackboard Learn uses the server date and time to control the
Ports
communication on the required ports. The port values must be the same for each application
server.
the server.
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.

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WARNING!
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.
An SMTP server must be available so that the Installer can connect to it.

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The Blackboard Learn Installer will not install the Oracle media and initial database for the
Blackboard schema by default. System administrators should follow the instructions provided by
Oracle for installing the Oracle media and database.
After the Oracle media and database are installed, configuration changes will need to be made to
the Oracle instance before installing Blackboard Learn.
Oracle has made many changes in Release 10g to simplify administration responsibilities and
improve sophistication of use.
For more information about configuring Oracle in a Blackboard Learn environment to achieve the
best performance possible, see the Oracle topics in the Optimization section in Blackboard Learn
Help.
Oracle 10g (Release 2) Compatibility

Prior to Oracle 10g (Release 2), the CONNECT role was granted eight privileges: create
session, create table, create view, create synonym, create database link,
create cluster, create sequence, and alter session. With the release of Oracle
10.2.0.1, only the create session privilege is granted to the CONNECT role. Oracle removed
the additional privileges granted to the CONNECT role in Oracle 10g (Release 2) to provide
additional security by enforcing a principle of least privileges.
Standard installations and upgrades require the CONNECT role to have the create session,
create table, create view, create synonym, create sequence, and alter
session privileges. Clustered installations and upgrades additionally require the CONNECT role
to have the create cluster privilege. The following script will grant all eight privileges for
installations and upgrades of Blackboard Learn on Oracle 10g (Release 2). The privileges are
only required during the installation or upgrade, and may be revoked at the time of completion.
sqlplus "/as sysdba"
SQL> @$ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/rstrconn.sql
SQL> commit; SQL> exit
Database Block Size

The parameter DB_BLOCK_SIZE specifies (in bytes) the size of the Oracle database blocks. This
parameter must be set to 8192. Prior installations may have been set to 4096, and must be
changed to 8192. Failure to set the Oracle database block size 8192 can cause an incorrect
installation of Blackboard Learn.

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Confirm AL16UTF16 Character Set

The national alternate character set value for Oracle is AL16UTF16 (also referred to as UTF16).
Administrators using Oracle should confirm that the national alternate character set is
AL16UTF16 before installing Blackboard Learn. The National Character Set value can be
determined by querying the v$ table using the following SQL command:
$ sqlplus / as sysdba
SQL> select parameter, value from v$nls_parameters where parameter
= NLS_NCHAR_CHARACTERSET;
PARAMETER
Value
---------------------------------------------
-----------
NLS_NCHAR_CHARACTERSET
AL16UTF16

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These steps are optional. Many institutions will have no need to set up RAC or to set up the data
files and index files on a separate storage device. If these options are unnecessary, proceed to
the instructions for setting up a separate file system server.
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
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.

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/usr/local/blackboard/content.

are stored in the blackboard/content directory. If the content management capabilities have been
licensed, the Content Collection has several content directories, each one dedicated to one of the
top-level directories. For example, the /library directory stores all the files for the Library.
These instructions detail how to set up the blackboard/content directory on a separate file
separate file server.
How to Set Up Shared File System

Follow these steps to setup the blackboard/content directory on another server.
1. Log in to the file system server and create a directory that will store the content files.
2. Log in to the application server and create a mount at
usr/local/blackboard/content that points directly to the content directory on the
file system server. Using a symbolic link may cause problems with permissions when
using building blocks.

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The installation checklist and the installation worksheet should be completed before installing
Blackboard Learn. Completing both the checklist and the worksheet prior to installation will help
ensure a successful installation.
Blackboard Basics
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.

Review the following list to make sure that each application server is prepared for installation.
The supported version of JDK is installed on the machine.
installed.
The DNS (Domain Name Server) is set to resolve the name of the load-balancer.
A bbuser account has been created.
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.

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File System Server Checklist

Review the following list to make sure that the file system server is prepared for installation.
A directory to store the Blackboard content is configured and shared. Another directory for
the content management content (available only if the content management capabilities
have been licensed) is configured and shared, if desired.
The domain user that will run the application services has full access to the shared
directories.
Collaboration Server Checklist

Review the following list to make sure that the Collaboration server is prepared for installation.
The Collaboration server uses a different DNS name than that of the application servers.

Remember that if a one server configuration is used, the database server and application server
are configured on one machine.
A supported operating system is installed on the machine.
installed.
database log files.
A supported version of Oracle is installed on the machine. Blackboard Learn - Basic
Edition users must install Small-Scale Oracle, which is provided by Blackboard. For more
information, contact Blackboard Learn Support. Other Blackboard Learn users must install
a supported, full version of Oracle obtained separately.
The database has been created with the necessary initialization parameters.
Oracle Listener and the Oracle database are running.
The national (alternate) database character set is AL16UTF16.

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The installation worksheet helps identify all of the information required by the Installer. Filling out
the worksheet prior to installation will help the installation process run smoothly.
Note Most of the values required by the Installer must be the same for each application server
and for the Collaboration server. All ports and settings that point to the database server,
Collaboration server, and file system server must be the same for all.
Setup Type: Select one of the following options:
Full Installation: Select this option to install the database and the first application server.
Appserver-only Installation Select this option when installing the second and all
subsequent application servers or when setting up the Collaboration server on a separate
device.
License File: ___________________________________________
The path to the License File. If a License File is not available, contact Blackboard Client
Representative to request one. The License file determines which capabilities are installed. The
license file will be automatically detected if it is renamed bb-license.xml and placed in the same
directory as the Installer.
Java Location: ___________________________________________
location is /usr/local/blackboard/content. 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.
Note

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.
(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.

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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.
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.
A password for an Oracle user that Blackboard Learn creates at install. This account is also used
by the application to access the database.
The password for the Database Report User. This is an Oracle user that Blackboard Learn uses
to access the reporting database.
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.
please contact Blackboard Support for assistance.

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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.
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.
Library Directory:: ___________________________________________
The path to the content management /library directory. This directory will store all of the files
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: ___________________________________________
under the /users heading. This value is required only if the content management capabilities have
been licensed.
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.
8010.

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SMTP Server: ___________________________________________
The full hostname (example: smtp.blackboard.com) of the SMTP server that Blackboard Learn
will use to send emails. The parameter
Password.
Profile page.
K-12
Higher Education

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Corporate
Hobby
City: ___________________________________________
State: ___________________________________________
ZIP/Postal Code: ___________________________________________
Country: ___________________________________________

Page 117

Server
The Installer is launched from a command line prompt and may be run in command-line mode or
GUI mode. The Installer presents a series of questions about the system. In many cases, the
Installer automatically detects the required settings and provides default values. This topic also
includes detailed information about the values required at each Installer prompt.


before running the Installer. To confirm that the system is ready for installation, see PreInstallation Checklist.
performed as root.
The Installer is run on a two-server system: The instructions reference the application
same.
The Installer is run using the command-line interface: The GUI Installer requires the same
inputs from the user. The only difference between the command-line and the GUI
interface is navigation. The GUI interface uses mouse-clicks instead of using keystrokes
to accept a value and continue. The command line places the default or anticipated value
in brackets. You may either enter a new value or simply press ENTER to select the value
in brackets.

Follow the steps below to run the Installer on UNIX:
Installer will automatically recognize the license file if it is renamed bb-license.xml
and placed in the same directory as the Installer. The following steps use
/usr/local/bbinstaller/ as an example.
2. Open a command-line prompt and navigate to the directory that contains the Installer.
./su -root
4. Run the following command to launch the Installer:

/usr/local/bbinstaller/java -jar bb-installer.jar

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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.
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.
/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.
/usr/local/blackboard/content, press ENTER.
Note
server it runs on and uses that to populate the default. Press ENTER to accept the
default.
populates the default. Press ENTER to accept the default.
uses for communication. The default value is 8009. Press ENTER to accept the default, or
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
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.

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18. Provide the Oracle sys database administrator password. Provide a value and then press
ENTER.
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.
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
28. Provide the HTTP port number for the Collaboration server. The default port number is
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.
account, on the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password.
Provide a value and then press ENTER.

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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
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.

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The Installer must be run multiple times to set up each application server. After the first
application server and the database have been installed using the Full Installation option, run the
installer again using the Appserver-only Installation option to install the rest of the application
servers and the optional Collaboration server.
The Installer will prompt for the same information as a Full Installation. Instead of creating the
database, however, the Installer will attempt to connect to the database.
Keep the following points in mind:
performed as root.
Experienced administrators may choose to use the non-interactive Installer to setup the
second and subsequent application servers.
When executing the Installer on the additional application servers, pay close attention to the
values of the ports and host names. Be sure that the hostname for the Web server matches the
load-balanced URL and is not set to the name of the individual server. Be sure that the
Collaboration tool (virtual chat, virtual classroom) ports are set properly. Remember that the
following settings must be the same across all application servers (and the Collaboration server):
Application Server Port Number
Web Server Port Number
Database Machine Name
Database Domain Name
Oracle Database Password
Blackboard Database User Password
Blackboard Database Report User Password
CMS Database User Password
Database Data Files Directory
Database Log Files Directory
Content Directory
Content Management Directories
Collaboration server Machine Name
Collaboration server http Port
Collaboration server TCP/IP Port
Administrator Password
root_admin Password
Integration Password
Administrator and Institution Details
When the installation is complete, each application server can be accessed individually and
separately tested; complete tests should also be run from the load-balanced URL.

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Tomcat clustering was introduced for scalability purposes when the Blackboard Learn
architecture was 32-bit and customers wanted the ability to increase their memory usage on a
single server. With the option to virtualize on both 32-bit and 64-bit, Blackboards benchmarking
efforts have moved away from Tomcat cluster deployments.
Customers can achieve similar performance in a virtual environment on the same physical server
with multiple virtual instances as with a bare metal configuration with many Tomcat cluster
instances. The difference in configurations is a smaller demand on the Apache or IIS web server
fronting the Tomcat instance(s). The option to deploy a 64-bit JVM with larger heap sizes has
suppressed the need for customers to run in a cluster option.
Blackboard recommends that customers consider a deployment approach consisting of larger 64bit JVMs that are distributed across physical servers with the option to virtualize the hardware to
take advantage of the CPU and Memory capacity of these systems.
However, new installations can optionally be configured to use a clustered Tomcat environment.
Existing clustered Tomcat environments performing an upgrade must use the following steps.
How to Set Up an Optional Clustered Tomcat Environment

1. Go to the Blackboard Learn home, /usr/local/blackboard/config.
2. Open the bb-config.properties file.
3. Search for the bbconfig.tomcat.cluster.enable variable, and modify the default
value from FALSE to TRUE.
4. Go to blackboard_home/tools/admin.
5. Launch the Push Config Updates script by issuing ./PushConfigUpdates.sh.
6. Create a new ServerGroup in Blackboard Learn
a.
Go to blackboard_home /tools/admin.
b.
Create a ServerGroup with a specified port number by issuing:

./ServerGroupManager.sh -c -n new_group_name -p
new_port_number
7. Launch the Install Cluster script by issuing ./InstallCluster.sh. After running the
command, you will be prompted for the following information.
a.
Cluster ID: Provide a unique ID, such as node1 or node2. It should not be a
cluster ID that is already assigned.
b.
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.
c.
JK Connector port: The default is 8009. Add 1000 to the default to make it
9009.
d.
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.

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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.
How to Remove a Tomcat Cluster

1. Go to blackboard_home/tools/admin.
2. Stop your server by issuing./ServiceController.sh services.stop .
3. Launch the Remove Cluster script by issuing ./RemoveCluster.sh.
4. Specify the cluster to be deleted when prompted.
5. Verify the cluster was successfully removed by running the jps command from
JAVA_HOME to see the bootstrap processes.

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The separate collaboration server is optional because one of the application servers can be used
as the Collaboration server.
Complete the following steps to configure a separate Collaboration server.
1. Install an additional application server on a machine that is not configured as part of the
load-balanced server environment. This application server must have a hostname
separate from the multiple Web/app configuration host name. Finally, the Collaboration
server should be resolvable in the DNS so that it is accessible from the Internet.
2. For each application server, set the following property in the bb-config.properties
file to prevent the Collaboration server from running on the local host.
bbconfig.Collaborationserver.run.on.localhost=false
3. Run the following command:

\blackboard\tools\admin\PushConfigUpdates.bat
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.

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The hardware load balancer should be set up according to the instructions included with the load
balancer.
When setting up a hardware load balancer, it is important that each application server maintains
user session affinity for the entire of the session. Session affinity must be based on the user's
cookie. In other words, after a user logs in and a session is created on a particular application
server, that server must handle all requests associated with that session until it is closed.
Test the System

Test the system by going to a workstation other than any of the Blackboard servers. Open a Web
browser and go the URL of the shared hostname configured during load balancing setup.

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Troubleshooting UNIX Installation

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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.

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The Blackboard Knowledge Base, which is accessible through Behind the Blackboard at
http://behind.blackboard.com, includes several articles that may address your problem. If a login
for Behind the Blackboard is unavailable, please contact a Blackboard Account Manager.

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For information about contacting Blackboard Technical Support, log in to Behind the Blackboard
at https://behind.blackboard.com.

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Uninstalling Blackboard Learn

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About Uninstalling Blackboard Learn

The Installer and Updater includes two uninstall functions.
Uninstall completely removes the application files, content files, and the database.
Uninstall App Server Only uninstalls only the application files, and leaves the content files
and database. Typically, Uninstall App Server Only is used as part of the process when
uninstalling a load-balanced system. However, it can be useful to uninstall the application
files and save the content files and databases for archiving.
Note Blackboard recommends as a best practice that instead of running an uninstall, you reimage the application and database servers and then perform a fresh operating system
installation.
Before Running the Uninstaller on UNIX

It is important to close all Blackboard Learn-related sessions that are connected to the Oracle
database. Follow these steps to disconnect related sessions:
su - root
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);
Uninstalling on a Load-Balanced System

Uninstalling a load-balanced system requires removing the application files from each application
server and the Collaboration server. After running the Uninstall option on one application server,
that application server, the file system, and the database will be removed. Use the Uninstall
Appserver option to remove the application files on the Collaboration server and the other
application servers.
How to Uninstall Blackboard Learn

WARNING!
If the uninstall procedure fails, contact Blackboard Technical Support by logging
in to Behind the Blackboard at https://behind.blackboard.com.
Follow these instructions to fully uninstall Blackboard Learn.
1. Stop all Blackboard Learn services.
2. Launch the Installer. Windows users can double-click the Installer. UNIX users should run
the following command to launch the Installer, where /usr/local/bbinstaller/java
is the location of the installer file:
/usr/local/bbinstaller/java jar updater_file
3. After reading the welcome message, click Next or press ENTER to continue.

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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.

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Blackboard Learn 9.1 Installation Guide - Versão Desactualizada!!!

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Publication Date: September 3, 2010

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Copyright 1997-2010. Blackboard, the Blackboard logo, BbWorld, Blackboard Learn,

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Run a Pilot Program ......................................................................................................... 23

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Install on Windows on a Load-Balanced Configuration .......................................................... 46

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Before Running the Installer ............................................................................................. 67

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Application Server Checklist ............................................................................................. 92

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Before Running the Installer ........................................................................................... 118

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

About the Installation Process

About the Installation Process

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Preferred Technical Skills

Preferred Technical Skills

Operating System and Application Server Skills

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Preferred Technical Skills

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

About the Blackboard Learn Installer and Updater

About the Blackboard Learn Installer and Updater

The Installer and Updater Are One Tool

What the Installer and Updater Can Do

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

About the Blackboard Learn Installer and Updater

What the Installer and Updater Cannot Do

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Understanding the Database Schema

Understanding the Database Schema

Legacy Schema Name

The Database Statistics Schema

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Understanding the Database Schema

Statistics Schema Decoupling

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Understanding Load Balancing

Understanding Load Balancing

Load Balanced Configurations

Multiple Application Server Configurations

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Understanding Load Balancing

Benefits of Scaling Out with Additional Web/Application Servers

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Defining the Host Environment

Defining the Host Environment

Read the Hardware Sizing Information

Choose an Operating System

Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn 9.1: Installation Guide

Defining the Host Environment