Configuring an LIS integration is straight forward provided you understand some basic principles of the SIS Framework and have an understanding of your integration goals as they relate to data life cycle. The following presents a basic defaults-based configuration followed by a description of how customization of the individual settings may impact the function of the integration.
LIS configuration
- On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, select Data Integration.
- Select Student Information System Integrations.
- Point to Create Integration to open the list.
- Select the IMS Learning Information Services integration type.
- On the next screen you are presented with the editable options for the configuration.
Integration properties
| Integration Name | Required | Enter a unique name for the integration - this is the name shown in the list of configured integrations on the Student Information System Integrations page. |
| Description | Optional | Type a description for your integration. Useful for further identification of integrations. |
| Shared Username | Required | The Shared Username is generated automatically from the SIS system and populated to this text box. This is used for data post operations along with Shared Password. This field is not editable. |
| Shared Password | Required | Type the password generated from the SIS system. |
| SIS Learning Information Services Batch Web Service URL | Not Required | This field specifies the URL with which Learn will communicate to the Student Information System the status of Batch data processing. To learn more about batch processing, see LIS - IMS Learning Information Services. |
| Batch Service Username | Not Required | This field specifies the username required by the Student Information System for authorizing Batch data processing. To learn more about batch processing, see LIS - IMS Learning Information Services. Likely required if using the Batch Services. |
| Batch Service Password | Not Required | This field specifies the password required by the Student Information System for authorizing Batch data processing. To learn more about batch processing, see LIS - IMS Learning Information Services. Likely required if using the Batch Services. |
| Batch Download Username | Not Required | This field specifies the username required by the Student Information System for accessing Batch data. To learn more about batch processing, see LIS - IMS Learning Information Services. |
| Batch Download Password | Not Required | This field specifies the password required by the Student Information System for accessing Batch data. To learn more about batch processing, see LIS - IMS Learning Information Services. |
| Integration Status | Required | Integration Status options:
Blackboard recommends that integrations begin in Testing. Selecting this status will allow you to test the integration and fix any issues which may arise before committing to the integration. After testing is complete, the status should be set to Inactive or Active. To perform advanced configuration, an integration must be set to Testing of Active status. |
|
Log Verbosity |
Required | The Log Verbosity option determines what is visible in the SIS Logs screen for this integration.
Selecting a verbose log level will also select the less-verbose log level or levels that precede the selected log level. For example, if you select the Messages log level, errors, warnings, and messages will be logged. |
| Learn Data Source | Required | Determine the data source used during the integration with Blackboard Learn.
Data Source keys must be previously defined using the Data Source Management Tool (see Data Source Key Overview) |
| Batch Uid Prefix | Optional | Avoid ID conflicts by prefixing identifiers for objects created during the integration. Blackboard recommends that you do not change this setting after data has been created for the integration. |
At this point the Learn configuration of a default LIS integration is complete and you may test it by setting the Integration Status to Test and submitting LIS formatted data files - see LIS Examples for starter files and SOAP testing examples and LIS Data format for examples.
Advanced integration settings
While the default settings are adequate under most conditions, your integration goals may pose requirements that necessitate further configuration changes. In some cases alignment between desired goals for Learn data management and SIS data management may not be possible. The advanced settings allow for in-Framework management of incoming data to enforce Learn data goals.
Advanced settings for an integration are possible through three points in the Student Information System Integration administrator interface:
- Creating custom field mappings
- Advanced Integration Settings Step 3 of an integration configuration.
Available Advanced Integration Settings for inserts and updates are:
- Do Not Insert or Update: Ignore incoming data for this object.
- Insert Only: Only add new objects; do nothing if an object matching this data external key exists.
- Updates Only: Only update existing objects; do nothing if an object does not exist.
- Smart Inserts or Updates (Default): If there is no matching object in Learn add it as a new object; if a matching object exists in Learn then update it with incoming data.
You may also determine what happens on data deletes when a delete process is being performed:
- Do Not Disable or Purge: Do not delete or mark for deletion any object in the system based on the feed file.
- Disable: Mark for deletion, but do not actually delete any objects in the system based on the feed file.
- Purge: Delete object from the system based on the feed file.
The above settings may be applied to each object supported by LIS (as displayed in the UI). Changes to these settings from the defaults will enable fine-tuning the integration to provide object management beyond what is provided just by the data in the available SIS feeds.
