Blackboard Xythos Client Support Services Guide

Transcription

1 Blackboard Xythos Client Support Services Guide

2 Copyright Terms and Conditions Publication Date: November 2017 Worldwide Headquarters Blackboard Inc th Street, NW Ninth Floor Washington, DC toll free US & Canada telephone Copyright Blackboard Inc. All rights reserved. Blackboard, the Blackboard logo, BbWorld, Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Transact, Blackboard Connect, Blackboard Mobile, Blackboard Collaborate, Blackboard Analytics, Xythos, the Blackboard Outcomes System, Behind the Blackboard, and Connect-ED are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackboard Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Blackboard products and services may be covered by one of more of the following U.S. Patents: 7,493,396; 7,558,853 ;6,816,878. Mac is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. No part of the contents of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher, Blackboard Inc. ALL SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY ARE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE APPLICABLE SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT OR SUPPORT SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN COMPANY AND THE APPLICABLE LICENSEE. BLACKBOARD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY THIS DOCUMENT, FROM TIME TO TIME, EFFECTIVE FIVE (5) DAYS AFTER SUCH MODIFIED DOCUMENT IS POSTED AT THE RELEVANT LINK, SUCH POSTING TO CONSTITUTE EFFECTIVE NOTICE OF CHANGES Client Support Services i

3 Contents Contents Introduction 1 Supported Products 1 Support Categories 2 Support Classifications 4 Support for System Administrators 7 Support Services Communication Methods 7 Support Services Designated Personnel 7 Support Services Hours of Operation 7 Support Services Severity Codes and Target Response Times 8 Severity Code1 Issues 8 Severity Code 2 Issues 9 Severity Code 3 Issues 9 Severity Code 4 Issues 9 Case Resolution 9 Providing Blackboard Xythos Support Access to Your Server 11 Exclusions to Blackboard Xythos Client Support Policies 11 Client Support Services ii

4 Supported Products and Service Categories Introduction The purpose of this document is to provide information on the client services Blackboard Inc. provides for Xythos products as well as policies and procedures for administering client support. Included are definitions of the life cycle of supported products and support classifications. Supported Products Blackboard Inc., together with its subsidiaries (the Company ), currently makes Support Services available for certain of its products, based on the support category to which each version of the product has been assigned by the Company and subject to the terms of the applicable software license agreement between the Company and the applicable licensee (the Agreement ). The Company products that are currently covered (individually, the Product ; collectively, the Products ) are as follows: Blackboard Xythos WebFile Server Blackboard Xythos Enterprise Document Manager Blackboard Xythos Document Manager Blackboard Digital Locker Blackboard Xythos Drive Blackboard Xythos Drive 64 Blackboard Xythos Drive for Mac Blackboard Xythos Search Filters Blackboard Xythos Filer Blackboard Xythos ecopy Connector There is a separate category of products called Downloadables which are developed and maintained by Xythos Consulting. Examples of Downloadables include Single Sign-On authentication modules and the Document Capture bundle. For support on these products, please contact services@xythos.com. Client Support Services 1

5 Supported Products and Service Categories Support Categories All products are classified into a support category that defines the level of support services that is provided to clients. Each product has a current designated category. Support Categories are subject to change as determined by the Company and the product roadmap. Full Support: Full Support includes product versions for which Blackboard Xythos offers a wide range of support options. Full Support includes an active maintenance schedule of Service Packs and Cumulative Hotfixes and for the older product versions under Full Support, it includes workarounds developed on an as-needed basis. Operational Support: Operational Support includes those products versions and particular service packs of versions for which Blackboard Xythos offers a modified range of support options. Operational Support releases will get cumulative hot fixes for security issues and critical bugs. Other issues will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. This support category is intended for older service packs and releases that have an upgrade path to a newer service pack or releases that are nearing Sunset and End of Life. Sunset Support: Sunset Support includes products not currently in active development but for which Blackboard Xythos still offers a modified range of support options for clients. This category does not include an active maintenance schedule such as corrections, enhancements, bug fixes, Services Packs or other updates made generally available by Blackboard Xythos. All issues related to products in the Sunset Support category, for which Blackboard Xythos does not have an available fix or workaround, will be examined on a case-by-case basis, and may require a separately priced Professional Services engagement or moving to a supported product version, where appropriate and possible. All client calls will be answered and operational assistance will be provided. No Longer Supported: No Longer Supported products are not maintained by Blackboard Xythos. Clients are strongly encouraged to upgrade. Informational questions regarding product use will still be answered by Client Support. Service Pack Support Blackboard Xythos occasionally makes available patches or hotfixes for critical and important bugs for multiple past service packs of a supported release. We recognize that upgrading to a newer service packs is not always possible on short notice, particularly if there are customizations to the Xythos instance. The patching of past service packs of a release has also been a more common practice in the 7.2 release which introduced new features and UI changes in some service packs. To clarify this policy of patching or hot fixing bugs in past service packs of a supported release, Blackboard Xythos is now assigning support categories and defining support periods for specific service packs of a major release of the Xythos server products. Service Packs of a supported release may now be in three categories, Full Support, Operational Support, and No Longer Supported as defined in the Support Categories section of this document. As indicated in the Support Categories section, Service packs in Operational Support Client Support Services 2

6 Supported Products and Service Categories will have fewer cumulative hotfixes released than Service Packs in Full Support. In general, only security issues or critical bugs will be addressed for Service Packs in Operational Support. A given Service Pack will always be supported (either Full or Operational) for a minimum of three years from its release date. A given Service Pack will move from Full Support to Operational support approximately 1 year after the release of the subsequent service pack for that major release. The Service pack will then stay in Operational Support until a minimum of three years after its initial release date; at which point that given service pack will be No Longer Supported. The final Service Pack of a given major release will be in full support until the end of the normal support period for a major release, typically at least 5 years from GA until a release is moved to No Longer Supported. The final service pack for a release will be in Full Support for a minimum of 1 year from its release. Client Support Services 3

7 Supported Products and Service Categories Support Classifications This table provided the current support category for the Company s Products as well as a roadmap of anticipated dates for reclassification. This roadmap is subject to change. Full Support Release 7.2 Service Pack 11 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 Service Pack 10 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 Service Pack 9 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 Service Pack 8 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 Service Pack 7 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server General Availability Date Anticipated Date of Reclassification to Operational Support Anticipated Date of Reclassification to No Longer Supported Oct 2017 N/A Dec 2020 Jan 2017 Jan 2019 Jun 2020 May 2016 Aug 2018 Dec 2019 Oct 2015 Aug 2017 Dec 2018 Jun 2014 Aug 2016 Dec 2017 Release 7.2 of Search Filters Dec 2009 TBD Release 1.7 of: Blackboard Xythos Drive 64 (for Windows 64-bit) Blackboard Xythos Drive 64 (for Windows 32-bit) Aug 2014 TBD TBD Release 1.7 of Blackboard Xythos Drive for Mac Feb 2015 TBD Release 4.5 of Xythos Drive Jul 2007 TBD Client Support Services 4

8 Supported Products and Service Categories Sunset Support Release 1.0 of: Blackboard Xythos Filer Release 1.0 of: Blackboard Xythos ecopy Connector General Availability Date Dec 2007 Dec 2009 Anticipated Date of Reclassification to No Longer Supported TBD TBD Client Support Services 5

9 Supported Products and Service Categories No Longer Supported Release 7.2 Service Pack 6 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 Service Pack 5 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 Service Pack 4 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 Service Pack 3 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 Service Pack 2 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 Service Pack 1 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.2 General Availability of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server Release 7.1 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server, Search Filters Release 7.0 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server, Search Filters Release 6.0 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server, Search Filters Release 5.0 of Enterprise Document Manager, Document Manager, Digital Locker, WebFile Server, Search Filters Support End Date June 2017 June 2016 December 2015 December 2014 August 2014 August 2014 August 2014 December 2011 June 2011 Dec 2011 Dec 2009 Release 4.2 of WebFile Server Jul 2008 Release 4.1 of WebFile Server Jul 2008 Release 4.0 of WebFile Server Jul 2008 Release 4.4 of Xythos Drive Jul 2008 Xythos WebFile Client 4.x of Xythos WebFile Client Jul 2008 Client Support Services 6

10 Contacting Client Support Support for System Administrators Support Services Communication Methods Telephone support Licensee is eligible to receive support in English from the Company. The Company may make support available in other languages from time to time, subject to the language capabilities of its technical staff. Telephone based support is available Monday through Friday; 8:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. Pacific Time. Blackboard Xythos Client Support toll free US & Canada For Severity Code 1 issues, Blackboard Xythos Client Support is available twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven days (7) a week, three hundred and sixty-five (365) days a year. Please call to page on-call support. Please see Support Services Severity Codes and Target Response Times for severity code definitions. Web-Based Self Service Licensee is eligible to submit and add notes to cases as well as access to documentation, release notes and knowledge resources on Behind the Blackboard ( Case Communications by After a case has been created by telephone or web-based self service, ongoing communication may take place using , provided that the licensee does so by replying to s (referencing a particular case) coming from support@blackboard.com and does not alter the subject line. Support Services Designated Personnel Licensee may designate up to two (2) of its personnel for purposes of receiving Support, and may designate substitute personnel by providing written notice to the Company (provided that not more than two (2) persons may be designated as support contacts at any given time). These designated personnel should be staff members who have access to the Blackboard Xythos administrator interface and has or can easily obtain ssh or VNC/Terminal Services access to the server on which the Product is installed. To request access to Behind the Blackboard or create/change designated contact personnel, please contact Blackboard Client Operations (ClientOperations@Blackboard.com) Updates and releases of the supported Product that the Company makes generally available to its licensees, are provided on a when and if available basis. Support Services Hours of Operation Reasonable efforts to respond to all support requests and to remedy any documented and reproducible errors and defects in the Product that are submitted using an approved means within the following targeted response and resolution times. A business day is defined as Monday through Friday 8:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. Pacific Time, excluding applicable public holidays listed below. Client Support Services 7

11 Contacting Client Support United States Holidays 2017 Monday, January 2nd - New Year's Day (Observed) Monday, January 16th - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday, May 29th - Memorial Day Tuesday, July 4th - Independence Day Monday, September 4th - Labor Day Thursday, November 23rd and Friday, November 24th - Thanksgiving Monday, December 25th - Christmas Day United States Holidays 2018 Monday, January 1st - New Year's Day Monday, January 15th - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday, May 28th - Memorial Day Wednesday, July 4th - Independence Day Monday, September 3rd - Labor Day Thursday, November 22nd and Friday, November 23rd - Thanksgiving Tuesday, December 25 th - Christmas Day Support Services Severity Codes and Target Response Times All support requests are important. However, some requests take precedence over others. Support has created four categories for support requests. Requests for support are handled based of severity code assigned to each issue. Severity codes also determine initial response time targets. The most severe cases have the swiftest targeted response times. Severity level definitions and their response times are described in the sections below. Severity Code 1 Issues Your Blackboard Xythos Production Installation [application] is down and not functioning, the system is disabled or non-responsive. Response time for Severity Code 1 is within two (2) hours when submitted during business hours. Some examples of Severity Code 1 Software errors are as follows: Software is down and will not restart Software is not able to communicate with external systems Software is generating a data corruption condition. When a Severity 1 issue is reported, the Company will assign resources to remedy the error; if access to the Product is required, we ask that you provide access to your system and other software for the duration of the error correction procedures. Client Support Services 8

12 Contacting Client Support Severity Code 1 is not to be used for Test Environments. Severity Code 2 Issues Your Blackboard Xythos Product is functioning, but major components are unavailable or unusable. The application is running but you may be unable to use major portions of the Software. Response time for Severity Code 2 is within four (4) hours when submitted during business hours. Some examples of Severity Code 2 Software errors are as follows: An intermittent, critical Software error A major functional component is unavailable. When a Severity 2 issue is reported, the Company will assign resources to remedy the error; if access to the Product is required, we ask that you provide access to your system and other software for the duration of the error correction procedures. Severity Code 2 is not to be used for Test Environments. Severity Code 3 Issues Your Blackboard Xythos Product is operating close to normal; however minor components are functioning abnormally. Response time for Severity Code 3 is within one (1) business day. Severity Code 3 errors include non-critical Software errors. Severity Code 3 errors may be fixed in future software releases, including major releases, Application Packs, Services Packs or Hotfixes. Severity 1 and 2 Software errors take priority over Severity 3 issues. Severity Code 4 Issues Severity Code 4 implies that the Software is operating normally but you may be in need of instructional assistance or you are requesting functionality that is not currently included in the Software. Response time for Severity Code 4 is within one (1) business day. Severity Code 1, 2, and 3 Software errors will take priority over Severity Code 4 cases. Case Resolution After the initial response to your support request, Support will respond to subsequent requests within one (1) business day of: Case creation replies to support@blackboard.com s concerning your case Notes added to cases using web-based self-service Voic s or messages left with licensee s service reps. Support s targeted resolution times are: One (1) subsequent business day for issues with a solution that has been previously implemented and validated by the Company, provided that the solution has been Client Support Services 9

13 Contacting Client Support previously resolved by Company within one (1) business day of its identification by the Company as a known issue ( Routine Issues ). A commercially reasonable effort until resolution is reached for all non Routine Issues ( Complex Issues ). Targeted resolution times are applicable for implementations operating in certified configurations. Client Support Services 10

14 Contacting Client Support Providing Blackboard Xythos Support Access to Your Server To effectively resolve issues submitted, the Basic Support staff may require any of the following information: Log files generated at the time an error message or condition is encountered. This may also require enabling certain trace logging levels. Ability to start a remote viewing session (via Blackboard Collaborate) to observe the issue. Ability to execute SQL queries against the Xythos schemas. Be able to provide information about 3 rd party components like load balancer, external storage locations, etc The targeted response/resolution times described herein are subject to the Company s ability to obtain, when needed, information identified by the Company herein. Lack of access to supporting information may cause delays in resolving support requests or may render the Company unable to resolve a support request. In such cases, licensees may wish to consider an on-site, separately priced professional services engagement. The Company's commitment to providing timely, quality technical support is based upon having sufficient server access to resolve a support request. As per the following Exclusions section, Blackboard Xythos Client Support shall not include support for any Product running in an unsupported configuration. In the event a licensee is running a Product in an unsupported configuration and reports a problem, the Company may, at its sole discretion, attempt to replicate the issue in-house at the Company on systems running in a Company-supported configuration. If the Company s support staff is able to replicate the problem on a supported configuration, the Company may elect to handle the support request in accordance with its standard support procedures. If the Company s support staff is unable to replicate a problem on a supported configuration, the Company shall refer such licensee to the Company s Professional Services department for a separately priced professional services engagement and recommend that such licensee move to a Company-supported configuration. Exclusions to Blackboard Xythos Client Support Policies The Support described in this document applies only when the Product is installed locally at the applicable licensee s site or hosted by the Company on behalf of such licensee. Blackboard Xythos Client Support coverage does not include environmental-related support requests that involve the following areas: Server migration issues*. Improper usage of the Product (such as database files removed from the Product, customization of the Product, prohibited usage, and so on). Unsupported changes to the database such as directly writing to the database or using the database schema to alter or delete records. Assistance with understanding data relationships as presented in the database schema documentation in order to write or format queries. Client Support Services 11

15 Contacting Client Support Improper installation and configuration of operating system components*. Improper hardware configuration for size of deployment*. Hardware (server) problems*. Server operating system problems*. Non-supported 3rd party tools used with Product (except those where a support partnership exists). Issues arising with Products hosted by a third party, unless agreed upon in writing in advance by the Company (where such permission has been granted, issues arising as a result of the third party which would not have occurred with a Company hosted instance of the Product are excluded). Issues arising on an unsupported configuration. Issues known by Company not to be related to the Product application itself. *Separately priced professional consulting services are available Contact a Company Account Representative to learn more. Client Support Services 12