BbWorld 2015 - The SIS Framework: It's Not a Big Truck, It's a Series of Tubes!

A presentation from BbWorld 2015:

Are you using the SIS Framework? For more than just bulk imports of users, courses, and enrollments? This session will provide an overview of the many ways that Central Michigan University leverages the SIS framework in Blackboard Learn. Includes descriptions of use-cases, SIS Integration setup, and methodologies for feeding data to integrations for both manual and automated tasks. Also discusses specific issues encountered in our implementation process that illustrate the types of things to consider.

Transcript

1. The  SIS  Framework: It’s  Not  a  Big  Truck,   It’s  a  Series  of  Tubes! Kenny  Barnt  &  Jerry  Todd Central  Michigan  University
2. Forward  Looking  Statement Statements  regarding  our  product  development  initiatives,  including   new  products  and  future  product  upgrades,  updates  or   enhancements  represent  our  current  intentions,  but  may  be   modified,  delayed  or  abandoned  without  prior  notice  and  there  is  no   assurance  that  such  offering,  upgrades,  updates  or  functionality  will   be  become  available  unless  and  until  they  have  been  made  generally   available  to  the  internet  at  large.
3. Obligatory  Institution  Profile • Self  Hosted  on  Windows • October  2014  CU1  (as  of  July  3) • SAP  SLCM  SIS • Fall  2014-­‐Spring  2015  Usage – 28,435  Students  (97%) – 2,478  Instructors  (95%) – 7,450  Courses  (79%)
4. The  Old  Days: Legacy  Snapshot
5. The  Blackboard  Snapshot  Controller • Bb-­‐supplied  Snapshot   Controller – Configure  snapshot  mode  for  each   data  file – Send  e-­‐mails  to  Bb  admin  with   errors – Set  how  long  to  keep  archived  feed   files – Cost  a  few  $k/year
6. Legacy  Snapshot  Pitfalls • Ran  in  Full  Snapshot  mode – If  a  record  no  longer  appeared  in  a   file,  it  was  disabled  in  Learn • Problems – Partial  files  from  SIS – Dependent  on  single  app  server – Controller  delayed  upgrades
7. Legacy  Course  Purge • Create  feed  files  for  each  group   of  courses  to  purge • Run  script  to  call  the  command   line  tools,  pointed  at  feed  file • Done  during  winter  break – Learn  completely  offline  for  the   duration – Significant  monitoring   requirements • Lots  of  performance  issues   identified  &  fixed
8. Configuring  &   Communicating   with SIS  Integrations
9. Considerations • Integration  Type • Data  Sources • Hierarchy  (Community) • Per-­‐Object-­‐Type  Options
10. Communicating  with  SIS  Integrations  via  PowerShell • Working  on  PS  Module   (available  at  http://j.mp/sis-­‐ps) • Pure  PowerShell  (no  cURL) • Send  Flat  Files  and  Status   Check  currently  implemented • Send  XML  Files  coming  soon
11. The  Big  Truck
12. Migrating  to  SIS • Initial  Goal:  Replicate  legacy   snapshot  functionality • Middleware  generates  feed   files  from  SAP  Data • Snapshot  controller  uploads   feed  files  to  Bb  &  reports   results
13. The  Middleware • SAP  sends  complete  lists • Middleware… – Looks  for  changes – Generates  feed  files – Starts  Snapshot  Controller
14. The  Snapshot  Controller • Processes  Feed  Files  in  order – Users – Courses – Enrollments  (Student  and   Instructor) – Uploads,  then  checks  status • Reports  number  of  records   processed  &  errors
15. A  Series  of  Tubes
16. What  Else  Can  We  Do? • Combined  Course  Shells • Overrides/Replenishments • Real  Time  Enrollments • Automated  Purge
17. Course  Combine  Tool • Pre-­‐Dates  SIS  Framework  Move • More  Flexible  than  SMT • Works  through  middleware
18. Overrides  and  Replenishments • Overrides – Make  Bb  &  SAP  not agree – Works  with  middleware • Replenishments – Re-­‐sends  enrollments
19. Real  Time  Enrollments • Before:  up  to  6  hour  wait • Now:  immediate • Works  with  in-­‐house  developed   registration  tools
20. Automated  Purge • Courses  are  purged  one  at  a   time • Purge  DB – List  of  courses  to  purge – Result  of  purges  attempted • Purge  Controller – Runs  at  off-­‐peak  times – Uses  XML  Feed  files
21. Pitfalls  & Lessons  Learned
22. The  50  Hour  Window • Records  might  need  to  be  sent   more  than  once • Enrollments  coming  before   user  or  course • Trial-­‐and-­‐error  led  to  50  hour   timeframe
23. Implicit  Drops • Enrollments  in  multiple   sections  of  a  course • Registration  tool  sent  only   explicit  changes • Modified  to  send  diff
24. Managing  Multiple  Tools • Enrollment  changes  could   happen  in  multiple  tools • Only  one  tool  was  sending   changes  to  Bb • Data  became  inconsistent • Fixed  by  updating  all  tools  to   send  to  Bb
25. Feed  File  Doesn’t  Exist • Feed  Files  uploaded  close   together  fail  with  “File  Doesn’t   Exist”  error • Issue  with  default  SMB  client   configuration • Resolvable  with  Registry   Change • http://bit.ly/smb2sis • Don’t  change   FileInfoCacheLifetime!
26. SIS  PowerShell  Module http://j.mp/sis-­‐ps