TO:     Faculty Using Blackboard Learning Management System
FROM:   Information Technology Services (ITS)
RE:     Blackboard changes to address performance problems 



Last year Blackboard experienced slow performance and unplanned downtime.  ITS
is making two changes to address these issues

To provide more reliable access to Blackboard and to minimize the risk of slow
or poor performance during peak usage times for faculty and students, ITS will
restart the Blackboard server on a scheduled, nightly basis.  This means
Blackboard will be unavailable from 1:00 am to 2:00 am every morning of the
week, including weekends.  

Our analysis of last yearâs problems indicates this should minimize the
performance problems and the need for emergency restarts during the day and
evening when usage is heaviest.

The second change, planned for Winter 2006, is how Blackboard is configured.  A
backup server will be added to take over during system problems.  This new
configuration is currently being configured and tested. 

These changes are being made after consulting with Blackboard and other
campuses to leverage our collective experiences and improve performance.  ITS
understands that slow system performance or down time can have a negative
impact on you and your students.   We are committed to providing as reliable a
system as possible.

If you are trying to access Blackboard during a restart an error message
ãError: Internal Server Error, Contact the system administrator.ä will appear
on the page.  Please go to the System Status (http://systemstatus.calpoly.edu)
website for information about the restart timeline.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

As an instructor in a Blackboard course, faculty may notice that, at times, the
Control Panel will not display while the browser page continues to load. To
provide the quickest resolution possible, please notify the Service Desk
(756-7000 or servicedesk@calpoly.edu) immediately about this performance issue.

Please continue to review the System Status (http://systemstatus.calpoly.edu)
web page for Blackboard updates on restarts or other issues.

A short announcement regarding this information will be placed in your
Blackboard courses to inform students and faculty who may not have received
this email.  This announcement will be displayed for the first 3 weeks and
modified or removed depending on Blackboardâs performance.

___________________________________________________________________
We regret the inconvenience this problem has caused and appreciate your
patience as we continue to update you on progress towards more reliable
Blackboard performance. 

Sincerely,
The Blackboard Support Team