Blackboard Users,
Our Staging Server has been upgraded to Blackboard 8.0. It looks like everything went smoothly, and the upgrade was completed in less than 24 hours. If you could check your course site(s) one more time and make sure everything looks like a functional copy of what you have on real Blackboard (as of April 29th).
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Steps to check your course data on the staging server:
1. Login to Staging Server: http://umiamitemp.blackboard.com
a. Login info is the same as it is for the “real” Blackboard.
b. Note that the staging server tabs are purple to distinguish it from the production server.
2. Look at one or more of your courses on the staging server and verify that your course looks OK based on the content it had as of April 29th when it was copied. No updates made after April 29th will be reflected on the staging server.
3. If you see anything wrong, please let me know right away. If it all looks good, you don’t need to do anything.
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Upgrade Scheduled!
We are currently scheduled to do the real upgrade on Monday, June 23rd at 7:00pm. I hope to be down for less than 24 hours during the brief window between when Summer I grades are due (6/23) and Summer II begins (6/25).
Also, I have attached a cheat sheet to help you get acquainted with the new gradebook. The biggest changes are that you can now enter grades directly into the gradebook and you can lock down, sort, and scroll through the columns. But you can kick the tires yourself on the Staging Server.
Thank you as always.
____________________________________
JENNIFER CLISTER
Blackboard Manager & Analyst
305-284-3949
From: UM Blackboard Announcements [mailto:BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 4:53 PM
To: BB@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: [BB] Please review your course site (Upgrade Prep)
Blackboard Users,
As promised, we are getting ready for our Blackboard upgrade this summer, and we are doing a practice upgrade on a copy of our production data made on April 29th.
Before Thursday at 4:00pm could you look at the staging server copy of your course and confirm that it looks and functions basically way you think it should?
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Steps to check your course data on the staging server:
- Login to Staging Server: http://umiamitemp.blackboard.com
- Login info is the same as it is for the “real” Blackboard.
- Note that the staging server tabs are purple to distinguish it from the production server (as if it were wearing a moustache).
- Look at one or more of your courses on the staging server and verify that your course looks OK based on the content it had as of April 29th when it was copied. No updates made after April 29th will be reflected on the staging server.
- If you see anything wrong, please let me know right away. If it all looks good, you don’t need to do anything.
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The real upgrade is tentatively scheduled to occur sometime between June 23th and June 25th (between Summer 1 and 2). More information on that will be available in the coming weeks.
After the “dress rehearsal” upgrade to system 8.0 (Friday, May 23rd), I will ask you to check the staging server one more time to be sure that the upgrade didn’t affect the course content you are verifying now. This will also give you a sneak peak at the new Blackboard system 8.0.
Questions? Let us know.
And thank you again.
____________________________________
JENNIFER CLISTER
Blackboard & Technology Integration Analyst
305-284-3949
