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The installation checklist and the installation worksheet should be completed before installing Blackboard Learn on one or two servers or in a load-balanced configuration. 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, that machine must pass the checklist for both the application server and the database server.

If Blackboard Learn will be installed in a load balanced configuration, the checklist and worksheet should be completed for each application 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 server. 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.
  • If the administrator has contact information for Blackboard Client Support and a login for Behind the Blackboard at https://behind.blackboard.com, target version installers may be found in the Downloads section.

Application server checklist

Review the following list to make sure that the application server is prepared for installation. In the case of a load-balanced configuration this checklist should be reviewed for each server in the configuration.

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 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 machine is dedicated to Blackboard Learn and has no unnecessary software installed.
  • The DNS (Domain Name Server) is set to resolve the server name or in the case of a load-balanced configuration the name of the load balancer.

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.

  • If using a load-balanced environment, the necessary Groups (Windows) and Ports (UNIX and Windows) have been configured. This is especially important when upgrading an existing load balanced environment.
  • 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.
  • Any firewalls are configured to allow access to Blackboard Learn ports. These ports are defined when the installer is run.
  • 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 the displayed availability of time-sensitive content and the actual availability of time-sensitive content.
  • The SMTP service is available.
  • If you are licensing Content Management: A separate directory for content management content is configured and shared, if desired.
  • The administrator has a plan for backing up the application file system.
  • The administrator has a plan for managing log files.
  • The administrator has a plan for backing up the application file system.

UNIX

  • A bbuser account has been created.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • If installing on a Red Hat environment, the following RPMs (or later versions) must be installed:
    • apr-1.2.7-11.el5_3.1
    • e2fsprogs-libs-1.39-23.el5
    • gdbm-1.8.0-26.2.1
    • glibc-2.5-42
    • libaio-0.3.106-3.2
    • libgcc-4.1.2-46.el5
    • libstdc++-4.1.2-46.el5

Windows

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • If the database is running on a separate server, the SQL Server Client libraries are installed on the application server.
  • The Windows file system is set to NTFS.
  • Windows User Account Control is disabled. For instructions, see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...91(WS.10).aspx.

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 your institution licenses content management is configured and shared, if desired.
  • The domain user that will run the application services has full access to the shared directories.

Windows

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.

  • 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 machine is dedicated to Blackboard Learn and has no unnecessary software installed.
  • The database administrator has a plan for backing up the database and managing database log files.
  • 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.
  • Security authentication using a local account.

UNIX

  • A supported version of Oracle is installed
  • 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.

Windows

  • The person installing Blackboard Learn knows the SQL Server Administrator password and what instance of SQL Server will support Blackboard Learn.
  • If using a SQL Server failover cluster, make sure that the cluster is configured and SQL Server is running properly.
  • Windows: 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.
  • A supported version of SQL Server was installed on the root directory with Mixed Mode
  • Verify that the SQL Server Database job agent can be successfully started up before installing or updating the database. To learn more, 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.
  • 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.

Collaboration server checklist (Optional)

Review the following list to make sure that the collaboration server meets requirements for installation. Note that these requirements are necessary only if the Collaboration server is not part of a one or two server configuration and is serving the Collaboration tool from outside the load balanced application server pool.

You must change the Collaboration HTTPS port from the previous default of 8443 to the new default of 8012 otherwise there will be a conflict with the Tomcat HTTPS port setting of 8443.

  • The collaboration server uses a different DNS name than that of the application servers.
  • Ports 8010, 8011, 8012 are open.