FAQ Tool - Installation instructions

The FAQ Tool consists of two parts - the application files (which run via the Blackboard Weblogic server) and the database (for storing categories/questions/answers).

To install the supporting database on Oracle:

1. Create a database instance, and a user to connect to the database
2. Run the supplied SQL script "faq_create.sql" to create the necessary tables within this database instance
   Eg sqlplus <DBuser>/<DBpassword>@<DBname> @faq_create.sql

Although no creation scripts are supplied for MS SQL Server, the tables are very simple and could easily be manually constructed from the information given here for Oracle.

To install the application files into Blackboard:

1. Log in as a System Administrator
2. Go to "System Admin -> System Extensions (Bridges) -> Install System Extensions (Bridges)"
3. Browse for the "FAQ.zip" file and submit
4. Restart Weblogic
5. Go to "System Admin -> System Extensions (Bridges) -> Manage System Extensions (Bridges)" and use the "Properties" button beside the "FAQ Tool" item, to configure your database connection.
   
   A sample configuration (again, connecting to an Oracle database) is:

   Period for new entries: 2
   Driver: oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver
   URL: jdbc:oracle:thin:@yourserver.edu.au:1521:ORASID
   UID: <DBuser>
   PWD: <DBpassword>
   Initial JDBC Connections: 5
   Maximum JDBC Connections: 10

The FAQ Tool should be set to available in the "Manage System Extensions (Bridges)" listing. This means it will appear in the "Tools" areas of each course.

Students would go to the Tools area to browse the FAQ questions and answers.

Instructors (and all course users with access to the course Control Panel) will also go to the Tools area to browse, and will additionally see a "Modify FAQs" button which takes them into the admin section of the tool. From here, they can create, modify and delete categories, questions, and answers.