ARCHIVED: Completed project: Adobe Connect 8 upgrade

Primary UITS contact: Chris Golden

Completed: May 7, 2011

Description: Since 2004, UITS has hosted an Adobe Connect (formerly Breeze) Meeting Service for Indiana University faculty and staff members to conduct online meetings and webinars. The latest version (Connect 8) includes significant feature enhancements, including support for moving the server infrastructure to a virtual environment. We anticipate upgrading to Connect Meeting 8 at the end of the spring 2011 semester. Doing so will require a coordinated UITS communication, training, and support effort.

Outcome: The project goal is to improve the experience of Adobe Connect Meeting users by upgrading the server software. In addition, we'll move the Connect infrastructure to the UITS virtual server environment. The new features in Connect 8 will improve the collaboration experience for customers. Server virtualization will provide improved levels of scalability and robustness.

Milestones and status:

The server software upgrade is planned for May 7, 2011. The following tasks are ongoing throughout the spring 2011 semester:

• Move Connect's production database to II via UITS Consolidated Hosting Environment.
• Install Connect 8 on physical test servers and evaluate.
• Arrange two 1 TB shared storage containers (production and test) prior to moving Connect to Intelligent Infrastructure (to support new shared storage model).
• Secure five virtual machines (three production and two test) in Intelligent Infrastructure.
• Install Connect 8 on test servers in II and continue to evaluate internally.
• Restore production content and database in test environment and upgrade to Connect 8.
• Announce Connect 8 upgrade and communicate the change to meeting hosts.
• Conduct training sessions and informational webinars.
• Conduct LSP infoshare.
• Encourage existing users to try Connect 8 in the test environment.
• Revise Knowledge Base entries for Connect Meeting.
• Revise Connect 8 web documentation.
• Assess Connect 8 training needs.
• Copy production content and database to virtual environment and upgrade to Connect 8 in production environment.

Comment process: Email a Connect Administrator.

Benefits: In addition to providing users with the enhanced features that Connect Meeting 8 offers, this is an opportunity to virtualize the Connect infrastructure by moving it into UITS Intelligent Infrastructure.

Related information:

• IU's Adobe Connect Meeting Service support pages
• IU's Adobe Connect Meeting Manager (for meeting hosts)

Primary client: IU faculty and staff

Project team:

• Chris Golden, Video Infrastructure
• Kathryn Propst, Teaching and Learning Technology Centers
• Tom Janke, Center for Teaching and Learning
• Al Joco, Support Center
• Carol Rhodes, IT Training
• Gary Curto, Classroom Technology Services
• Sarah Engel, CPO