This chapter explains the issues, decisions, and tasks involved in installing LearnLinc in your organization.
In this chapter you will learn how to:
• Install the LearnLinc server software
• Configure the LearnLinc server
• Enable your server licenses
• Install the administration tool on a remote computer
• Export and import LearnLinc Name Service information
• Install the classroom software on a user’s computer In addition, this chapter answers the following questions:
1. What components are installed with the LearnLinc server?
2. What tools are available for administering the LearnLinc server?
3. What components are installed with the LearnLinc client?
4. What are the benefits of doing a small test installation?
5. How can I support students who install the client themselves?
What You Need to Know Before Reading This Chapter
To benefit from the information in this chapter, you should have a basic understanding of the LearnLinc software. For more information, please see “About the Software” on page 7 of this guide.
Key Concepts
Review these concepts to ensure that you are installing the LearnLinc environment properly.
Specifically, you need to know:
• Other Software that Must Be Installed on the LearnLinc Server Computer
• Components That Make Up the LearnLinc Server
• Utilities for Administering the LearnLinc Server
• Importing and Exporting Name Service Information
• Multiple Servers
• Components Installed With the LearnLinc Classroom Software
In addition, review the following checklist to ensure that your installation is successful.
LearnLinc Installation Checklist
To install LearnLinc successfully, complete the following tasks, in order:
• Determine which conferencing option or options your organization has purchased. The person who purchased LearnLinc for your organization should have this information, or access to the purchase order or invoice for your LearnLinc purchase.
• Ensure that your system meets all the LearnLinc hardware, software, and bandwidth requirements for that conferencing option. See “System Requirements” on page 16, for more information.
• Fax the License Key Fax-Back Form to LearnLinc Corporation to receive your LearnLinc licenses.
• Install any necessary third party software on the LearnLinc server computer.
• Install the LearnLinc server software.
• Configure the LearnLinc server.
• Enable your LearnLinc server license keys.
• Install the Administration tool on the administrator’s computer, if desired.
• Determine which version of the LearnLinc classroom software to distribute to your users, and modify the Virtual Campus download page accordingly.
It is very important that you fax back the License Key Fax-Back Form.
If you do not, you will not be able to install the software. The form is included in your LearnLinc package.
• Provide your users with instructions for entering the Virtual Campus, downloading the client software, and joining a class.
Other Software that Must Be Installed on the LearnLinc Server Computer Before you install the LearnLinc server, you must make sure the server computer has the following software installed on it:
• Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 and Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack (includes Internet Information Server 4.0)
Or
Microsoft 2000 Server
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 (or PowerPoint 97-version 8.0.0.5507 or higher).
Important! Be sure to enable web page authoring at the server level. Refer to your Microsoft documentation for more information.
Components That Make Up the LearnLinc Server
The LearnLinc server consists of several components, including the Name Service, Classroom Service, File Service, and the Virtual Campus web site. The Name Service database stores all LearnLinc information. The Classroom Service connects users in the Virtual Classroom. The File Service stores user pictures, and displays them during LearnLinc classes. The Virtual Campus web site provides users with access to LearnLinc information and LearnLinc classes.
Utilities for Administering the LearnLinc Server
In addition to the server components outlined in the previous section, there are several LearnLinc administration utilities that are installed with the LearnLinc server.
Administration Tool
The Administration tool can be used to manage the LearnLinc Name Service database. While almost all administration tasks can be performed in the Virtual Campus, the Administration tool is available for your use as well. Use the Administration tool to create large numbers of new
If you plan to use the PowerPoint upload feature, we recommend that you install PowerPoint 2000. PowerPoint 2000 produces higher quality graphics during the upload process then previous versions of PowerPoint.
users, and edit the advanced properties for LearnLinc courses, resources, users, and system information. You must be an administrator to use the Administration tool.
Server Configuration Control Panel
The Server configuration control panel enables you to manage general server information, as well as configuration information for the Virtual Campus. During the LearnLinc server
installation, you set most of the server configuration options. You can change those options or set additional options at any time using the control panel.
Server Information Page
The Server information page provides you with information about the status of the LearnLinc server, the active classrooms, and the installed LearnLinc licences. The Server Information page can be accessed from any web browser at http://servername/ll/ll.dll/ServerInfo, where servername is the name of your LearnLinc server. If your Virtual Campus is stored in a virtual directory, such as “LearnLinc”, do not include the name of the directory in the ServerInfo URL.
By default, the Server information page is not password protected. If you choose to password protect this page, only users who have valid Windows NT accounts on the server’s domain can access the Server information page. When they navigate to the page, they will be prompted to enter their NT user name and passwords. All other users will receive an error when they attempt to navigate to the page.
Troubleshooting Page
The troubleshooting page provides you with configuration information for the server, and tests both the server and client connections to the server. The troubleshooting page can be accessed from any web browser at http://servername/virtualdirectory/troubleshooting.asp, where servername is the name of your LearnLinc server and virtualdirectory is the name of the virtual directory in which your Virtual Campus is stored.
Specifically, the troubleshooting page lists information about the LearnLinc Server, the Virtual Campus’ web server, ODBC info, and links to server classroom and licensing information. In addition, by navigating to the troubleshooting page, you can see test information for the LearnLinc database, the PowerPoint upload utility, and the client connection to the server.
Finally, you can view the results of the client test for audio connectivity, proxy settings, and client install path and version information.
Importing and Exporting Name Service Information
If you wish to back up your Name Service database, or transfer data between two or more LearnLinc Name Services, you can use the Administration tool’s import and export functions to do so. The import and export functions enable to you to export a single capsule of information, all the capsules within a selected folder, or an entire Name Service.
When you export Name Service information it is stored in a LearnLinc Capsule File (.lcp). This file stores information only – it does not store associated resource files such as ToolBook books or video clip files. In addition to the LearnLinc capsule file, a packing list file (packing.lst) is generated each time you export capsules from a name service. This file lists all the associated resource files that you must gather if you wish to import the capsule file on another LearnLinc server. When you send exported information to another LearnLinc administrator be sure to include:
• the LearnLinc capsule file
• the packing list file
• any associated resource files
In addition, note that some user information is not exported when you choose to export persona capsules. Users’ registration information is not exported, to ensure that errors are not created when a user’s persona capsule is imported to another Name Service that does not have the same classes stored on it. You must re-create user registrations on the server once you import the users.
Server Activity Logs
By logging your server activity, you can:
• track the server activity to aid in troubleshooting
• track class duration and student attendance
Use the Server Configuration control panel to specify the location and file name of the server log file. If you check “Classroom log”, additional log files will be created in the same folder as the general log file to track the class duration and student attendance. The following sections outline the information contained in each log file.
Server Log File
The server log file tracks events on the LearnLinc server, and classroom start and end events.
The following diagrams outline the information provided in two common events, server start up and class start up.
Classroom Log File
The classroom log file tracks server activity, classroom activity, and student activity. For the server and classroom activities it logs the beginning time, end time, and duration. For student activities, it logs the server on which each student joins and leaves a class, and the duration of their time in class. The following diagram outlines the join class event.
Server start up
Class start up
User joins class
Multiple Servers
It is possible to maintain LearnLinc Name Service data on more than one server by exporting and importing the data between servers on a regular basis.
Alternately, you may choose to store your Name Service data on a SQL Server, which supports database replications across multiple servers. Refer to Appendix C for information on how to configure SQL Server version 7.0 to work with LearnLinc.
Components Installed With the LearnLinc Classroom Software
There are three different download options for the LearnLinc classroom software.
• The Typical option installs the LearnLinc core components, audio and video conferencing, the Classroom Player, Microsoft Streaming Media Player, and OpSession for AppShare.
• The Advanced–Multimedia Options Pack option installs all the typical options, plus support for synchronized multimedia content and the Classroom Recorder.
• The Custom option enables you to choose the components you wish to install.
If you install the software from the LearnLinc Client CD, you can still choose any of the options described in the previous list.
You may choose to standardize on one installation option, and remove the other options from the download page in the Virtual Campus. Alternately, you may choose to create a custom installation that you distribute to your students on CD or via a network drive.