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

descriptionAn 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.

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. Blackboard @ CMU Profile • Self-Hosted on Windows • April 2014 CU3 • SAP SIS • Fall 2014 Usage: • 25,700 Students • 2,000 Instructors • 3,800 courses
3. The Old Days: Legacy Snapshot
4. • Configure the snapshot mode for each data file • Send emails to Bb admin with errors • Set how long to keep archived feed files D:\Apps\blackboard\apps\snapshot\bin\snapshot_override.cmd "- Ddata.source.key=USER.txt" -V blackboard.cmich.edu -f USR_SNPSHT -C D: \Apps\blackboard\apps\snapshot\data\snapshot.properties -t D: \Apps\blackboard\apps\snapshot\data\Working\USER.txt
5. Enroll Instruct Course User External_Course_Key|External_Person_Key|Role|Available_Ind|Row_Status 12700-00000001|bayto1mt |Student|Y|Enabled 12700-00000001 |foste1ad |Student|Y|Enabled 12700-00000001 |outma1sw |Student|Y|Enabled 12700-00000001 |parti1kk |Student|Y|Enabled 12700-00000001 |peck1d |Student|Y|Enabled 12700-00000001 |outma1sw |Student|Y|Enabled
6. D:\apps\blackboard\apps\snapshot\bin\Snapshot -f CRS_REMOVE -t "D:\batchpurge\10700-courses.txt" -C "D: \batchpurge\snapshot.properties" Course_ID|External_Course_Key|Course_Name ACC201-10700-00000001|10700-00000001 |ACC 201 Concepts Financial Accounting ACC201-10700-00000002 |10700-00000002 |ACC 201 Concepts Financial Accounting ACC202-10700-00000003 |10700-00000003 |ACC 202 Concepts Managerial Acct ACC202-10700-00000004 |10700-00000004 |ACC 202 2pm summer 2010
8. Configuring SIS Integrations
9. Considerations • Integration Type • Data Sources • Hierarchy (Community) • Per-Object Type Options
10. The Big Truck
11. SAP Middleware Feedfile Snapshot Controller Bb 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
12. SAP Record Change? Add to Feed File Do Nothing NO YES The Middleware • SAP sends complete lists • Middleware… • Looks for changes • Generates feed files • Starts Snapshot Controller
13. The Snapshot Controller • Processes Feed Files in order • Users • Courses • Enrollments (Student and Instructor) • Uploads, then checks status • Reports number of records processed & errors
14. A Series of Tubes
15. Bb Snapshot Real Time Enrollments Combined Courses Continuous Purge Overrides What Else Can We Do? • Combined Course Shells • Overrides/Replenishments • Real Time Enrollments • Continuous Purge
16. Course Combine Tool • Pre-Dates SIS Framework Move • More Flexible than SMT • Works through middleware
17. Overrides/Replenishments • Overrides • Make Bb & SAP not agree • Works with middleware • Replenishments • Re-sends enrollments
18. Real Time Enrollments • Before: up to 6 hour wait • Now: immediate • Works with in-house developed registration tools
19. Purge DB Purge Controller Bb Result Purge Request Status Continuous Purge • Courses are purged one at a time • Purge DB • List of courses to purge • Result of purges attempted • Purge Controller
20. Clogs and Drain-O
21. 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
22. ABC123-A CBA101-A BIO110-B SAP ABC123-A CBA101-A BIO110-B Bb ABC123-B CBA101-A BIO110-C SAP ABC123-A ABC123-A CBA101-A BIO110-B BIO110-C Bb Before After Implicit Drops • Enrollments in multiple sections of a course • Registration tool sent only explicit changes • Modified to send diff
23. ABC123-A CBA101-A BIO110-B SAP ABC123-A CBA101-A BIO110-B Bb Before ABC123-A BIO110-B SAP ABC123-A BIO110-B Bb Accidental Drop ABC123-A CBA101-A BIO110-B SAP ABC123-A BIO110-B Bb “Fixed” 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
24. 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 !
25. Q & A