WebCT Conferences

Webct has partnered with IBM to provide cost effective solutions for the Webct 6.0 version.  Webct used this equipment in their testing and configuration.

The recommendation is: (These servers are optimized for Linux 3.0 and Oracle 9i)

 

For the Application Server:

X336 – Two-way Xeon 3.0GHZ or 3.6GHZ
4 GB of RAM
2 x 73.4 GB 10,000 RMP Hot-Swap Hard drives to be mirrored
ServerRAID-6i+ SCSI Controller

To run on Linux 3 and using WebLogic Web server.

For the Database Server:
X346 - Two-way Xeon 3.0GHZ or 3.6GHZ
4 GB of RAM
2 x 73.4 GB 10,000 RMP Hot-Swap Hard drives to be mirrored

For Linux 3 and Oracle 9i installation
IBM ServeRAID 7K Adapter (please note they recommend this controller because it is faster than the onboard RAID controller)
4 x 146 GB 15,000 RPM
Hot-Swap Hard Drives to run RAID 10 for the Oracle database

(I understand the 300 GB drives are available, if that is the case then this will be enough drive space without going to External Storage)

Suggested External Storage would be IBM EXP 400 Stoarge Expansion Unit (supports 14 hard drives). Initial configuration is for 6 146 GB 15,000 RPM Hot –Swap hard drives)

Note that they are recommending Linux 3.0 – our current Linux Oracle servers are running Linux 2.1 because of Oracle 8 limitations.

- Webct just recently came out with the recommendation for RAID 10 for the database, because the number of reads from the database. This was very strongly recommended.

- Webct 4.1 currently consists of all flat files, all data will be stored in the database. Even uploads from the students will be converted and stored as a binary in the database. (Conversion factor is 1.3 – 2.0 times to go into the Database)

- We current are using 39 GB of 200 GB allotted (19%)

- previous winter session used 100 GB or 140 GB allotted (72%)

- We need to look into virus scanning of the binaries in the
database.

- Webct are still recommending Oracle Standard Edition.

- Webct believes that the server would be capable of supporting other databases on the same server, just scale the RAM accordingly.

Webct license in no longer IP dependent.

Recommended procedure to backup the data and database.

- have a backup database which is updated using the Oracle Logs. (The backup database can be on a slower server). (Oracle logs merged, hourly, bi-daily or daily)

- Then any daily administrative course backups be done off the Backup database, Administrative backups to zip file are very intensive on the database.

- Restoration of courses can be done by the administrators right off the backup database into the Production database.

- There is also space allotted in the Production Database for
the Course Designer/Instructor to make a backup to as well. (Suggest to Webct license in no longer IP dependent.
 
Database backups are recommended using RMAN.

When ordering from IBM, there should be special pricing for WebCT customers.