Lotus LearningSpace R5.01 Deployment Guide

Chapter 13. Using multiple databases 179

Figure 13-27 Restarting the IIS

13.4 Handling LearningSpace preferences remotely

Handling LearningSpace Core Server databases remotely is essential. In a

learning production environment, the server itself should not be used to perform

tasks that you could perform remotely.

13.4.1 Using remote administering clients

You might want to use some kind of a remote client that can provide you a

graphical interface to your server to access the LearningSpace Database Utility.

This can be achieved by Terminal Services or by third-party software. The

180 Lotus LearningSpace R5.01 Deployment Guide

drawback of these applications is that they can use considerable resources.

There might be some security issues as well.

13.4.2 Using the registry editor

The LearningSpace Database Utility is automatically installed on the

LearningSpace Core Server during the installation. Some of the Utility’s

preferences are reflected in the registry of the server’s operating system. It may

be useful to set these preferences remotely with the Registry Editor tool. Using

the Registry Editor requires special access rights, so this method cannot provide

a solution for course administrators who do not have the proper rights.

While it is possible to use the Registry Editor tool to modify LearningSpace

settings, you should keep in mind that it is not supported. Improper use of it can

cause serious problems, so do it only at your own risk.

13.4.3 Using LearningSpace Database Utility remotely

You may find it useful to copy the files and directories necessary to run the

LearningSpace Database Utility to the course administrator’s workstation and

run it from there.

Set up a remote LearningSpace Database Utility client

You can set up a LearningSpace Database Utility by going through the following

steps:

1. Create a local directory for the application, for example, C:\LS5WS.

2. Copy the <LS5 directory>\PWDBUtility directory to C:\LS5WS\PWDBUtility

on the course administrator’s workstation.

3. On the workstation, set up all the ODBC connections for your LearningSpace

databases that you set up on the server before.

4. (Optional) If you plan to create a LearningSpace database structure remotely,

then:

a. You need to copy the <LS5 directory>\Database\*.mdb files to your

workstation, for example, to C:\LS5WS\Database. Then you have to

Attention: Before doing so, keep in mind that:

򐂰 This is not supported by IBM in any manner.

򐂰 Though we tested all the suggested remote features, you should do your

own test in a test environment before applying any changes to your

production learning environment.

Chapter 13. Using multiple databases 181

create and configure the data source named LS5.01 Starter Database to

be the same as the one you have on your server.

b. To avoid the error message at the end of the database creation, you

should either

i. Rename the C:\LS5WS\PWDBUtility\Scripts\PWDBUtEn.trl to

PWDBUt.trl file

ii. Create the

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Lotus\LearningSpace\5\Sessi

on\DefaultValues] registry key and create the string value

"UILocale"="en". You might do this by merging the *.reg file in

Example 13-1 into your registry.

Example 13-1 Registration entry defining default locale for PWDBUtility.exe

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Lotus\LearningSpace\5\Session\DefaultValues]

"UILocale"="en"

Things that do NOT work remotely

Some of the LearningSpace Database Utility features will not work remotely. All

those that would write to the server’s registry are unusable from a remote

workstation, as they would write to the registry on the workstation.

So

beware of using the following features:

򐂰 Edit Database Settings

򐂰 Edit registry settings for LearningSpace

By copying several other files from the server these tools can work, but the result

would be on the client. If you try to run these functions without further refinement,

you might write your own registry on the workstation, or might cause the

application to terminate.

Fortunately, you do not have to use these tools too often.

Things that DO work remotely

We have tested the following features from the remote workstation and found

that they work to our satisfaction:

򐂰 Creating a new LearningSpace database

򐂰 Copying an existing LearningSpace database

򐂰 Exporting information from a LearningSpace database into AICC Course

Structure Files