Talk:Algebra filter

2011-01-11T16:49:48Z

Net-buoy:

Algebra filter

2011-01-11T16:47:16Z

Net-buoy:

Installing Moodle/Creating custom php.ini files

2010-12-12T22:38:36Z

Net-buoy: /* Editing the php.ini file generally */

Critical to any installation using php is your php.ini file, which contains directives for you usage of php. This is especially true with respect to a number of moodle settings such as max upload and max post sizes with file upload

==How php.ini is used==
===Sourcing===
PHP searches for php.ini in a specific order in php5 (in php4 you were required to place a copy of php.ini in every directory from which you wished to run a php script which would be impacted by php.ini - looking at phpinfo.php if you are running php4 will only tell you the location of the php.ini files in one directory....)

For information on sourcing see:
http://www.askapache.com/2007/php/custom-phpini-tips-and-tricks.html
http://us2.php.net/configuration

===Apache configuration versus php.ini===
Remember, you can effect the behavior of php via php.ini or via htaccess or apache conf files. You should NOT do both. As noted here:
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=124441&parent=550026
In some types of installations there are apache configuration files that set php values, such as max upload file size. Editing php.ini will not have the desired result if apache configuration files provide php directives.

===Invocation===
PHP can be run via mod_php or as a cgi program. If the latter is used there are some security considerations to address /need section on php cgi security?/
An artifact of running php as CGI is that since php is invoked everytime a php script is called, you need not restart apache to force a rereading of the php.ini file.
http://us2.php.net/manual/en/security.cgi-bin.force-redirect.php

==Manipulating php.ini==
===Editing the php.ini file generally===
A general listing of core directives that can be placed in php.ini [http://php.net/manual/en/ini.core.php can be found here.] Remember that various versions of php have changed what are allowable directives in php.ini.

Make sure you use a real text editor and make sure you back up any file before editing it.

===php.ini with shared hosts===
wrappers etc

==Moodle specific php.ini settings==
===Common php.ini settings===
Please see [[PHP settings by Moodle version]] for additional details.

In the discussion below you can substitute Off for 0 and On for 1.

<code php>
register_globals = 0 ;(necessary)
safe_mode = 0 ;(necessary)
memory_limit = 40M ;(varies: minimum 16M, 32M Moodle v1.7, 40M Moodle v1.8, 128M large sites)
session.save_handler = files ;(unless you are using another handler, e.g. mm)
magic_quotes_gpc = 0 ;(preferred but not necessary, necessary from 2.0 onwards)
magic_quotes_runtime = 0 ;(necessary)
file_uploads = 1
session.auto_start = 0 ;(necessary)
session.bug_compat_warn = 0
</code>

=== Max file size settings ===

You may also want to set other, optional php.ini file settings while you are already editing it. For instance, you may want to reset the maximum upload size of file attachments, which usually defaults to 2M(egabytes). For instance, to set these to 16 Megabytes:

<code php>
post_max_size = 16M
upload_max_filesize = 16M
</code>

If you are running PHP4, you may need to copy the php.ini file into various folders for it to work:
# public_html
# moodle/admin
# moodle/course
# moodle/files
# root of your moodledata directory

==== See Also ====
* [[File_upload_size | File Upload Size]]
* [[Administration_FAQ#How_do_the_limits_on_uploaded_files_work.3F | How limits on uploaded files work]]
* [[Site_policies#Maximum_uploaded_file_size | Maximum uploaded file size]]

== PHP settings by Moodle version ==
See [[PHP settings by Moodle version]] for more information on different settings by Moodle version.

DragMath equation editor

2010-12-02T17:58:23Z

Net-buoy: /* Before Posting to the Forum */

===Introduction===
To quote the W3C [http://www.w3.org/Math/Software/mathml_software_cat_editors.html]:
This is an open-source drag and drop equation editor written in Java.
Once an expression is created the user can convert it into a variety
of different linear syntax for mathematics, including MathML, LaTeX,
Maple, Maxima or any user defined style.
Created by Christoper Sangwin and Alexander Billingsley at the University of Birmingham as part of the [http://www.stack.bham.ac.uk STACK project], DragMath allows students to build mathematical expressions using a graphical drag-and-drop interface similar in appearance to that available in a number of office productivity suites.

Initially integrated with Moodle to be used with Moodle's Tex filter, the export feature available with DragMath has now allowed an integration that supports the creation of LaTex text expressions with and without the doubledollar signs used to signal parsing by the filter as well as AsciiMathML text expressions.

To use DragMath, users must have the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.5 or higher installed on their desktop computers. Most systems come with the JRE as standard equipment, so you may not have to do anything. If you need to install the JRE manually, you can download it from [http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp here]. Note that the JRE is variously known as Java software for your computer, Java Runtime Environment, the Java Runtime, Runtime Environment, Runtime, Java Virtual Machine, Virtual Machine, Java VM, JVM, VM, or Java download.

You can see a demo of the DragMath editor [http://www.dragmath.bham.ac.uk/ here]. The DragMath interface is highly intuitive and anyone can be using it productively after a few minutes of trial-and-error. If you have questions about the editor, there is a short manual [http://www.dragmath.bham.ac.uk/doc/index.html here].

===How the DragMath editor has been integrated with Moodle===

[[Category:Mathematics]]
DragMath is integrated with Moodle through a new button on the editor toolbar. This way, the DragMath editor is available everywhere that you or your students are called upon to enter text. '''Please note:''' The DragMath editor does not come supplied with Moodle. You (or your administrator) will have to install it. The following comments are targeted at the single file install, which has retained the beloved smileys.

====Getting Started====
Suppose that you're entering text in the HTML editor and you reach a point where you want to insert a mathematical expression. You want to be able to show the text expression you would use to create an equations as well as the equations itself. Pushing the DragMath button launches the DragMath editor in a small popup window (Note: the first time you do this, there will be a delay of a few seconds due to applet initialization).

====Create the math expression in DragMath====
Drag the various graphic constituents of your equation into the construction area until the equation is to your satisfaction.

====Save the expression====
From the Menu Bar click File->Save As or click on the floppy icon. Provide a local location where you want to save the equation and the applet stores the equation there in a .dgrm file.

====Select Export Format====
From the Menu Bar click Options->Set Export Format. If you want to insert the text expression for a tex formula, select LaTex. If you wish to insert the text expression with the doubledollar tokens so that the expression will be converted by the moodle tex filter, select MoodleTex (this will likely be the default choice in your applet). If you have replaced your tex filter with the ASCIIMathML filter, select ASCIIMathML.

====Insert the expression====
Click the "Insert button" and you're done. The editor will disappear and the output you selected will be inserted. If you chose MoodleTex, the LaTeX expression (with $$ delimiters added at both ends) will be inserted into your text at the current cursor position. Note the screen shot below. This demonstrates the results when you have selected MoodleTex to insert the equation in your work. '''Note ASCIIMathML users:''' the ASCIIMathML.xml file currently has backtics set as tokens. You can edit that file to use the auto nomenclature if you choose

====Altering Applet Parameters====
The window presented by the dragmath plugin is controlled by an applet reference in a php file, which for htmlarea in Moodle 1.9.x is dlg_ins_dragmath.php, one of the files included in the distribution, which can be found in moodleroot/lib/editor/htmlarea/popups . Applet parameters, per the dragmath documentation, can be changed in this file. By default, the language is set to English and the output format is set to MoodleTex (that is, the output will include double dollars signs, and if you have turned off your tex filter and are using asciimath then you will probably want to set your default export format to ASCIIMathML.)

In answer to the prayers of users, the STACK folk added the ability to drop the dot that DragMath had always inserted in 3x between the coefficient and the variable as in 3∙x . You will find a menu item in DragMath's gui to turn this on and off right next to the menu items for formatting. This setting can also be set via an applet parameter.

You can add formats and languages via /lib/DragMath/Config.xml with the various XML export formats in the formats subdirectory of applets and the languages in the lang subdirectory. Of course you can, with care, edit the various xml files.

Should you wish to make any changes, please remember to back up a copy of your original file.

[[Image:Dragmath_instructions.png|DragMath instructions]]

===Installing DragMath===
The most current version of DragMath can now be installed properly by simply using unzip (see the section immediately below this one). The Moodle CVS system and issues with managing adminlib.php have resulted in our going to this new and easier to use package. The new package offers a single zip that includes not only the integration files (at least for htmlarea for the present and with smileys) but the current DragMath files as well. The file can be unzipped in place, a welcome change from the hassles of installing with the Moodle CVS zip; just place the zip file in the moodle root and unzip.

This method is different than the two previously used. Beware of relying on installation advice or files posted in forums prior to July 2009 as they may be addressing files and methods no longer in use. You may also find a variety of development code in the forums regarding use of dragmath with a number of editors. Some of this may work and some may not, but none of it will be current. Use at your own risk!

DragMath may eventually become core technology in Moodle, meaning that as of a certain version no installation may be required, but installation instructions will continue to remain so as to support older versions as long as feasible.

====Installing DragMath from the non-CVS Zip - Recommended!====
We have come full circle and as a result of the issues with maintaining a current adminlib.php for every version as well as with the potential move of dragmath that may take place with Moodle 2, DragMath is now available as a zip file that can be easily installed from your root moodle directory (unlike the CVS zip described below, one reason we recommend you no longer use the CVS zip.)

In order to make things as easy as possible, the specifics of downloading the current version can be found [http://www.dragmath.bham.ac.uk/moodle.html here.] Simply download the integration zip file, place the zip file in your root moodle directory (/moodle for many) and unzip. The DragMath files will be installed in their correct locations. Additionally, you will get a file called adminlib_exampleonly.php which you can diff with your adminlib.php to demonstrate the addition of the lines to allow you to turn the dragmath icon on and off (see [[DragMath equation editor#Managing Your Editor Icons Through adminlib.php]]).

Once you have unzipped DragMath '''DO NOT''' delete the zip file. Each time you update Moodle the update will write over several of the files necessary for integration. The easy solution is to simply keep the zip file in your Moodle root and unzip after each update.

If you are using prior versions of DragMath it is suggested that you do a new install as there have been some changes internal to the DragMath directory as well as to the integration files. Once you have done a new install with the zip above, future versions of DragMath in Moodle 1.9.x will likely only require that you replace the DragMath directory that has now been located at /lib/DragMath with a newer directory from sourceforge (or you can wait until you see an updated on Moodle).

Early adopters of the as yet unreleased Moodle 2 should note that dragmath is presently included in HEAD (do not do any installation) and you should review the section on Moodle 2 below for further information.

====Installing DragMath From the Moodle CVS - NOT RECOMMENDED====
Please note that the Moodle CVS for dragmath is no longer being supported. The files however are still present and if you insist you can access them. It is recommended that you DO NOT DO THIS.

If you are running version 1.9.+ [http://download.moodle.org/patches19/dragmath.zip click here] or if you are running Moodle version 1.8.4 or greater but not 1.9.x [http://download.moodle.org/patches18/dragmath.zip click here]
and you will start the download of the cvs zip file (at present there are no differences between the two versions.)

At this point you can unzip on your workstation and then you can upload the included files to their appropriate locations ('''but read the warning below first'''). This version retains the smileys and includes all integration files and all DragMath files (demos, docs, and all export formats) The Moodle automagically creates the zip with a parent directory of "dragmath". Should you wish you can unzip the files and then rezip with the top level directory being /lib, and this will allow you to simply upload the zip you just created to your moodle root and unzip there, and the files will be placed in their appropriate locations. However, please DO NOT include the adminlib.php file and make sure all files are backed up, and in as much as there are only a few files you may want to manually install even if a zip with /lib as top directory were provided here just to ensure each file is backed up before installation. Upload the zip file to your Moodle root and unzip.

'''Warning:''' At present the CVS zip file includes a version of adminlib.php. This file is included because there is a line added to it that allows you to hide the dragmath icon. In any event, the included adminlib.php should '''NOT''' be used to over write your adminlib.php!

'''DO NOT''' over write your adminlib.php. Install the rest of the files (other than adminlib.php) and DragMath will work without a problem.
====Managing Your Editor Icons Through adminlib.php====
To be able to add your dragmath icon, save your existing copy of adminlib.php (you will find it in the /lib directory) and insert this line:
'insertdragmath' => 'em.icon.dragmath.gif',

below this line:
'insertsmile' => 'em.icon.smile.gif',

and save. The line can really be placed anywhere in that array, but by providing a specific location it will help when addressing requests for assistance in hiding buttons. And, having taken the time to explore this beautiful little array, you can now alter your button images to your hearts content!

The array is employed by the admin GUI (Site Administration-> Appearance->HTML editor) to provide you the Administrator with the ability to hide buttons in the HTML editor via editorhidebuttons. Once you have installed Dragmath and added the button, you can use the GUI to hide the insertdragmath button.

You may ask, what about altering the adminlib.php file in the CVS or providing a patch? [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-16280 This was raised and you can vote on it.] Let's get real here folks, we are talking about one line which could be added to adminlib.php at 1.8.4 or later without any other impact. Is it really necessary to provide a separate adminlib.php for dragmath everytime someone changes adminlib.php in the core? If you have an opinion on this please edit the page comments on this and provide your input as to whether adminlib.php should just be dropped from the dragmath distribution.

===Locally saving and restoring a DragMath expression===
When you press the Insert button, DragMath inserts the export string into your text and the DragMath window closes. ''The exported string can no longer be manipulated using DragMath.'' If you decide to change the string, you have two options:
*delete the string (including the dollar signs or other token) and completely recreate it using DragMath
*edit the expression by hand
You can not tell DragMath to re-read the expression and show it again in two dimensions. This is a theoretical limitation, not a limitation of DragMath.

But suppose the expression is very complicated. It would be impractical to start over just to make a simple change. Before you Insert the expression, you can save a copy of the expression (a .drgm file) to your local disk using the Save button (see screenshot). Later, if you need to make a change, you open the saved .drgm file.

[[Image:Dragmath_save_and_restore.png|DragMath instructions]]

A .drgm file contains three-dimensional representation of your mathematical expression. It is a binary file that can only be opened by DragMath.
===Troubleshooting===
====Before Posting to the Forum====
DragMath is a java applet which in Moodle 1.9 is being invoked through the editor htmlarea. This means that there are a number of places to check to determine what the trouble might be.

''You don't see any editor icons:'' Safari and Chrome, for example, do not handle htmlarea, and without access to htmlarea, you are stuck. Use a different browser or if you are an advanced user, consider moving to tinyMCE.

''Htmlarea comes up, but you don't see the DragMath button:'' Flush your cache and try again.

''You flushed your cache and still don't see the DragMath button:'' Retrace your installation steps-make sure that you placed the zip file in your moodle root and that you did an unzip that overwrote htmlarea.php and dialog.js. If the problem persists post to the forum with specifics regarding how you followed the steps above.

''You clicked on the DragMath button but DragMath did not come up:'' In Moodle 1.9 with DragMath 0.7.8.2, open the URL http://yourFQDN/moodlerootifappropriate/lib/DragMath/DragMath%20Demonstration.html . A demo page with DragMath should come up and be functional. If the demo works, please post the details of the process you have followed to date along with your java log (please include all details of the versions of the OS, browser, java, etc you are using.) If the demo does not work, then the issue likely is with your browser's use of java (see, e.g. http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Using+the+Java+plugin+with+Firefox.) Please update to the most recent version of java available to you and make sure that you have installed all plugins your browser needs to open a java applet. Then flush your cache browser cache and your java cache, make sure you have pointed your browser to your ost current version of java and retry. If it still does not work post the details as above.

====After Update Dragmath Disappears====
Unfortunately there are files that DragMath shares with core Moodle files that Moodle developers won't change, which means each time you update Moodle you must reinstall the integration files. You can do this by identifying each of the files and making a backup of them with a filename that the update won;t overwrite, or you can simply keep the DragMath install zip in the root of your Moodle and do an unzip after each update. Quick and easy.
====unzip====
Some packages like winRAR provide a separate setting that prefixes the archives name on directories. In order for the files to be properly placed when the archive is unzipped you must make sure this is not the case. In winRAR for Windows for example you can go to Options->Settings and on the Compression tab you will see something to the effect of "Append archive name to path"; make sure this is not set!

Also, please note that the non-cvs zip is created so that the files in various directories are placed correctly. If, however, you set unzip or instruct unzip not to overwrite but to rename, then you will unpack the archived files into new directories (for example /lib(2) instead of /lib) and your install will not work.

====java jre====
Dragmath is java based, and unless you have a current java runtime environment you will likely run into trouble. Make sure you keep your JRE current and that the current JRE is selected. You can check here for latest versions: http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp. Note that Apple packages java itself, so OS X users can be caught in the Apple development cycle. The best option is to make sure you use Software Update frequently. DragMath has been shown to work fine with OS X 10.5 using FF 3.6.3 and the latest Java update. As of June 2010 Apple has released Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 2 and Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 7. These releases correspond to the latest Java released by Sun (Oracle), Java 6 update 20. Check here for the most recent downloads from Apple: http://support.apple.com/downloads/

===Development===
====Language Files====
The 0.7.8.1 package now includes language files (with Finnish, courtesy of Mauno Korpelainen) and the integration files should provide for automatic selection of the language based on the Moodle language setting.
====Square brackets====
Use of text expressions in the Moodle Wiki can create problems when the text expression includes square brackets, which is how TeX expresses the nth root. Pending a simple wiki based solution users may want to use the ASCIIMathML filter and the ASCIIMathML export format as this combination avoids the use of square brackets.
====Consistent integration with all html editors====
The Moodle discussion regarding html editors suggests that it will be important for DragMath to have consistent integration with a variety of html editors as htmlarea passes into obsolescence. Plugins for tinyMCE, Xinha and FCKEditor with a similar structure and common codebase are ready and compatible with all browsers that support javascript and Java.
====Additional formats====
There are quite a few options now available for creating text expressions to for displaying equations and Moodle functionality can only be increased if tools were able to create and parse expressions created by the tools a user is most comfortable with. ASCIIMathML is one tool now available as a filter for Moodle that allows the parsing of both TeX and its own ASCIIMathML text expression syntax. Microsoft has now launched its OMML initiative in Office 2007 (see footnotes on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_Open_XML and OpenOffice employs its own text expression syntax (the OOo syntax is described at http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/oooauthors2/0216WG-MathObjects.pdf).
The ability to have DragMath create text expressions that can be used in native documents as well as parsed by filters such as ASCIIMathML will help make use of equations on-line more transparent for everyone.
====Extending DragMath to a Math Chat====
Having been introduced by Marc Grober to a math chat application (http://www.imathas.com/cur/mathchat/testchat.html [NB: the mathchat referenced here is the creation of David Lippman]) it would be useful to see similar features in Moodle's chat, specifically:

1. The ability to ''easily'' display mathematical symbols with DragMath incorporated into the chat window.

2. The ability to create and display mathematical graphs.

===Moodle 2===
<s>As part of planning for Moodle 2 we have recommended that DragMath be placed in /lib/editor/common/dragmath alongside asciimathml (which is located in /lib/editor/common/asciimath). This should not result in any other major changes and those wanting to stay abreast may either want to look moving files before Moodle 2 or may want to keep an eye out for a zip of asciimath and dragmath packaged as a precursor to Moodle 2.</s>

Discussion of the transition of DragMath to Moodle core: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=125977&parent=551794

[[ca:DragMath_editor_d%27equacions]]

Backup and restore FAQ

2010-08-30T18:42:58Z

Net-buoy: /* How can I backup and restore a course from a 1.9 site to a 2.0 site? */

==How do I backup a course?==

See [[Course backup]] and [[Automated course backup]].

==How do I restore a course?==

See [[Restore]].

==How do I backup my site?==

See [[Site backup]].

==Backup stops at Zipping backup==
Moodle 1.9 and lower use a PHP library to zip files that isn't very efficient and struggles to zip/unzip large files. You can use an external Zip binary to use a different process to handle your files - you can set this in ''Admin > Server > System Paths'' Moodle 2.0 uses new PHP zip functions so that specifying an external Zip binary isn't necessary see [[System_paths#Path_to_zip]] for help configuring an external zip binary.

==What are the pros and cons of course versus site backups?==

[[Site backup|Site backups]] are recommended in order to have all data saved with the best confidence and the shortest recovery time.

[[Automated course backup|Automated course backups]] are more expensive in terms of time and CPU usage. The recovery time to have your site running again is longer. Course backups are useful for obtaining "fresh" copies of courses to be re-used or distributed individually, however they should never be used as a primary backup system (unless your hosting doesn't allow the preferred site backups).

==What data is not contained in course backups?==

By selecting all the options when setting up the backup you can include almost all the data in the course. However you should be aware of the fact that some things are not backed up:
* Quiz questions are only backed up if at least one question from their category has been added to a quiz.
* Scales are only backed up if they are used by at least one activity.

==The process ends with: "Error: An error occurred deleting old backup data". What should I do?==

This part of the backup (or restore) procedure tries to delete old info, used in previous executions, performing the following tasks:

# Delete old records from "backup_ids" table: Check the table exists, repair it and try again.
# Delete old records from "backup_files" table: Check the table exists, repair it and try again.
# Delete old files from "moodledata/temp/backup": Delete the dir completely and try again.

[[Image:BackupProblem.gif|thumb|Backup error message]]For points 1 & 2, there are various ways of repairing tables, including using MySQL Admin.
For point 3 see below:

The error message states that the "directory not empty" and gives the path to that directory. If you go there with an FTP program you can see what is there and clean up. It could be just some empty subfolders that were leftover. Deleting these has been able to help. One can also delete the dir "moodledata/temp/backup" completely. That can take a bit longer but may solve several problems at once.

==The process ends with: "XML error: not well-formed (invalid token) at line YYYY". What can I do?==

This problem can appear at any point in the restore process. It's caused when the XML parser detects something incorrect in the backup file that prevent correct operation. Usually, it's caused by some "illegal" characters added in the original course due to some copy/paste of text containing them (control characters, or invalid sequences...).

The best method to handle this issue is:

* Unzip the problematic backup file under one empty folder.

* Open the moodle.xml with Firefox. It will show you where (exact char) the problem is happening.

* Edit the moodle.xml file with some UTF8-compatible editor and delete such characters. Save changes.

* Test the moodle.xml file again with Firefox until no error was displayed.

* Zip everything again (all the folder contents but not the folder itself!).

* Restore the course. It should work now.

* Restore still not working? See the next question.

Also, if possible, it's highly recommended to solve those problems in the original course too from Moodle itself. Once "repaired" there, problems will be out if you create new backup files in the future.

==The process ends with: "moodle xml not found at root level of zip file". What can I do?==
If you are restoring from a zip file backup make sure the moodle.xml file is at the root level. To ensure this:
#Unzip the backup file of the course (example: mycourse.zip)
#Once the file is unzipped, open the folder (example: mycourse).
#Select the folders within the mycourse folder AND the moodle.xml file and create a zip of those item (example: mycourse_new.zip)
#Upload the new zip file (example: mycourse_new.zip) and restore from that.

If the backup file is guaranteed to be correct, check paths to external files (zip, unzip). Incorrect settings also lead to this error message (see the Using Moodle forum discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=140355 moodle.xml not found in root...] and MDL-14812).

==The process ends with: "An error occurred while copying the zip file..."==

This problem is most likely caused by a permissions issue in the destination directory. Backup files are copied to "XXX/backupdata" under your dataroot directory (where XXX is the id of the course being backed up).

The problem could also be caused by a disk being full, though this is far less likely.

To obtain precise information about what's happening, you can enable debug messages in ''Administration > Server > [[Debugging]]'' (select the maximum level - DEVELOPER) and/or check the web server error logs.

==I Still get an XML error. How can I clean the borked XML file?==

In some cases XML backup files may contain characters causing the restore process to abort, even after the steps described in the previous question. In such cases you may want to try the following:

* Download the [http://repository.atlassian.com/atlassian-xml-cleaner/jars/atlassian-xml-cleaner-0.1.jar Atlassian XML Cleaner Utility] from the [http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/JIRA/Removing+invalid+characters+from+XML+backups JIRA Atlassian site].

* Unzip the problematic Moodle backup file under one empty folder. Moodle will create the course file folders as long as the unclean moodle.xml file. Please unzip using the Moodle unzip feature.

* Rename the unclean moodle.xml file to moodle-unclean.xml.

* If you don't have access to your Moodle server's command prompt, using the Moodle zip feature, zip the moodle-unclean.xml file only, download the zip file locally and unzip it. It is very important to download the xml file in zipped format to avoid unwanted character encoding when transferring from an operating system to another.

* Move the downloaded Atlassian XML Cleaner Utility in the same folder where is your moodle-unclean.xml file.

* Issue the following command from the command prompt:

java -jar atlassian-xml-cleaner-0.1.jar moodle-unclean.xml > moodle.xml

* If you launched the utility on your local computer, zip the just created (and hopefully cleaned) moodle.xml file and upload it in the same place from where you downloaded the moodle-unclean.xml file. Once uploaded, unzip it using the Moodle unzip feature.

* Zip everything again (all the folder contents but the folder itself!).

* Restore the course. It should work now.

==What does "Some of your courses weren't saved!!" mean?==

There are three possible causes of this problem:
# Error - this happens when the backup procedure has found an error and so hasn't finished the backup of a particular course. These are "controlled" errors and the scheduled backup continues with the next course.
# Unfinished - this happens when the backup procedure dies without knowing why. When the cron is next executed it detects that the last execution went wrong, and continues skipping the problematic course. A possible solution would be to raise the PHP/Apache limit in your installation (memory, time of execution...). By taking a look to your log tables you should be able to see if the "crash" is happening at exact time intervals (usually a problem with the max_execution_time php's variable), or if there is some exact point were all the courses are breaking (generally internal zip libraries, try to switch to external executables instead).
# Skipped - this happens when a course is unavailable to students and has not been changed in the last month (31 days). This isn't an error situation - it's a feature, especially useful for sites with many unavailable old courses, saving process time.

==How can I restore pre 1.6 non-ISO-8859-1 backups to Moodle 1.6 (Unicode)?==

Any backup files with contents which are not 100% ISO-8859-1 will be a problem to restore to Moodle 1.6 (and upwards) running under Unicode. Instead, please try the following:

# Make a clean install of Moodle 1.5.x (the latest version available)
# Restore all your courses there (they should work if they were working originally)
# Upgrade your site to Moodle 1.6 and run the UTF-8 migration script
# Backup your courses again

This will produce a new set of backup files that will be 100% UTF-8 and you will be able to use them with Moodle 1.6 without any problems.


==Restoring a course results in broken HTML tags. What can I do?==

'''Summary:''' Upgrade your libxml2 and PHP and you should be fine. It has been confirmed that the recent versions of libxml2 (2.7.3) and PHP (5.2.10) no longer have this problem.

'''Background:''' (may be obsoleted) This problem is due to a [http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=45996 PHP bug in libxml2 2.7.1] (the same bug reported with version 2.7.2 and 2.7.3). All HTML entities, such as >, < and " are removed when a course is restored.

To resolve the problem, you should use a different version of libxml2 such as 2.7.0 or 2.6.32 or compile PHP against libexpat instead of libxml2 or finally use PHP version >= 5.2.9 that solves this compatibility issue over the newer libxml2.

At Gentoo servers, you can use

echo ">dev-libs/libxml2-2.6.32" >> /etc/portage/package.mask

'''Update:''' This was fixed for libxml2 version 2.7.3 in PHP snapshot on 11/01/2009. You can use the following patch:

--- php-5.2.8/ext/xml/compat.c 2008/12/31 11:12:38 1.52
+++ php-5.2.8/ext/xml/compat.c 2009/01/11 12:00:30 1.53
@@ -482,6 +482,10 @@
parser->parser->charset = XML_CHAR_ENCODING_NONE;
#endif

+#if LIBXML_VERSION >= 20703
+ xmlCtxtUseOptions(parser->parser, XML_PARSE_OLDSAX);
+#endif
+
parser->parser->replaceEntities = 1;
parser->parser->wellFormed = 0;
if (sep != NULL) {

See the discussion [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=111321 Restoring makes webpages and labels in code] for further information.

==Why are some courses being skipped?==

From 1.6 onwards, course backups automatically skip courses which are unavailable to students and have not been changed in the last month.

==Why does restore stop, rather than completing?==

Attempting to restore a course to an older version of Moodle than the one the course was backed up on can result in the restore process failing to complete. To ensure a successful restore, make sure that the version of Moodle you are restoring the course to is the same, or newer, than the one the course was backed up on.

If it stop unexpectedly with no errors shown try again with [[Debugging]] switched on. Any errors you now see can help experts in the support forums diagnose your problem. You can also check the discussion links in the See also section below for further advice.

==How can I improve restore robustness and execution times?==

{{Moodle 1.9}}To improve restore robustness and execution times, particularly for medium to large course backups, try enabling the setting ''experimentalsplitrestore'' in ''Administration > Miscellaneous > [[Experimental]]''. (This setting is available in Moodle 1.9.5 onwards.)

MDL-18468 contains information about this Experimental Split Restore functionality and the improvements to course restore robustness and execution times that it introduced, particularly for medium to large course backups. It also explains why this is an 'Experimental' feature in Moodle 1.9.

==How can I backup and restore a course from a 1.9 site to a 2.0 site?==

Backup and restore from 1.9 to 2.0 is due to be implemented soon. In the meantime, a workaround (for those daft enough) is to upgrade the 1.9 site to 2.0. PLEASE NOTE that Moodle 2 has yet to be released. There is a reason that it is yet to be released. For testing purposes, one could clone one's 1.9.x Moodle (leaving your production Moodle at 1.9.x) and then upgrade your clone to Moodle 2.

== See also ==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=128 Backup and Restore forum]
*[http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mysql/article.php/10897_3300511_2 databasejournal.com article on repairing database corruption in MySQL]

Moodle Docs:
* [[Site backup]]
* [[Moodle migration]]
* [[Beginning Administration FAQ]]

Using Moodle forum discussions:
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=66708 Scheduled backup fails] including possible solution to "An error occurred while copying files".
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=99338 Restore stops]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=125663 Major Backup and Restore Problem in 1.9.5] with ideas for solving "Course ID was incorrect (can't find it)" problem
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=137203 Restore does not continue]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142720 Trying to restore user 'admin' from backup file will cause conflict]

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[Category:Backup]]

[[es:FAQ Backup]]
[[pl:Backup FAQ]]
[[fr:FAQ de sauvegarde]]
[[ja:バックアップFAQ]]
[[pt:FAQ sobre cópias de segurança]]

Finding and Selecting A Web Host

2010-08-12T17:31:24Z

Net-buoy: /* Hosts who provide full Moodle management/maintenance services */

==Purpose==
These pages are meant to serve as an additional guide to help users work through variety of questions, issues, etc. as they choose the best way to provide Moodle as an LMS to their users. We hope that these pages will help to steer the user to helpful materials that may not be easily found by the docs search engine. This is an ambitious undertaking, so we would be very pleased for more authors to add to the content!

A similar effort can be found in the [[Decision FAQ]] and if you have suggestions for integration, linking, etc. please feel free to post suggestions via the "page comments" tab above.

==Planning a Moodle installation==

If you are interested in installing and using a Moodle instance in your school, organization, or business, there are many things you must consider. Not only do you have to think about the technical aspects, you also should put some thought into how you would like to use the system, maintain the system, create the content, and support the users.

Depending on the scope and scale of your instance, and the technical expertise you can bring to the table, you may decide that you can host Moodle yourself or you may realize you could use some help! This page focuses on making decisions about how or where to host a Moodle site. Other pages will be developed to address the separate issue of retaining consultants apart from the question of hosting (though many of the concerns in addressing both are comparable.)

In addition to technical expertise, there are staffing issues to consider. A '''developer''' will help you write code to enhance or add new functionality. Many installations find that they do not need a developer, or they can hire development on an ad hoc basis. An '''LMS/Moodle administrator''' needs to have a good understanding of the system side of moodle. The more this person knows about databases and general web applications, the better. If you don't have an IT person to run the server and manage security, then the LMS/Moodle administrator may need to oversee these important duties. '''Content creators''' usually assist instructors with planning and creating course content. Large installations may need dedicated IT staff and database administrators. Consider the mix of people you have to support Moodle in your organization. You may find that you can cover all these bases with your current staff. If not, you may want to look at a contracting to provide management and maintenance services for your Moodle instance, your instructors, and your students/course participants.

==Who are you? Types of Moodle Instances==
Before you choose a host, it would probably be helpful to have a firm understanding of who '''YOU''' are. What do you intend to accomplish with your Moodle instance?

Typical types of Moodle instances include schools, companies, agencies, churches, and a wide variety of non-profit organizations. A single individual may want to deliver just two or three courses. Some moodle instances serve as portfolios or special project spaces. Moodlers are very innovative!

Each of these types of Moodle users will have differing requirements and needs. Each may have different ideas about what kind of content they want to provide, who will be facilitating the "course work" (or if the course work will be automated), how they will enroll the users, and how strictly they want/need to enforce privacy for users.

These issues are of great importance when selecting a host. If you can identify exactly what you want to do and how you think it can be best accomplished, then you will likely recognize whether or not you can "do it yourself", if you need to look for full-service hosting, or if you can accomplish your goals with a consultant or ad hoc development.

The following are common types of users. Some people only use moodle to create and teach courses (albeit in quite a lot of different ways!) Some people take care of the Moodle "back end", which involves administrative functions. In some cases, the Moodle admin will take on responsibilities for "server admin" as well as assisting with training for teachers using moodle. In others, the "server admin" will work with other people to form a group that covers Moodle admin and classroom teacher perspectives. Trainers often have all the skills for the instructor as well as Moodle adminintrator. There are endless combinations of staffing and roles depending on your organization.

The following examples should be seen as a rough continuum with many variations possible. Take a look at the examples that seem to fit you best and we will attempt to describe the skillsets you will need and our best advice for the type of hosting you may find most practical:

===The classroom teacher, instructor, professor, or course creator===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_teachers|The Hosting for moodle teachers page]] describes the default role of "editing teacher" and sets out some considerations for evaluating your ability to manage a Moodle instance on your own.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to negotiate an agreement with them to provide the hosting and assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance. Depending on your situation and the level of support you need, outsourcing might be the more attractive option.

=== The (limited) Moodle admin===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_admins|The hosting for moodle admins page]] describes the role of the Moodle admin. Not the server admin. This role is limited to managing Moodle, but not other software packages on the server.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to arrange for them to provide the hosting and you assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance.

===The Advanced Moodle admin===

As you by now expected, [[Hosting_for_moodle_admins_advanced|the hosting for moodle advanced admins page]] is for those people who manage Moodle as well as getting into server side considerations, such as cron, email, database management and php.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in hosting without service.

===The Server admin===

There is also a [[Hosting_for_server_admins|page addressing hosting for server admins]], for people who have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the server and stack software. If you fit into this category, you may be less or not involved in managing the moodle instance. Some individuals will be able to run the server as well as manage the moodle instance in its entirety.

==Types of Hosts==

===Hosts who provide full Moodle management/maintenance services===

Some hosts are ready to support Moodle as a software package as well as providing and maintaining the server it runs on. They may provide training, content building, and development services as well. Service packages will likely include moodle upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups.

There are two types of full-service hosts for the purposes of this discussion: Moodle Partners and hosts who are not Moodle Partners.

[http://moodle.com/partners Moodle Partners] are an [http://moodle.com/partners/list/ international group] of Moodle-based service companies that work closely with [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Pty Ltd].

There are a variety of other companies providing similar services (sometimes under other names like "lms hosting" and sometimes not) that are not affiliated with the Moodle project and who do not support the project through royalties. Some of them even offer free services that are supported by third-party advertising.

As a consumer you need to choose carefully from all the options available to you. Each of these companies is an individual concern, and a prospective client is ultimately responsible for understanding what service package they are purchasing and how long it might be likely to be around. Do your research and articulate your needs and expectations very carefully!

If you google "moodle hosting" you will find Moodle Partners and a large number of sites offering Moodle hosting that are not full-service hosts. Be very careful. Many sites that advertise "Moodle hosting" are really offering you hosting of the software only, without additional management and maintenance services. These hosts do provide the software you need to run Moodle, but you are on your own after that!

===Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services===

[[Hosting_without_service|Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services]] is perhaps the most common situation. Many people select this option when they have decided they do not want to be responsible for hardware or the basic software "stack" used to run a Moodle instance, but also do not want to pay the premium for someone else to provide administrative expertise in the management of Moodle. There are thousands of web hosts available, and each probably offers a slightly different set of service options.

While full-service or managed hosting packages may include upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups, no-frills hosting will assume that you are willing to manage all these aspects of running a moodle instance.

If you have a reasonable level of confidence in hosting your own site this can be a very inexpensive solution.

===In-house hosting (or "do it yourself")===
If you have the necessary background and interest, you (or your IT team) can set up your own server and run one or more Moodle instances to support your institution, business, or project. You may choose to deploy Moodle on a variety of different operating systems (Mac, Linux, Windows) and with several different database options (MySQL, Postgres, MSSQL). While this page is not intended to provide assistance in accomplishing this goal, it does attempt to describe the sort of knowledge base you or your team will require for successfully [[in_house_hosting|hosting your own Moodle instance.]] You could also consider commercial support for in-house hosting from any of the commercial support providers mentioned above.

=Choosing a Web Host=

==The User Experience==
===Your Compendium===
[[Web_Hosts|A matrix]] has been created so that users can provide information on various web hosting options here. Please feel free to add to the matrix, but respect the footnoting conventions and the table structure please. There is some exploration of using Google Docs to address user feedback on Web Hosts. While a Google Doc may eventually be embedded in the Web Host doc, an experimental version can be [https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0AkMXlh7DWOcTcEdsTWhWUlFfelUtM20talNqZVFDR1E seen here].

'NB:' If the wiki structure for the matrix is too much of a hassle, please just use the + tab from the "page comment" tab (you must be logged in to docs to see this, and that is still a separate log in....) to add your comments and someone will transfer them to the matrix.

===Discussion in the Forums===
While the forums should not be viewed as authoritative as circumstances change over time, they have been a focal point for quite a bit of discussion of various web hosts over time.

A collection of posts largely focusing on GoDaddy can be [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087#p459052| found here] and a list of discussions concerning quite a few other hosts, courtesy of [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=195424&course=5| Richard Enison (RLE)], appears in that collection [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087&parent=459052| at this address].

==Why Use A Web Host==

General areas of concern are:

===General Management and Installation Assistance===
Many web hosts offer GUIs that provide shortcuts to install and manage web applications. Some typical "panel" options are Fantastico and cpanel, while an example of a management application that many webhosts make available is phpmyadmin (for managing mysql databases.)
====CPanel====
If you decide to choose a hosting company that has cpanel then [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleonhostingwitholdcpanel.swf this tutorial] may provide some guidance in choosing a host and setting up moodle via the old cpanel. It is a VERY large file (that runs for about 12 minutes) and you will have to wait for it to load but [[User:Eric Hagley|Eric Hagley]] indicates it is worth the wait as affords a step by step approach. If you have the new cpanel please use [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleoncpanel.swf this link] for an updated tutorial.

===Keeping Your Software Current===
Software such as Moodle is not static; it changes all the time. Indeed Moodle software changes sometimes daily. Software may be altered to fix security issues or to make improvements. Sometimes a fix in one respect causes a bug in another.

Additionally, as noted below, Moodle is not the only product you may want to keep current, and any time you are trying to keep multiple applications current you are bound to run into compatibility issues.

As noted elsewhere, some web hosts provide utilities for web application management. For a discussion of updating software using such utilities (Cpanel for example) see the section on [[#General Management and Installation Assistance|General Management and Installation Assistance above]].

===Keeping Your Software Compatible===
Moodle is not "just" Moodle. The Moodle experience relies on a set of software applications, including a web server (often but not necessarily Apache), PHP, and a database engine (often but not necessarily mySQL), as well as the Moodle code itself. Each of the elements involved is regularly updated and this will result in compatibility issues. A fix to one application may cause a problem in another. Moreover, the manner in which an issue is addressed in one version may change with the next (an example being the use of php.ini files, which were required in every directory in php 4.x, a practice unnecessary in php 5.)

In addition to the four primary Moodle components (again, web server, database engine, PHP and Moodle code) you may wish to install a variety of additional software to use with Moodle (Moodle offers many modules to provide for the integration of external applications). The addition of an external application to your overall system increases complexity because as the various applications develop the modules integrating them may fail.

Module installation might be handled by a firm offering dedicated Moodle services, but will not be typically addressed by a vanilla web-host, which leaves the install of aspell, dragmath, asciimathml, etc. all to you.

One of the most intelligent questions that may be heard in a Moodle class is whether a course developed in Moodle A will work in Moodle B. The best answer is, "Maybe".

===Backups===
[http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-true.html Murphy's Law] offers no exceptions; it is an absolute, and without knowing who you are, where you come from or what you do, your Moodle may some day fail. The good news is that the odds of multiple failures are in your favor, so if you are well prepared, this eventuality can be viewed with same equanimity as that stubbed toe.....

Keeping very good records of your hacks, your additions, and the settings you have used for moodle as well as all the other software that it takes to support a moodle instance provides invaluable information. A backup regime, including course backups, software backups, and database backups is also important.

The Moodler must remember that while Moodle itself can do some backups, Moodle backups are very intensive and are only a small facet of an effective backup program, which must address the variety of data that is encompassed by a Moodle web site.

We'll discuss various backup types and issues below, but first let's talk about the underlying issue: who is doing what?

Some web hosts provide "snap shots", some provide site wide backups. Some offer shell access and tell you to roll your own, while some web hosts honestly couldn't care less.... You must remember that, without a specific agreement otherwise, it is unlikely that your web host acknowledges any responsibility for maintaining your data. Unfortunately, typically each of your data types may require a different kind of backup and you either need to learn how to do effective backups of your site on your own, or you will have to negotiate what amounts to bare metal backup with your Web Host (and you will need to identify an appropriate window, because you want your backups to be rather more current than your web host might find sensible....)

If you have shell access the good news is that there are quite a few scripts out there you can use to help yourself build an effective backup regimen.

There are critical points with respect to backing up your data that need to be addressed. They range from the global, such as addressing the location for the backups and managing remote backups (rsync can be helpful in this respect) and actually handling and recycling of the files themselves (when do you back up, what do you backup when you do backup, and how long do you keep a specific file) to the narrow (for example the db should be locked during backup.) While we have broken up this discussion because different types of data need to be treated in different ways, one could script one's system to address backups for all the different types of data.

Another option that we should mention in passing is that one can also look at replication of data, either to a simple store or to a failover unit. Be aware that mysql replication requires access to mysql commands that some web hosts do not provide. Chances are that if you are looking at replication you are having multiple private systems hosted by a vendor or are running your own installation and have looked at fail-over, clusters and replication in depth.

Lastly, please remember that if you are paying a web host for bandwidth used, remote backup could become a source of significant expense

''Note: AT present there is one Backup page, [[Site_backup]], in the docs, and it might be helpful at some time to break that up so that separate docs address different aspects of backup with one page addressing scripting options. In any event link to backup page needs to be added''

====Data====
By data we mean the contents of the moodledata directory, which may represent some of your most important material.

====GUI====
Your GUI is what is most often neglected when addressing backups. More often than not much of what you think of as your GUI will be reflected in any customizations to your theme, with pertinent data located in your Moodle code installation (/moodle/theme - see below) and possibly moodledata (a possible site for images used.)

====Databases====
Whatever database you are using, it is critical that you dump and store your db regularly, especially because it can be so simple to restore a site if you have a recent db dump. This can be accomplished manually via a GUI as with phpmyadmin or mysql admin or via command line if the user has access and the requisite skills. It can also be automated via commercial or open scripting (as in HandyBackup or automysqlbackup).

====Software====
Not only your Moodle configuration (additional modules, hacks and twiddles), but complementary software that you have integrated (like Mahara, etc) should be backed up.

You might ask why you should back up your Moodle code when you can just download it from Moodle and reinstall. There are a couple of issues here. First, the version of Moodle you download today is going to be different than the same version of Moodle you download tomorrow. This is confusing but that is how things lie. It is possible that a new install will result in problems on a restore and if you are facing down some failure you DO NOT want to then also have to try and figure out why what was working yesterday isn't working today. All things being constant is the hallmark of restore, and you don;t want to deal with any changes you are not aware of.

The second issue is your potential customization, whether that amounts to hacks to php code or just to the installation of additional modules. If speed is of interest (and when doing a restore after failure the most oft heard words are "how soon" ) you don't want to have to recreate your Moodle application, you want to be able to restore.

And a third issue related to the previous point is theme customization. Themes are stored in /moodle/theme.

===Security===
Most often we talk about security in the context of potential threats to your data. Of course, what can cause some consternation here is that different folks think of data in different ways. There is the data Moodle places in the mysql database. There is the data that Moodle places in the moodledata file structure, and there is the Moodle code itself. You may want to consider protecting all of these types of data from unauthorized reading, writing and execution. Think of this as a two dimensional matrix. Now add a third dimension that includes various ways one might be able to access any cell in the existing table, including coding flaws, external configuration problems and internal Moodle configuration issues

====Code Flaws====
Code exploits are addressed regularly through patches.

''Need links to the various fora, etc for security reporting and info)''

====Configuration====
The most typical issue in this area is placing the moodledata directory in the web root.

====Moodle set-up====
This includes such matters as enrollment, internal role configuration, etc.

Perhaps the most widely discussed problem here has been the matter of profile spam that can be produced when admins allow open e-mail enrollment. There are arguments as to whether this is a security issue or not (and sometimes it seems that the same folks are on both sides of the issue at times) but what it means from a practical standpoint is that you can have a Moodle targeted at your elementary school which contains enough pornography to make Bosche blush.

Sophisticated authentication relying on Moodle Networking, LDAP etc. will require some administrative skill sets pertinent to the scheme employed. One should also be acquainted with the underlying nature of access control including the difference between authentication and authorization. See, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_control

More more prosaic but as important are matters of security policy and enunciation of protocols addressing access rights to data (in the U. S. consider HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA, etc.)

===Integration===
After an initial basic Moodle installation there are quite a few tasks that need to be addressed to integrate the Moodle with all the bells and whistles you are expecting to use.
====Cron====
One of the most important post-install tasks is to invoke cron.php via the system cron daemon (or Task Scheduler...) Among other tasks, such as backup, cron triggers mail. [[Cron]] explains a good deal but there may be issues when trying to use smtp (some of these have been fixed in Moodle 1.9.3) to alternative ports.
====Mail====
While typically Moodle will use PHP's mail routines, in some cases you may have to configure mail manually and some issues may require manual database edits. See, [[Email settings]] and [[Email setup gmail]] as examples of possible manual configuration.
====Max File Upload====
The maximum size of file uploads for Moodle can be controlled via the Moodle GUI but are also constrained via Apache and PHP, and to adjust these you may need to be able to edit .htaccess and/or php.ini. Here are some examples of the discussin of such matters: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=98064&parent=433245 and http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=103190&parent=456650

==Criteria for Selecting Web Hosts==

===What Purpose Will Your Site Serve===
Production, Experimentation, etc
Classroom support or Asynchronous Remote
Gradebook and critical classroom data
Number of concurrent users

Issues of scale can be very important. A relatively small number of concurrent users can generate enough email through forum postings to get you in trouble with your host. Email volume, storage space for users and courses, number of accounts,

===Will You Be Running a 5 Nines Site===
What is all this you hear about "five nines". This is a way to discuss [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptime system uptime] and the implications thereby for the amount of time that a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_availability system is down and not available].

While five nines is not that difficult to achieve, it becomes obvious quickly that without redundancy bringing down any part of a system for maintenance quickly knocks one out of the park.

Downtime can grossly be divided into planned and unplanned outages. You may determine that since you only serve people in one time zone who had beeter be in bed between 2 and 4 in the morning, that you can live with 2 hours of planned downtime a night. On the other hand, you may feel that from 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday no outage is acceptable.

===Are you Prepared to Serve as a SYSADMIN?===
How are you planning to staff your project (see above??)
Do you have buy in from your IT dept?
Is everyone involved familiar with the realistic demands of a Moodle install (crank the FTEs!)
===Is Your Web Host Willing to Negotiate for the Services You require===
====SLAs====
What is an SLA? An SLA is a Service Level Agreement. While wikipedia provides [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_level_agreement a basic discussion of SLAs], a review of [http://www.nkarten.com/sla.html Naomi Karten's site], which is pitched at the vendor might prove helpful. There are [http://www.service-level-agreement.net/ commercial SLA kits as well].

By way of example, consider [https://confluence.delhi.edu/display/CIS/Moodlerooms+Service+Level+Agreement the SLA between Delhi SUNY and Moodlerooms] ([https://confluence.delhi.edu/pages/diffpages.action?pageId=82083866&originalId=82346012 and see this comparison]), an SLA in pdf format for [http://www.northumbrialearning.co.uk/documents/legal/moodle_hosting.pdf North Umbria Learning], and an SLA in MS Word format for [http://www.kwantlen.ca/__shared/assets/Moodle_Service_Level_Agreement4387.doc Kwantlen, Canada].

====Remedies====
Well, having considered an SLA hard and fast, the question is whether your SLA sets out specific remedies for those occasions when your vendor doesn't provide the services agreed upon, and if not, what recourse you may have.

To put this another way, [http://www.kentlaw.edu/perritt/courses/property/Hohfeld.htm you have no rights if you have no remedies]. Depending on the relative bargaining power of the parties remedies could run from monetary damages to a term extension. In many cases your potential vendor may refuse to agree to any specific remedies. Consider the vendor who "guarantees" band width and when asked what the client receives when the bandwidth drops below the guaranteed service level, the vendor states that they will work to resolve the issue; there is no remedy and the guarantee is mere puffing.

Negotiating for remedies is an excellent way to explore the amount of faith the vendor puts in his own stock. Most often you will be told that the vendor can't provide any remedy as remedies could put them out of business. Chances are that this vendor does not have redundancy or experience necessary to provide mission critical service.

''Notes to selves:
Here is the real meat and potatoes, which we can put here or actually put on additional pages (my prefs)
SO a link to range of service, types of support, security, e-mail, mysql support, panels....
perhaps as well, pages on SLAs generally, boilerplate and guarantees, punchlists
Perhaps specific sections, with brief descriptors and links to more detailed pages.
''

=Planning an Installation=

[[Installation FAQ]]

==Outsourcing==

===Developing your specs===

Often a larger installation will not be a vanilla Moodle site, and needs to be tuned or customised to a particular purpose or environment.

If possible, try to develop a really clear specification of what you want internally. Create a written document that is clear and concise about your needs, including a statement of your purpose and goals. Resist the temptation to get too detailed, though - 100 page specifications full of descriptive text and mock screenshots may result in your Request For Quote (RFQ) ending up in a too-hard basket.

If you aren't sure exactly what you need, consider consulting with experts who have implemented similar systems before. The Moodle forums are a useful place to ask questions and get results from a variety of Moodle experts (but everyone will appreciate it if you read the pertinent docs first.)

===Approaching providers===

When sending your request for a quote to providers, make sure to include information about your deadlines and resources to help the provider make a balanced judgement on their costs and availability (depending on the work you need).

===Comparing quotes===

Generally you do get what you pay for. Like most things you should consider the following variables beyond cost value:

# Stability of the company
# Service level agreement (SLA) details
# Reputation of the provider
# Experience with Moodle

==Do It Yourself==
[[Planning your installation]]

[[Category:Installation]]

Finding and Selecting A Web Host

2010-08-12T17:25:14Z

Net-buoy: /* Planning a Moodle installation */

==Purpose==
These pages are meant to serve as an additional guide to help users work through variety of questions, issues, etc. as they choose the best way to provide Moodle as an LMS to their users. We hope that these pages will help to steer the user to helpful materials that may not be easily found by the docs search engine. This is an ambitious undertaking, so we would be very pleased for more authors to add to the content!

A similar effort can be found in the [[Decision FAQ]] and if you have suggestions for integration, linking, etc. please feel free to post suggestions via the "page comments" tab above.

==Planning a Moodle installation==

If you are interested in installing and using a Moodle instance in your school, organization, or business, there are many things you must consider. Not only do you have to think about the technical aspects, you also should put some thought into how you would like to use the system, maintain the system, create the content, and support the users.

Depending on the scope and scale of your instance, and the technical expertise you can bring to the table, you may decide that you can host Moodle yourself or you may realize you could use some help! This page focuses on making decisions about how or where to host a Moodle site. Other pages will be developed to address the separate issue of retaining consultants apart from the question of hosting (though many of the concerns in addressing both are comparable.)

In addition to technical expertise, there are staffing issues to consider. A '''developer''' will help you write code to enhance or add new functionality. Many installations find that they do not need a developer, or they can hire development on an ad hoc basis. An '''LMS/Moodle administrator''' needs to have a good understanding of the system side of moodle. The more this person knows about databases and general web applications, the better. If you don't have an IT person to run the server and manage security, then the LMS/Moodle administrator may need to oversee these important duties. '''Content creators''' usually assist instructors with planning and creating course content. Large installations may need dedicated IT staff and database administrators. Consider the mix of people you have to support Moodle in your organization. You may find that you can cover all these bases with your current staff. If not, you may want to look at a contracting to provide management and maintenance services for your Moodle instance, your instructors, and your students/course participants.

==Who are you? Types of Moodle Instances==
Before you choose a host, it would probably be helpful to have a firm understanding of who '''YOU''' are. What do you intend to accomplish with your Moodle instance?

Typical types of Moodle instances include schools, companies, agencies, churches, and a wide variety of non-profit organizations. A single individual may want to deliver just two or three courses. Some moodle instances serve as portfolios or special project spaces. Moodlers are very innovative!

Each of these types of Moodle users will have differing requirements and needs. Each may have different ideas about what kind of content they want to provide, who will be facilitating the "course work" (or if the course work will be automated), how they will enroll the users, and how strictly they want/need to enforce privacy for users.

These issues are of great importance when selecting a host. If you can identify exactly what you want to do and how you think it can be best accomplished, then you will likely recognize whether or not you can "do it yourself", if you need to look for full-service hosting, or if you can accomplish your goals with a consultant or ad hoc development.

The following are common types of users. Some people only use moodle to create and teach courses (albeit in quite a lot of different ways!) Some people take care of the Moodle "back end", which involves administrative functions. In some cases, the Moodle admin will take on responsibilities for "server admin" as well as assisting with training for teachers using moodle. In others, the "server admin" will work with other people to form a group that covers Moodle admin and classroom teacher perspectives. Trainers often have all the skills for the instructor as well as Moodle adminintrator. There are endless combinations of staffing and roles depending on your organization.

The following examples should be seen as a rough continuum with many variations possible. Take a look at the examples that seem to fit you best and we will attempt to describe the skillsets you will need and our best advice for the type of hosting you may find most practical:

===The classroom teacher, instructor, professor, or course creator===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_teachers|The Hosting for moodle teachers page]] describes the default role of "editing teacher" and sets out some considerations for evaluating your ability to manage a Moodle instance on your own.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to negotiate an agreement with them to provide the hosting and assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance. Depending on your situation and the level of support you need, outsourcing might be the more attractive option.

=== The (limited) Moodle admin===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_admins|The hosting for moodle admins page]] describes the role of the Moodle admin. Not the server admin. This role is limited to managing Moodle, but not other software packages on the server.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to arrange for them to provide the hosting and you assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance.

===The Advanced Moodle admin===

As you by now expected, [[Hosting_for_moodle_admins_advanced|the hosting for moodle advanced admins page]] is for those people who manage Moodle as well as getting into server side considerations, such as cron, email, database management and php.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in hosting without service.

===The Server admin===

There is also a [[Hosting_for_server_admins|page addressing hosting for server admins]], for people who have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the server and stack software. If you fit into this category, you may be less or not involved in managing the moodle instance. Some individuals will be able to run the server as well as manage the moodle instance in its entirety.

==Types of Hosts==

===Hosts who provide full Moodle management/maintenance services===

Some hosts are ready to support Moodle as a software package as well as providing and maintaining the server it runs on. They may provide training, content building, and development services as well. Service packages will likely include moodle upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups.

There are two types of full-service hosts for the purposes of this discussion: Moodle Partners and hosts who are not Moodle Partners.

The [http://moodle.com/partners Moodle Partners] are an [http://moodle.com/partners/list/ international group] of Moodle-based service companies that work closely with [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Pty Ltd]. They contribute 10% of their earnings directly to core Moodle development and are subject to certain codes of conduct. They provide a range of optional commercial services including fully-serviced Moodle hosting, training, certification, remote support contracts, custom code development and consulting. Different Partners vary in size, and focus on different specialities in different countries.

Generally only Moodle Partners are allowed to use the Moodle trademark (such as the phrase "Moodle hosting") to advertise their Moodle Services (see the [[License]] for details).

There are a variety of other companies providing similar services (sometimes under other names like "lms hosting" and sometimes not) that are not affiliated with the Moodle project and who do not support the project through royalties. Some of them even offer free services that are supported by third-party advertising.

As a consumer you need to choose carefully from all the options available to you. Each of these companies is an individual concern, and a prospective client is ultimately responsible for understanding what service package they are purchasing and how long it might be likely to be around. Do your research and articulate your needs and expectations very carefully!

If you google "moodle hosting" you will find Moodle Partners and a large number of sites offering Moodle hosting that are not full-service hosts. Be very careful. Many sites that advertise "Moodle hosting" are really offering you hosting of the software only, without additional management and maintenance services. These hosts do provide the software you need to run Moodle, but you are on your own after that!

===Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services===

[[Hosting_without_service|Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services]] is perhaps the most common situation. Many people select this option when they have decided they do not want to be responsible for hardware or the basic software "stack" used to run a Moodle instance, but also do not want to pay the premium for someone else to provide administrative expertise in the management of Moodle. There are thousands of web hosts available, and each probably offers a slightly different set of service options.

While full-service or managed hosting packages may include upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups, no-frills hosting will assume that you are willing to manage all these aspects of running a moodle instance.

If you have a reasonable level of confidence in hosting your own site this can be a very inexpensive solution.

===In-house hosting (or "do it yourself")===
If you have the necessary background and interest, you (or your IT team) can set up your own server and run one or more Moodle instances to support your institution, business, or project. You may choose to deploy Moodle on a variety of different operating systems (Mac, Linux, Windows) and with several different database options (MySQL, Postgres, MSSQL). While this page is not intended to provide assistance in accomplishing this goal, it does attempt to describe the sort of knowledge base you or your team will require for successfully [[in_house_hosting|hosting your own Moodle instance.]] You could also consider commercial support for in-house hosting from any of the commercial support providers mentioned above.

=Choosing a Web Host=

==The User Experience==
===Your Compendium===
[[Web_Hosts|A matrix]] has been created so that users can provide information on various web hosting options here. Please feel free to add to the matrix, but respect the footnoting conventions and the table structure please. There is some exploration of using Google Docs to address user feedback on Web Hosts. While a Google Doc may eventually be embedded in the Web Host doc, an experimental version can be [https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0AkMXlh7DWOcTcEdsTWhWUlFfelUtM20talNqZVFDR1E seen here].

'NB:' If the wiki structure for the matrix is too much of a hassle, please just use the + tab from the "page comment" tab (you must be logged in to docs to see this, and that is still a separate log in....) to add your comments and someone will transfer them to the matrix.

===Discussion in the Forums===
While the forums should not be viewed as authoritative as circumstances change over time, they have been a focal point for quite a bit of discussion of various web hosts over time.

A collection of posts largely focusing on GoDaddy can be [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087#p459052| found here] and a list of discussions concerning quite a few other hosts, courtesy of [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=195424&course=5| Richard Enison (RLE)], appears in that collection [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087&parent=459052| at this address].

==Why Use A Web Host==

General areas of concern are:

===General Management and Installation Assistance===
Many web hosts offer GUIs that provide shortcuts to install and manage web applications. Some typical "panel" options are Fantastico and cpanel, while an example of a management application that many webhosts make available is phpmyadmin (for managing mysql databases.)
====CPanel====
If you decide to choose a hosting company that has cpanel then [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleonhostingwitholdcpanel.swf this tutorial] may provide some guidance in choosing a host and setting up moodle via the old cpanel. It is a VERY large file (that runs for about 12 minutes) and you will have to wait for it to load but [[User:Eric Hagley|Eric Hagley]] indicates it is worth the wait as affords a step by step approach. If you have the new cpanel please use [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleoncpanel.swf this link] for an updated tutorial.

===Keeping Your Software Current===
Software such as Moodle is not static; it changes all the time. Indeed Moodle software changes sometimes daily. Software may be altered to fix security issues or to make improvements. Sometimes a fix in one respect causes a bug in another.

Additionally, as noted below, Moodle is not the only product you may want to keep current, and any time you are trying to keep multiple applications current you are bound to run into compatibility issues.

As noted elsewhere, some web hosts provide utilities for web application management. For a discussion of updating software using such utilities (Cpanel for example) see the section on [[#General Management and Installation Assistance|General Management and Installation Assistance above]].

===Keeping Your Software Compatible===
Moodle is not "just" Moodle. The Moodle experience relies on a set of software applications, including a web server (often but not necessarily Apache), PHP, and a database engine (often but not necessarily mySQL), as well as the Moodle code itself. Each of the elements involved is regularly updated and this will result in compatibility issues. A fix to one application may cause a problem in another. Moreover, the manner in which an issue is addressed in one version may change with the next (an example being the use of php.ini files, which were required in every directory in php 4.x, a practice unnecessary in php 5.)

In addition to the four primary Moodle components (again, web server, database engine, PHP and Moodle code) you may wish to install a variety of additional software to use with Moodle (Moodle offers many modules to provide for the integration of external applications). The addition of an external application to your overall system increases complexity because as the various applications develop the modules integrating them may fail.

Module installation might be handled by a firm offering dedicated Moodle services, but will not be typically addressed by a vanilla web-host, which leaves the install of aspell, dragmath, asciimathml, etc. all to you.

One of the most intelligent questions that may be heard in a Moodle class is whether a course developed in Moodle A will work in Moodle B. The best answer is, "Maybe".

===Backups===
[http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-true.html Murphy's Law] offers no exceptions; it is an absolute, and without knowing who you are, where you come from or what you do, your Moodle may some day fail. The good news is that the odds of multiple failures are in your favor, so if you are well prepared, this eventuality can be viewed with same equanimity as that stubbed toe.....

Keeping very good records of your hacks, your additions, and the settings you have used for moodle as well as all the other software that it takes to support a moodle instance provides invaluable information. A backup regime, including course backups, software backups, and database backups is also important.

The Moodler must remember that while Moodle itself can do some backups, Moodle backups are very intensive and are only a small facet of an effective backup program, which must address the variety of data that is encompassed by a Moodle web site.

We'll discuss various backup types and issues below, but first let's talk about the underlying issue: who is doing what?

Some web hosts provide "snap shots", some provide site wide backups. Some offer shell access and tell you to roll your own, while some web hosts honestly couldn't care less.... You must remember that, without a specific agreement otherwise, it is unlikely that your web host acknowledges any responsibility for maintaining your data. Unfortunately, typically each of your data types may require a different kind of backup and you either need to learn how to do effective backups of your site on your own, or you will have to negotiate what amounts to bare metal backup with your Web Host (and you will need to identify an appropriate window, because you want your backups to be rather more current than your web host might find sensible....)

If you have shell access the good news is that there are quite a few scripts out there you can use to help yourself build an effective backup regimen.

There are critical points with respect to backing up your data that need to be addressed. They range from the global, such as addressing the location for the backups and managing remote backups (rsync can be helpful in this respect) and actually handling and recycling of the files themselves (when do you back up, what do you backup when you do backup, and how long do you keep a specific file) to the narrow (for example the db should be locked during backup.) While we have broken up this discussion because different types of data need to be treated in different ways, one could script one's system to address backups for all the different types of data.

Another option that we should mention in passing is that one can also look at replication of data, either to a simple store or to a failover unit. Be aware that mysql replication requires access to mysql commands that some web hosts do not provide. Chances are that if you are looking at replication you are having multiple private systems hosted by a vendor or are running your own installation and have looked at fail-over, clusters and replication in depth.

Lastly, please remember that if you are paying a web host for bandwidth used, remote backup could become a source of significant expense

''Note: AT present there is one Backup page, [[Site_backup]], in the docs, and it might be helpful at some time to break that up so that separate docs address different aspects of backup with one page addressing scripting options. In any event link to backup page needs to be added''

====Data====
By data we mean the contents of the moodledata directory, which may represent some of your most important material.

====GUI====
Your GUI is what is most often neglected when addressing backups. More often than not much of what you think of as your GUI will be reflected in any customizations to your theme, with pertinent data located in your Moodle code installation (/moodle/theme - see below) and possibly moodledata (a possible site for images used.)

====Databases====
Whatever database you are using, it is critical that you dump and store your db regularly, especially because it can be so simple to restore a site if you have a recent db dump. This can be accomplished manually via a GUI as with phpmyadmin or mysql admin or via command line if the user has access and the requisite skills. It can also be automated via commercial or open scripting (as in HandyBackup or automysqlbackup).

====Software====
Not only your Moodle configuration (additional modules, hacks and twiddles), but complementary software that you have integrated (like Mahara, etc) should be backed up.

You might ask why you should back up your Moodle code when you can just download it from Moodle and reinstall. There are a couple of issues here. First, the version of Moodle you download today is going to be different than the same version of Moodle you download tomorrow. This is confusing but that is how things lie. It is possible that a new install will result in problems on a restore and if you are facing down some failure you DO NOT want to then also have to try and figure out why what was working yesterday isn't working today. All things being constant is the hallmark of restore, and you don;t want to deal with any changes you are not aware of.

The second issue is your potential customization, whether that amounts to hacks to php code or just to the installation of additional modules. If speed is of interest (and when doing a restore after failure the most oft heard words are "how soon" ) you don't want to have to recreate your Moodle application, you want to be able to restore.

And a third issue related to the previous point is theme customization. Themes are stored in /moodle/theme.

===Security===
Most often we talk about security in the context of potential threats to your data. Of course, what can cause some consternation here is that different folks think of data in different ways. There is the data Moodle places in the mysql database. There is the data that Moodle places in the moodledata file structure, and there is the Moodle code itself. You may want to consider protecting all of these types of data from unauthorized reading, writing and execution. Think of this as a two dimensional matrix. Now add a third dimension that includes various ways one might be able to access any cell in the existing table, including coding flaws, external configuration problems and internal Moodle configuration issues

====Code Flaws====
Code exploits are addressed regularly through patches.

''Need links to the various fora, etc for security reporting and info)''

====Configuration====
The most typical issue in this area is placing the moodledata directory in the web root.

====Moodle set-up====
This includes such matters as enrollment, internal role configuration, etc.

Perhaps the most widely discussed problem here has been the matter of profile spam that can be produced when admins allow open e-mail enrollment. There are arguments as to whether this is a security issue or not (and sometimes it seems that the same folks are on both sides of the issue at times) but what it means from a practical standpoint is that you can have a Moodle targeted at your elementary school which contains enough pornography to make Bosche blush.

Sophisticated authentication relying on Moodle Networking, LDAP etc. will require some administrative skill sets pertinent to the scheme employed. One should also be acquainted with the underlying nature of access control including the difference between authentication and authorization. See, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_control

More more prosaic but as important are matters of security policy and enunciation of protocols addressing access rights to data (in the U. S. consider HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA, etc.)

===Integration===
After an initial basic Moodle installation there are quite a few tasks that need to be addressed to integrate the Moodle with all the bells and whistles you are expecting to use.
====Cron====
One of the most important post-install tasks is to invoke cron.php via the system cron daemon (or Task Scheduler...) Among other tasks, such as backup, cron triggers mail. [[Cron]] explains a good deal but there may be issues when trying to use smtp (some of these have been fixed in Moodle 1.9.3) to alternative ports.
====Mail====
While typically Moodle will use PHP's mail routines, in some cases you may have to configure mail manually and some issues may require manual database edits. See, [[Email settings]] and [[Email setup gmail]] as examples of possible manual configuration.
====Max File Upload====
The maximum size of file uploads for Moodle can be controlled via the Moodle GUI but are also constrained via Apache and PHP, and to adjust these you may need to be able to edit .htaccess and/or php.ini. Here are some examples of the discussin of such matters: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=98064&parent=433245 and http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=103190&parent=456650

==Criteria for Selecting Web Hosts==

===What Purpose Will Your Site Serve===
Production, Experimentation, etc
Classroom support or Asynchronous Remote
Gradebook and critical classroom data
Number of concurrent users

Issues of scale can be very important. A relatively small number of concurrent users can generate enough email through forum postings to get you in trouble with your host. Email volume, storage space for users and courses, number of accounts,

===Will You Be Running a 5 Nines Site===
What is all this you hear about "five nines". This is a way to discuss [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptime system uptime] and the implications thereby for the amount of time that a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_availability system is down and not available].

While five nines is not that difficult to achieve, it becomes obvious quickly that without redundancy bringing down any part of a system for maintenance quickly knocks one out of the park.

Downtime can grossly be divided into planned and unplanned outages. You may determine that since you only serve people in one time zone who had beeter be in bed between 2 and 4 in the morning, that you can live with 2 hours of planned downtime a night. On the other hand, you may feel that from 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday no outage is acceptable.

===Are you Prepared to Serve as a SYSADMIN?===
How are you planning to staff your project (see above??)
Do you have buy in from your IT dept?
Is everyone involved familiar with the realistic demands of a Moodle install (crank the FTEs!)
===Is Your Web Host Willing to Negotiate for the Services You require===
====SLAs====
What is an SLA? An SLA is a Service Level Agreement. While wikipedia provides [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_level_agreement a basic discussion of SLAs], a review of [http://www.nkarten.com/sla.html Naomi Karten's site], which is pitched at the vendor might prove helpful. There are [http://www.service-level-agreement.net/ commercial SLA kits as well].

By way of example, consider [https://confluence.delhi.edu/display/CIS/Moodlerooms+Service+Level+Agreement the SLA between Delhi SUNY and Moodlerooms] ([https://confluence.delhi.edu/pages/diffpages.action?pageId=82083866&originalId=82346012 and see this comparison]), an SLA in pdf format for [http://www.northumbrialearning.co.uk/documents/legal/moodle_hosting.pdf North Umbria Learning], and an SLA in MS Word format for [http://www.kwantlen.ca/__shared/assets/Moodle_Service_Level_Agreement4387.doc Kwantlen, Canada].

====Remedies====
Well, having considered an SLA hard and fast, the question is whether your SLA sets out specific remedies for those occasions when your vendor doesn't provide the services agreed upon, and if not, what recourse you may have.

To put this another way, [http://www.kentlaw.edu/perritt/courses/property/Hohfeld.htm you have no rights if you have no remedies]. Depending on the relative bargaining power of the parties remedies could run from monetary damages to a term extension. In many cases your potential vendor may refuse to agree to any specific remedies. Consider the vendor who "guarantees" band width and when asked what the client receives when the bandwidth drops below the guaranteed service level, the vendor states that they will work to resolve the issue; there is no remedy and the guarantee is mere puffing.

Negotiating for remedies is an excellent way to explore the amount of faith the vendor puts in his own stock. Most often you will be told that the vendor can't provide any remedy as remedies could put them out of business. Chances are that this vendor does not have redundancy or experience necessary to provide mission critical service.

''Notes to selves:
Here is the real meat and potatoes, which we can put here or actually put on additional pages (my prefs)
SO a link to range of service, types of support, security, e-mail, mysql support, panels....
perhaps as well, pages on SLAs generally, boilerplate and guarantees, punchlists
Perhaps specific sections, with brief descriptors and links to more detailed pages.
''

=Planning an Installation=

[[Installation FAQ]]

==Outsourcing==

===Developing your specs===

Often a larger installation will not be a vanilla Moodle site, and needs to be tuned or customised to a particular purpose or environment.

If possible, try to develop a really clear specification of what you want internally. Create a written document that is clear and concise about your needs, including a statement of your purpose and goals. Resist the temptation to get too detailed, though - 100 page specifications full of descriptive text and mock screenshots may result in your Request For Quote (RFQ) ending up in a too-hard basket.

If you aren't sure exactly what you need, consider consulting with experts who have implemented similar systems before. The Moodle forums are a useful place to ask questions and get results from a variety of Moodle experts (but everyone will appreciate it if you read the pertinent docs first.)

===Approaching providers===

When sending your request for a quote to providers, make sure to include information about your deadlines and resources to help the provider make a balanced judgement on their costs and availability (depending on the work you need).

===Comparing quotes===

Generally you do get what you pay for. Like most things you should consider the following variables beyond cost value:

# Stability of the company
# Service level agreement (SLA) details
# Reputation of the provider
# Experience with Moodle

==Do It Yourself==
[[Planning your installation]]

[[Category:Installation]]

Finding and Selecting A Web Host

2010-08-12T17:22:14Z

Net-buoy: /* Your Compendium */

==Purpose==
These pages are meant to serve as an additional guide to help users work through variety of questions, issues, etc. as they choose the best way to provide Moodle as an LMS to their users. We hope that these pages will help to steer the user to helpful materials that may not be easily found by the docs search engine. This is an ambitious undertaking, so we would be very pleased for more authors to add to the content!

A similar effort can be found in the [[Decision FAQ]] and if you have suggestions for integration, linking, etc. please feel free to post suggestions via the "page comments" tab above.

==Planning a Moodle installation==

If you are interested in installing and using a Moodle instance in your school, organization, or business, there are many things you must consider. Not only do you have to think about the technical aspects, you also should put some thought into how you would like to use the system, maintain the system, create the content, and support the users.

Depending on the scope and scale of your instance, and the technical expertise you can bring to the table, you may decide that you can host Moodle yourself or you may realize you could use some help! This page focuses on making decisions about how or where to host a Moodle site. Other pages will be developed to address the separate issue of retaining consultants apart from the question of hosting (though many of the concerns in addressing both are comparable.)

In addition to technical expertise, there are staffing issues to consider. A '''developer''' will help you write code to enhance or add new functionality. Many installations find that they do not need a developer, or they can hire development on an ad hoc basis. An '''LMS/Moodle administrator''' needs to have a good understanding of the system side of moodle. The more this person knows about databases and general web applications, the better. If you don't have an IT person to run the server and manage security, then the LMS/Moodle administrator may need to oversee these important duties. '''Content creators''' usually assist instructors with planning and creating course content. Large installations may need dedicated IT staff and database administrators. Consider the mix of people you have to support Moodle in your organization. You may find that you can cover all these bases with your current staff. If not, you may want to look at a [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Partner] to provide management and maintenance services for your Moodle instance, your instructors, and your students/course participants.

==Who are you? Types of Moodle Instances==
Before you choose a host, it would probably be helpful to have a firm understanding of who '''YOU''' are. What do you intend to accomplish with your Moodle instance?

Typical types of Moodle instances include schools, companies, agencies, churches, and a wide variety of non-profit organizations. A single individual may want to deliver just two or three courses. Some moodle instances serve as portfolios or special project spaces. Moodlers are very innovative!

Each of these types of Moodle users will have differing requirements and needs. Each may have different ideas about what kind of content they want to provide, who will be facilitating the "course work" (or if the course work will be automated), how they will enroll the users, and how strictly they want/need to enforce privacy for users.

These issues are of great importance when selecting a host. If you can identify exactly what you want to do and how you think it can be best accomplished, then you will likely recognize whether or not you can "do it yourself", if you need to look for full-service hosting, or if you can accomplish your goals with a consultant or ad hoc development.

The following are common types of users. Some people only use moodle to create and teach courses (albeit in quite a lot of different ways!) Some people take care of the Moodle "back end", which involves administrative functions. In some cases, the Moodle admin will take on responsibilities for "server admin" as well as assisting with training for teachers using moodle. In others, the "server admin" will work with other people to form a group that covers Moodle admin and classroom teacher perspectives. Trainers often have all the skills for the instructor as well as Moodle adminintrator. There are endless combinations of staffing and roles depending on your organization.

The following examples should be seen as a rough continuum with many variations possible. Take a look at the examples that seem to fit you best and we will attempt to describe the skillsets you will need and our best advice for the type of hosting you may find most practical:

===The classroom teacher, instructor, professor, or course creator===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_teachers|The Hosting for moodle teachers page]] describes the default role of "editing teacher" and sets out some considerations for evaluating your ability to manage a Moodle instance on your own.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to negotiate an agreement with them to provide the hosting and assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance. Depending on your situation and the level of support you need, outsourcing might be the more attractive option.

=== The (limited) Moodle admin===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_admins|The hosting for moodle admins page]] describes the role of the Moodle admin. Not the server admin. This role is limited to managing Moodle, but not other software packages on the server.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to arrange for them to provide the hosting and you assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance.

===The Advanced Moodle admin===

As you by now expected, [[Hosting_for_moodle_admins_advanced|the hosting for moodle advanced admins page]] is for those people who manage Moodle as well as getting into server side considerations, such as cron, email, database management and php.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in hosting without service.

===The Server admin===

There is also a [[Hosting_for_server_admins|page addressing hosting for server admins]], for people who have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the server and stack software. If you fit into this category, you may be less or not involved in managing the moodle instance. Some individuals will be able to run the server as well as manage the moodle instance in its entirety.

==Types of Hosts==

===Hosts who provide full Moodle management/maintenance services===

Some hosts are ready to support Moodle as a software package as well as providing and maintaining the server it runs on. They may provide training, content building, and development services as well. Service packages will likely include moodle upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups.

There are two types of full-service hosts for the purposes of this discussion: Moodle Partners and hosts who are not Moodle Partners.

The [http://moodle.com/partners Moodle Partners] are an [http://moodle.com/partners/list/ international group] of Moodle-based service companies that work closely with [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Pty Ltd]. They contribute 10% of their earnings directly to core Moodle development and are subject to certain codes of conduct. They provide a range of optional commercial services including fully-serviced Moodle hosting, training, certification, remote support contracts, custom code development and consulting. Different Partners vary in size, and focus on different specialities in different countries.

Generally only Moodle Partners are allowed to use the Moodle trademark (such as the phrase "Moodle hosting") to advertise their Moodle Services (see the [[License]] for details).

There are a variety of other companies providing similar services (sometimes under other names like "lms hosting" and sometimes not) that are not affiliated with the Moodle project and who do not support the project through royalties. Some of them even offer free services that are supported by third-party advertising.

As a consumer you need to choose carefully from all the options available to you. Each of these companies is an individual concern, and a prospective client is ultimately responsible for understanding what service package they are purchasing and how long it might be likely to be around. Do your research and articulate your needs and expectations very carefully!

If you google "moodle hosting" you will find Moodle Partners and a large number of sites offering Moodle hosting that are not full-service hosts. Be very careful. Many sites that advertise "Moodle hosting" are really offering you hosting of the software only, without additional management and maintenance services. These hosts do provide the software you need to run Moodle, but you are on your own after that!

===Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services===

[[Hosting_without_service|Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services]] is perhaps the most common situation. Many people select this option when they have decided they do not want to be responsible for hardware or the basic software "stack" used to run a Moodle instance, but also do not want to pay the premium for someone else to provide administrative expertise in the management of Moodle. There are thousands of web hosts available, and each probably offers a slightly different set of service options.

While full-service or managed hosting packages may include upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups, no-frills hosting will assume that you are willing to manage all these aspects of running a moodle instance.

If you have a reasonable level of confidence in hosting your own site this can be a very inexpensive solution.

===In-house hosting (or "do it yourself")===
If you have the necessary background and interest, you (or your IT team) can set up your own server and run one or more Moodle instances to support your institution, business, or project. You may choose to deploy Moodle on a variety of different operating systems (Mac, Linux, Windows) and with several different database options (MySQL, Postgres, MSSQL). While this page is not intended to provide assistance in accomplishing this goal, it does attempt to describe the sort of knowledge base you or your team will require for successfully [[in_house_hosting|hosting your own Moodle instance.]] You could also consider commercial support for in-house hosting from any of the commercial support providers mentioned above.

=Choosing a Web Host=

==The User Experience==
===Your Compendium===
[[Web_Hosts|A matrix]] has been created so that users can provide information on various web hosting options here. Please feel free to add to the matrix, but respect the footnoting conventions and the table structure please. There is some exploration of using Google Docs to address user feedback on Web Hosts. While a Google Doc may eventually be embedded in the Web Host doc, an experimental version can be [https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0AkMXlh7DWOcTcEdsTWhWUlFfelUtM20talNqZVFDR1E seen here].

'NB:' If the wiki structure for the matrix is too much of a hassle, please just use the + tab from the "page comment" tab (you must be logged in to docs to see this, and that is still a separate log in....) to add your comments and someone will transfer them to the matrix.

===Discussion in the Forums===
While the forums should not be viewed as authoritative as circumstances change over time, they have been a focal point for quite a bit of discussion of various web hosts over time.

A collection of posts largely focusing on GoDaddy can be [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087#p459052| found here] and a list of discussions concerning quite a few other hosts, courtesy of [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=195424&course=5| Richard Enison (RLE)], appears in that collection [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087&parent=459052| at this address].

==Why Use A Web Host==

General areas of concern are:

===General Management and Installation Assistance===
Many web hosts offer GUIs that provide shortcuts to install and manage web applications. Some typical "panel" options are Fantastico and cpanel, while an example of a management application that many webhosts make available is phpmyadmin (for managing mysql databases.)
====CPanel====
If you decide to choose a hosting company that has cpanel then [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleonhostingwitholdcpanel.swf this tutorial] may provide some guidance in choosing a host and setting up moodle via the old cpanel. It is a VERY large file (that runs for about 12 minutes) and you will have to wait for it to load but [[User:Eric Hagley|Eric Hagley]] indicates it is worth the wait as affords a step by step approach. If you have the new cpanel please use [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleoncpanel.swf this link] for an updated tutorial.

===Keeping Your Software Current===
Software such as Moodle is not static; it changes all the time. Indeed Moodle software changes sometimes daily. Software may be altered to fix security issues or to make improvements. Sometimes a fix in one respect causes a bug in another.

Additionally, as noted below, Moodle is not the only product you may want to keep current, and any time you are trying to keep multiple applications current you are bound to run into compatibility issues.

As noted elsewhere, some web hosts provide utilities for web application management. For a discussion of updating software using such utilities (Cpanel for example) see the section on [[#General Management and Installation Assistance|General Management and Installation Assistance above]].

===Keeping Your Software Compatible===
Moodle is not "just" Moodle. The Moodle experience relies on a set of software applications, including a web server (often but not necessarily Apache), PHP, and a database engine (often but not necessarily mySQL), as well as the Moodle code itself. Each of the elements involved is regularly updated and this will result in compatibility issues. A fix to one application may cause a problem in another. Moreover, the manner in which an issue is addressed in one version may change with the next (an example being the use of php.ini files, which were required in every directory in php 4.x, a practice unnecessary in php 5.)

In addition to the four primary Moodle components (again, web server, database engine, PHP and Moodle code) you may wish to install a variety of additional software to use with Moodle (Moodle offers many modules to provide for the integration of external applications). The addition of an external application to your overall system increases complexity because as the various applications develop the modules integrating them may fail.

Module installation might be handled by a firm offering dedicated Moodle services, but will not be typically addressed by a vanilla web-host, which leaves the install of aspell, dragmath, asciimathml, etc. all to you.

One of the most intelligent questions that may be heard in a Moodle class is whether a course developed in Moodle A will work in Moodle B. The best answer is, "Maybe".

===Backups===
[http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-true.html Murphy's Law] offers no exceptions; it is an absolute, and without knowing who you are, where you come from or what you do, your Moodle may some day fail. The good news is that the odds of multiple failures are in your favor, so if you are well prepared, this eventuality can be viewed with same equanimity as that stubbed toe.....

Keeping very good records of your hacks, your additions, and the settings you have used for moodle as well as all the other software that it takes to support a moodle instance provides invaluable information. A backup regime, including course backups, software backups, and database backups is also important.

The Moodler must remember that while Moodle itself can do some backups, Moodle backups are very intensive and are only a small facet of an effective backup program, which must address the variety of data that is encompassed by a Moodle web site.

We'll discuss various backup types and issues below, but first let's talk about the underlying issue: who is doing what?

Some web hosts provide "snap shots", some provide site wide backups. Some offer shell access and tell you to roll your own, while some web hosts honestly couldn't care less.... You must remember that, without a specific agreement otherwise, it is unlikely that your web host acknowledges any responsibility for maintaining your data. Unfortunately, typically each of your data types may require a different kind of backup and you either need to learn how to do effective backups of your site on your own, or you will have to negotiate what amounts to bare metal backup with your Web Host (and you will need to identify an appropriate window, because you want your backups to be rather more current than your web host might find sensible....)

If you have shell access the good news is that there are quite a few scripts out there you can use to help yourself build an effective backup regimen.

There are critical points with respect to backing up your data that need to be addressed. They range from the global, such as addressing the location for the backups and managing remote backups (rsync can be helpful in this respect) and actually handling and recycling of the files themselves (when do you back up, what do you backup when you do backup, and how long do you keep a specific file) to the narrow (for example the db should be locked during backup.) While we have broken up this discussion because different types of data need to be treated in different ways, one could script one's system to address backups for all the different types of data.

Another option that we should mention in passing is that one can also look at replication of data, either to a simple store or to a failover unit. Be aware that mysql replication requires access to mysql commands that some web hosts do not provide. Chances are that if you are looking at replication you are having multiple private systems hosted by a vendor or are running your own installation and have looked at fail-over, clusters and replication in depth.

Lastly, please remember that if you are paying a web host for bandwidth used, remote backup could become a source of significant expense

''Note: AT present there is one Backup page, [[Site_backup]], in the docs, and it might be helpful at some time to break that up so that separate docs address different aspects of backup with one page addressing scripting options. In any event link to backup page needs to be added''

====Data====
By data we mean the contents of the moodledata directory, which may represent some of your most important material.

====GUI====
Your GUI is what is most often neglected when addressing backups. More often than not much of what you think of as your GUI will be reflected in any customizations to your theme, with pertinent data located in your Moodle code installation (/moodle/theme - see below) and possibly moodledata (a possible site for images used.)

====Databases====
Whatever database you are using, it is critical that you dump and store your db regularly, especially because it can be so simple to restore a site if you have a recent db dump. This can be accomplished manually via a GUI as with phpmyadmin or mysql admin or via command line if the user has access and the requisite skills. It can also be automated via commercial or open scripting (as in HandyBackup or automysqlbackup).

====Software====
Not only your Moodle configuration (additional modules, hacks and twiddles), but complementary software that you have integrated (like Mahara, etc) should be backed up.

You might ask why you should back up your Moodle code when you can just download it from Moodle and reinstall. There are a couple of issues here. First, the version of Moodle you download today is going to be different than the same version of Moodle you download tomorrow. This is confusing but that is how things lie. It is possible that a new install will result in problems on a restore and if you are facing down some failure you DO NOT want to then also have to try and figure out why what was working yesterday isn't working today. All things being constant is the hallmark of restore, and you don;t want to deal with any changes you are not aware of.

The second issue is your potential customization, whether that amounts to hacks to php code or just to the installation of additional modules. If speed is of interest (and when doing a restore after failure the most oft heard words are "how soon" ) you don't want to have to recreate your Moodle application, you want to be able to restore.

And a third issue related to the previous point is theme customization. Themes are stored in /moodle/theme.

===Security===
Most often we talk about security in the context of potential threats to your data. Of course, what can cause some consternation here is that different folks think of data in different ways. There is the data Moodle places in the mysql database. There is the data that Moodle places in the moodledata file structure, and there is the Moodle code itself. You may want to consider protecting all of these types of data from unauthorized reading, writing and execution. Think of this as a two dimensional matrix. Now add a third dimension that includes various ways one might be able to access any cell in the existing table, including coding flaws, external configuration problems and internal Moodle configuration issues

====Code Flaws====
Code exploits are addressed regularly through patches.

''Need links to the various fora, etc for security reporting and info)''

====Configuration====
The most typical issue in this area is placing the moodledata directory in the web root.

====Moodle set-up====
This includes such matters as enrollment, internal role configuration, etc.

Perhaps the most widely discussed problem here has been the matter of profile spam that can be produced when admins allow open e-mail enrollment. There are arguments as to whether this is a security issue or not (and sometimes it seems that the same folks are on both sides of the issue at times) but what it means from a practical standpoint is that you can have a Moodle targeted at your elementary school which contains enough pornography to make Bosche blush.

Sophisticated authentication relying on Moodle Networking, LDAP etc. will require some administrative skill sets pertinent to the scheme employed. One should also be acquainted with the underlying nature of access control including the difference between authentication and authorization. See, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_control

More more prosaic but as important are matters of security policy and enunciation of protocols addressing access rights to data (in the U. S. consider HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA, etc.)

===Integration===
After an initial basic Moodle installation there are quite a few tasks that need to be addressed to integrate the Moodle with all the bells and whistles you are expecting to use.
====Cron====
One of the most important post-install tasks is to invoke cron.php via the system cron daemon (or Task Scheduler...) Among other tasks, such as backup, cron triggers mail. [[Cron]] explains a good deal but there may be issues when trying to use smtp (some of these have been fixed in Moodle 1.9.3) to alternative ports.
====Mail====
While typically Moodle will use PHP's mail routines, in some cases you may have to configure mail manually and some issues may require manual database edits. See, [[Email settings]] and [[Email setup gmail]] as examples of possible manual configuration.
====Max File Upload====
The maximum size of file uploads for Moodle can be controlled via the Moodle GUI but are also constrained via Apache and PHP, and to adjust these you may need to be able to edit .htaccess and/or php.ini. Here are some examples of the discussin of such matters: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=98064&parent=433245 and http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=103190&parent=456650

==Criteria for Selecting Web Hosts==

===What Purpose Will Your Site Serve===
Production, Experimentation, etc
Classroom support or Asynchronous Remote
Gradebook and critical classroom data
Number of concurrent users

Issues of scale can be very important. A relatively small number of concurrent users can generate enough email through forum postings to get you in trouble with your host. Email volume, storage space for users and courses, number of accounts,

===Will You Be Running a 5 Nines Site===
What is all this you hear about "five nines". This is a way to discuss [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptime system uptime] and the implications thereby for the amount of time that a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_availability system is down and not available].

While five nines is not that difficult to achieve, it becomes obvious quickly that without redundancy bringing down any part of a system for maintenance quickly knocks one out of the park.

Downtime can grossly be divided into planned and unplanned outages. You may determine that since you only serve people in one time zone who had beeter be in bed between 2 and 4 in the morning, that you can live with 2 hours of planned downtime a night. On the other hand, you may feel that from 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday no outage is acceptable.

===Are you Prepared to Serve as a SYSADMIN?===
How are you planning to staff your project (see above??)
Do you have buy in from your IT dept?
Is everyone involved familiar with the realistic demands of a Moodle install (crank the FTEs!)
===Is Your Web Host Willing to Negotiate for the Services You require===
====SLAs====
What is an SLA? An SLA is a Service Level Agreement. While wikipedia provides [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_level_agreement a basic discussion of SLAs], a review of [http://www.nkarten.com/sla.html Naomi Karten's site], which is pitched at the vendor might prove helpful. There are [http://www.service-level-agreement.net/ commercial SLA kits as well].

By way of example, consider [https://confluence.delhi.edu/display/CIS/Moodlerooms+Service+Level+Agreement the SLA between Delhi SUNY and Moodlerooms] ([https://confluence.delhi.edu/pages/diffpages.action?pageId=82083866&originalId=82346012 and see this comparison]), an SLA in pdf format for [http://www.northumbrialearning.co.uk/documents/legal/moodle_hosting.pdf North Umbria Learning], and an SLA in MS Word format for [http://www.kwantlen.ca/__shared/assets/Moodle_Service_Level_Agreement4387.doc Kwantlen, Canada].

====Remedies====
Well, having considered an SLA hard and fast, the question is whether your SLA sets out specific remedies for those occasions when your vendor doesn't provide the services agreed upon, and if not, what recourse you may have.

To put this another way, [http://www.kentlaw.edu/perritt/courses/property/Hohfeld.htm you have no rights if you have no remedies]. Depending on the relative bargaining power of the parties remedies could run from monetary damages to a term extension. In many cases your potential vendor may refuse to agree to any specific remedies. Consider the vendor who "guarantees" band width and when asked what the client receives when the bandwidth drops below the guaranteed service level, the vendor states that they will work to resolve the issue; there is no remedy and the guarantee is mere puffing.

Negotiating for remedies is an excellent way to explore the amount of faith the vendor puts in his own stock. Most often you will be told that the vendor can't provide any remedy as remedies could put them out of business. Chances are that this vendor does not have redundancy or experience necessary to provide mission critical service.

''Notes to selves:
Here is the real meat and potatoes, which we can put here or actually put on additional pages (my prefs)
SO a link to range of service, types of support, security, e-mail, mysql support, panels....
perhaps as well, pages on SLAs generally, boilerplate and guarantees, punchlists
Perhaps specific sections, with brief descriptors and links to more detailed pages.
''

=Planning an Installation=

[[Installation FAQ]]

==Outsourcing==

===Developing your specs===

Often a larger installation will not be a vanilla Moodle site, and needs to be tuned or customised to a particular purpose or environment.

If possible, try to develop a really clear specification of what you want internally. Create a written document that is clear and concise about your needs, including a statement of your purpose and goals. Resist the temptation to get too detailed, though - 100 page specifications full of descriptive text and mock screenshots may result in your Request For Quote (RFQ) ending up in a too-hard basket.

If you aren't sure exactly what you need, consider consulting with experts who have implemented similar systems before. The Moodle forums are a useful place to ask questions and get results from a variety of Moodle experts (but everyone will appreciate it if you read the pertinent docs first.)

===Approaching providers===

When sending your request for a quote to providers, make sure to include information about your deadlines and resources to help the provider make a balanced judgement on their costs and availability (depending on the work you need).

===Comparing quotes===

Generally you do get what you pay for. Like most things you should consider the following variables beyond cost value:

# Stability of the company
# Service level agreement (SLA) details
# Reputation of the provider
# Experience with Moodle

==Do It Yourself==
[[Planning your installation]]

[[Category:Installation]]

Finding and Selecting A Web Host

2010-08-12T17:20:28Z

Net-buoy: /* Your Compendium */

==Purpose==
These pages are meant to serve as an additional guide to help users work through variety of questions, issues, etc. as they choose the best way to provide Moodle as an LMS to their users. We hope that these pages will help to steer the user to helpful materials that may not be easily found by the docs search engine. This is an ambitious undertaking, so we would be very pleased for more authors to add to the content!

A similar effort can be found in the [[Decision FAQ]] and if you have suggestions for integration, linking, etc. please feel free to post suggestions via the "page comments" tab above.

==Planning a Moodle installation==

If you are interested in installing and using a Moodle instance in your school, organization, or business, there are many things you must consider. Not only do you have to think about the technical aspects, you also should put some thought into how you would like to use the system, maintain the system, create the content, and support the users.

Depending on the scope and scale of your instance, and the technical expertise you can bring to the table, you may decide that you can host Moodle yourself or you may realize you could use some help! This page focuses on making decisions about how or where to host a Moodle site. Other pages will be developed to address the separate issue of retaining consultants apart from the question of hosting (though many of the concerns in addressing both are comparable.)

In addition to technical expertise, there are staffing issues to consider. A '''developer''' will help you write code to enhance or add new functionality. Many installations find that they do not need a developer, or they can hire development on an ad hoc basis. An '''LMS/Moodle administrator''' needs to have a good understanding of the system side of moodle. The more this person knows about databases and general web applications, the better. If you don't have an IT person to run the server and manage security, then the LMS/Moodle administrator may need to oversee these important duties. '''Content creators''' usually assist instructors with planning and creating course content. Large installations may need dedicated IT staff and database administrators. Consider the mix of people you have to support Moodle in your organization. You may find that you can cover all these bases with your current staff. If not, you may want to look at a [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Partner] to provide management and maintenance services for your Moodle instance, your instructors, and your students/course participants.

==Who are you? Types of Moodle Instances==
Before you choose a host, it would probably be helpful to have a firm understanding of who '''YOU''' are. What do you intend to accomplish with your Moodle instance?

Typical types of Moodle instances include schools, companies, agencies, churches, and a wide variety of non-profit organizations. A single individual may want to deliver just two or three courses. Some moodle instances serve as portfolios or special project spaces. Moodlers are very innovative!

Each of these types of Moodle users will have differing requirements and needs. Each may have different ideas about what kind of content they want to provide, who will be facilitating the "course work" (or if the course work will be automated), how they will enroll the users, and how strictly they want/need to enforce privacy for users.

These issues are of great importance when selecting a host. If you can identify exactly what you want to do and how you think it can be best accomplished, then you will likely recognize whether or not you can "do it yourself", if you need to look for full-service hosting, or if you can accomplish your goals with a consultant or ad hoc development.

The following are common types of users. Some people only use moodle to create and teach courses (albeit in quite a lot of different ways!) Some people take care of the Moodle "back end", which involves administrative functions. In some cases, the Moodle admin will take on responsibilities for "server admin" as well as assisting with training for teachers using moodle. In others, the "server admin" will work with other people to form a group that covers Moodle admin and classroom teacher perspectives. Trainers often have all the skills for the instructor as well as Moodle adminintrator. There are endless combinations of staffing and roles depending on your organization.

The following examples should be seen as a rough continuum with many variations possible. Take a look at the examples that seem to fit you best and we will attempt to describe the skillsets you will need and our best advice for the type of hosting you may find most practical:

===The classroom teacher, instructor, professor, or course creator===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_teachers|The Hosting for moodle teachers page]] describes the default role of "editing teacher" and sets out some considerations for evaluating your ability to manage a Moodle instance on your own.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to negotiate an agreement with them to provide the hosting and assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance. Depending on your situation and the level of support you need, outsourcing might be the more attractive option.

=== The (limited) Moodle admin===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_admins|The hosting for moodle admins page]] describes the role of the Moodle admin. Not the server admin. This role is limited to managing Moodle, but not other software packages on the server.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to arrange for them to provide the hosting and you assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance.

===The Advanced Moodle admin===

As you by now expected, [[Hosting_for_moodle_admins_advanced|the hosting for moodle advanced admins page]] is for those people who manage Moodle as well as getting into server side considerations, such as cron, email, database management and php.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in hosting without service.

===The Server admin===

There is also a [[Hosting_for_server_admins|page addressing hosting for server admins]], for people who have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the server and stack software. If you fit into this category, you may be less or not involved in managing the moodle instance. Some individuals will be able to run the server as well as manage the moodle instance in its entirety.

==Types of Hosts==

===Hosts who provide full Moodle management/maintenance services===

Some hosts are ready to support Moodle as a software package as well as providing and maintaining the server it runs on. They may provide training, content building, and development services as well. Service packages will likely include moodle upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups.

There are two types of full-service hosts for the purposes of this discussion: Moodle Partners and hosts who are not Moodle Partners.

The [http://moodle.com/partners Moodle Partners] are an [http://moodle.com/partners/list/ international group] of Moodle-based service companies that work closely with [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Pty Ltd]. They contribute 10% of their earnings directly to core Moodle development and are subject to certain codes of conduct. They provide a range of optional commercial services including fully-serviced Moodle hosting, training, certification, remote support contracts, custom code development and consulting. Different Partners vary in size, and focus on different specialities in different countries.

Generally only Moodle Partners are allowed to use the Moodle trademark (such as the phrase "Moodle hosting") to advertise their Moodle Services (see the [[License]] for details).

There are a variety of other companies providing similar services (sometimes under other names like "lms hosting" and sometimes not) that are not affiliated with the Moodle project and who do not support the project through royalties. Some of them even offer free services that are supported by third-party advertising.

As a consumer you need to choose carefully from all the options available to you. Each of these companies is an individual concern, and a prospective client is ultimately responsible for understanding what service package they are purchasing and how long it might be likely to be around. Do your research and articulate your needs and expectations very carefully!

If you google "moodle hosting" you will find Moodle Partners and a large number of sites offering Moodle hosting that are not full-service hosts. Be very careful. Many sites that advertise "Moodle hosting" are really offering you hosting of the software only, without additional management and maintenance services. These hosts do provide the software you need to run Moodle, but you are on your own after that!

===Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services===

[[Hosting_without_service|Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services]] is perhaps the most common situation. Many people select this option when they have decided they do not want to be responsible for hardware or the basic software "stack" used to run a Moodle instance, but also do not want to pay the premium for someone else to provide administrative expertise in the management of Moodle. There are thousands of web hosts available, and each probably offers a slightly different set of service options.

While full-service or managed hosting packages may include upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups, no-frills hosting will assume that you are willing to manage all these aspects of running a moodle instance.

If you have a reasonable level of confidence in hosting your own site this can be a very inexpensive solution.

===In-house hosting (or "do it yourself")===
If you have the necessary background and interest, you (or your IT team) can set up your own server and run one or more Moodle instances to support your institution, business, or project. You may choose to deploy Moodle on a variety of different operating systems (Mac, Linux, Windows) and with several different database options (MySQL, Postgres, MSSQL). While this page is not intended to provide assistance in accomplishing this goal, it does attempt to describe the sort of knowledge base you or your team will require for successfully [[in_house_hosting|hosting your own Moodle instance.]] You could also consider commercial support for in-house hosting from any of the commercial support providers mentioned above.

=Choosing a Web Host=

==The User Experience==
===Your Compendium===
[[Web_Hosts|A matrix]] has been created so that users can provide information on various web hosting options here. Please feel free to add to the matrix, but respect the footnoting conventions and the table structure please. There is some exploration of using Google Docs to address user feedback on Web Hosts. While a Google Doc may eventually be embedded in the Web Host doc, an experimental version can be [https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0AkMXlh7DWOcTcEdsTWhWUlFfelUtM20talNqZVFDR1E | seen here].

'NB:' If the wiki structure for the matrix is too much of a hassle, please just use the + tab from the "page comment" tab (you must be logged in to docs to see this, and that is still a separate log in....) to add your comments and someone will transfer them to the matrix.

===Discussion in the Forums===
While the forums should not be viewed as authoritative as circumstances change over time, they have been a focal point for quite a bit of discussion of various web hosts over time.

A collection of posts largely focusing on GoDaddy can be [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087#p459052| found here] and a list of discussions concerning quite a few other hosts, courtesy of [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=195424&course=5| Richard Enison (RLE)], appears in that collection [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087&parent=459052| at this address].

==Why Use A Web Host==

General areas of concern are:

===General Management and Installation Assistance===
Many web hosts offer GUIs that provide shortcuts to install and manage web applications. Some typical "panel" options are Fantastico and cpanel, while an example of a management application that many webhosts make available is phpmyadmin (for managing mysql databases.)
====CPanel====
If you decide to choose a hosting company that has cpanel then [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleonhostingwitholdcpanel.swf this tutorial] may provide some guidance in choosing a host and setting up moodle via the old cpanel. It is a VERY large file (that runs for about 12 minutes) and you will have to wait for it to load but [[User:Eric Hagley|Eric Hagley]] indicates it is worth the wait as affords a step by step approach. If you have the new cpanel please use [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleoncpanel.swf this link] for an updated tutorial.

===Keeping Your Software Current===
Software such as Moodle is not static; it changes all the time. Indeed Moodle software changes sometimes daily. Software may be altered to fix security issues or to make improvements. Sometimes a fix in one respect causes a bug in another.

Additionally, as noted below, Moodle is not the only product you may want to keep current, and any time you are trying to keep multiple applications current you are bound to run into compatibility issues.

As noted elsewhere, some web hosts provide utilities for web application management. For a discussion of updating software using such utilities (Cpanel for example) see the section on [[#General Management and Installation Assistance|General Management and Installation Assistance above]].

===Keeping Your Software Compatible===
Moodle is not "just" Moodle. The Moodle experience relies on a set of software applications, including a web server (often but not necessarily Apache), PHP, and a database engine (often but not necessarily mySQL), as well as the Moodle code itself. Each of the elements involved is regularly updated and this will result in compatibility issues. A fix to one application may cause a problem in another. Moreover, the manner in which an issue is addressed in one version may change with the next (an example being the use of php.ini files, which were required in every directory in php 4.x, a practice unnecessary in php 5.)

In addition to the four primary Moodle components (again, web server, database engine, PHP and Moodle code) you may wish to install a variety of additional software to use with Moodle (Moodle offers many modules to provide for the integration of external applications). The addition of an external application to your overall system increases complexity because as the various applications develop the modules integrating them may fail.

Module installation might be handled by a firm offering dedicated Moodle services, but will not be typically addressed by a vanilla web-host, which leaves the install of aspell, dragmath, asciimathml, etc. all to you.

One of the most intelligent questions that may be heard in a Moodle class is whether a course developed in Moodle A will work in Moodle B. The best answer is, "Maybe".

===Backups===
[http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-true.html Murphy's Law] offers no exceptions; it is an absolute, and without knowing who you are, where you come from or what you do, your Moodle may some day fail. The good news is that the odds of multiple failures are in your favor, so if you are well prepared, this eventuality can be viewed with same equanimity as that stubbed toe.....

Keeping very good records of your hacks, your additions, and the settings you have used for moodle as well as all the other software that it takes to support a moodle instance provides invaluable information. A backup regime, including course backups, software backups, and database backups is also important.

The Moodler must remember that while Moodle itself can do some backups, Moodle backups are very intensive and are only a small facet of an effective backup program, which must address the variety of data that is encompassed by a Moodle web site.

We'll discuss various backup types and issues below, but first let's talk about the underlying issue: who is doing what?

Some web hosts provide "snap shots", some provide site wide backups. Some offer shell access and tell you to roll your own, while some web hosts honestly couldn't care less.... You must remember that, without a specific agreement otherwise, it is unlikely that your web host acknowledges any responsibility for maintaining your data. Unfortunately, typically each of your data types may require a different kind of backup and you either need to learn how to do effective backups of your site on your own, or you will have to negotiate what amounts to bare metal backup with your Web Host (and you will need to identify an appropriate window, because you want your backups to be rather more current than your web host might find sensible....)

If you have shell access the good news is that there are quite a few scripts out there you can use to help yourself build an effective backup regimen.

There are critical points with respect to backing up your data that need to be addressed. They range from the global, such as addressing the location for the backups and managing remote backups (rsync can be helpful in this respect) and actually handling and recycling of the files themselves (when do you back up, what do you backup when you do backup, and how long do you keep a specific file) to the narrow (for example the db should be locked during backup.) While we have broken up this discussion because different types of data need to be treated in different ways, one could script one's system to address backups for all the different types of data.

Another option that we should mention in passing is that one can also look at replication of data, either to a simple store or to a failover unit. Be aware that mysql replication requires access to mysql commands that some web hosts do not provide. Chances are that if you are looking at replication you are having multiple private systems hosted by a vendor or are running your own installation and have looked at fail-over, clusters and replication in depth.

Lastly, please remember that if you are paying a web host for bandwidth used, remote backup could become a source of significant expense

''Note: AT present there is one Backup page, [[Site_backup]], in the docs, and it might be helpful at some time to break that up so that separate docs address different aspects of backup with one page addressing scripting options. In any event link to backup page needs to be added''

====Data====
By data we mean the contents of the moodledata directory, which may represent some of your most important material.

====GUI====
Your GUI is what is most often neglected when addressing backups. More often than not much of what you think of as your GUI will be reflected in any customizations to your theme, with pertinent data located in your Moodle code installation (/moodle/theme - see below) and possibly moodledata (a possible site for images used.)

====Databases====
Whatever database you are using, it is critical that you dump and store your db regularly, especially because it can be so simple to restore a site if you have a recent db dump. This can be accomplished manually via a GUI as with phpmyadmin or mysql admin or via command line if the user has access and the requisite skills. It can also be automated via commercial or open scripting (as in HandyBackup or automysqlbackup).

====Software====
Not only your Moodle configuration (additional modules, hacks and twiddles), but complementary software that you have integrated (like Mahara, etc) should be backed up.

You might ask why you should back up your Moodle code when you can just download it from Moodle and reinstall. There are a couple of issues here. First, the version of Moodle you download today is going to be different than the same version of Moodle you download tomorrow. This is confusing but that is how things lie. It is possible that a new install will result in problems on a restore and if you are facing down some failure you DO NOT want to then also have to try and figure out why what was working yesterday isn't working today. All things being constant is the hallmark of restore, and you don;t want to deal with any changes you are not aware of.

The second issue is your potential customization, whether that amounts to hacks to php code or just to the installation of additional modules. If speed is of interest (and when doing a restore after failure the most oft heard words are "how soon" ) you don't want to have to recreate your Moodle application, you want to be able to restore.

And a third issue related to the previous point is theme customization. Themes are stored in /moodle/theme.

===Security===
Most often we talk about security in the context of potential threats to your data. Of course, what can cause some consternation here is that different folks think of data in different ways. There is the data Moodle places in the mysql database. There is the data that Moodle places in the moodledata file structure, and there is the Moodle code itself. You may want to consider protecting all of these types of data from unauthorized reading, writing and execution. Think of this as a two dimensional matrix. Now add a third dimension that includes various ways one might be able to access any cell in the existing table, including coding flaws, external configuration problems and internal Moodle configuration issues

====Code Flaws====
Code exploits are addressed regularly through patches.

''Need links to the various fora, etc for security reporting and info)''

====Configuration====
The most typical issue in this area is placing the moodledata directory in the web root.

====Moodle set-up====
This includes such matters as enrollment, internal role configuration, etc.

Perhaps the most widely discussed problem here has been the matter of profile spam that can be produced when admins allow open e-mail enrollment. There are arguments as to whether this is a security issue or not (and sometimes it seems that the same folks are on both sides of the issue at times) but what it means from a practical standpoint is that you can have a Moodle targeted at your elementary school which contains enough pornography to make Bosche blush.

Sophisticated authentication relying on Moodle Networking, LDAP etc. will require some administrative skill sets pertinent to the scheme employed. One should also be acquainted with the underlying nature of access control including the difference between authentication and authorization. See, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_control

More more prosaic but as important are matters of security policy and enunciation of protocols addressing access rights to data (in the U. S. consider HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA, etc.)

===Integration===
After an initial basic Moodle installation there are quite a few tasks that need to be addressed to integrate the Moodle with all the bells and whistles you are expecting to use.
====Cron====
One of the most important post-install tasks is to invoke cron.php via the system cron daemon (or Task Scheduler...) Among other tasks, such as backup, cron triggers mail. [[Cron]] explains a good deal but there may be issues when trying to use smtp (some of these have been fixed in Moodle 1.9.3) to alternative ports.
====Mail====
While typically Moodle will use PHP's mail routines, in some cases you may have to configure mail manually and some issues may require manual database edits. See, [[Email settings]] and [[Email setup gmail]] as examples of possible manual configuration.
====Max File Upload====
The maximum size of file uploads for Moodle can be controlled via the Moodle GUI but are also constrained via Apache and PHP, and to adjust these you may need to be able to edit .htaccess and/or php.ini. Here are some examples of the discussin of such matters: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=98064&parent=433245 and http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=103190&parent=456650

==Criteria for Selecting Web Hosts==

===What Purpose Will Your Site Serve===
Production, Experimentation, etc
Classroom support or Asynchronous Remote
Gradebook and critical classroom data
Number of concurrent users

Issues of scale can be very important. A relatively small number of concurrent users can generate enough email through forum postings to get you in trouble with your host. Email volume, storage space for users and courses, number of accounts,

===Will You Be Running a 5 Nines Site===
What is all this you hear about "five nines". This is a way to discuss [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptime system uptime] and the implications thereby for the amount of time that a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_availability system is down and not available].

While five nines is not that difficult to achieve, it becomes obvious quickly that without redundancy bringing down any part of a system for maintenance quickly knocks one out of the park.

Downtime can grossly be divided into planned and unplanned outages. You may determine that since you only serve people in one time zone who had beeter be in bed between 2 and 4 in the morning, that you can live with 2 hours of planned downtime a night. On the other hand, you may feel that from 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday no outage is acceptable.

===Are you Prepared to Serve as a SYSADMIN?===
How are you planning to staff your project (see above??)
Do you have buy in from your IT dept?
Is everyone involved familiar with the realistic demands of a Moodle install (crank the FTEs!)
===Is Your Web Host Willing to Negotiate for the Services You require===
====SLAs====
What is an SLA? An SLA is a Service Level Agreement. While wikipedia provides [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_level_agreement a basic discussion of SLAs], a review of [http://www.nkarten.com/sla.html Naomi Karten's site], which is pitched at the vendor might prove helpful. There are [http://www.service-level-agreement.net/ commercial SLA kits as well].

By way of example, consider [https://confluence.delhi.edu/display/CIS/Moodlerooms+Service+Level+Agreement the SLA between Delhi SUNY and Moodlerooms] ([https://confluence.delhi.edu/pages/diffpages.action?pageId=82083866&originalId=82346012 and see this comparison]), an SLA in pdf format for [http://www.northumbrialearning.co.uk/documents/legal/moodle_hosting.pdf North Umbria Learning], and an SLA in MS Word format for [http://www.kwantlen.ca/__shared/assets/Moodle_Service_Level_Agreement4387.doc Kwantlen, Canada].

====Remedies====
Well, having considered an SLA hard and fast, the question is whether your SLA sets out specific remedies for those occasions when your vendor doesn't provide the services agreed upon, and if not, what recourse you may have.

To put this another way, [http://www.kentlaw.edu/perritt/courses/property/Hohfeld.htm you have no rights if you have no remedies]. Depending on the relative bargaining power of the parties remedies could run from monetary damages to a term extension. In many cases your potential vendor may refuse to agree to any specific remedies. Consider the vendor who "guarantees" band width and when asked what the client receives when the bandwidth drops below the guaranteed service level, the vendor states that they will work to resolve the issue; there is no remedy and the guarantee is mere puffing.

Negotiating for remedies is an excellent way to explore the amount of faith the vendor puts in his own stock. Most often you will be told that the vendor can't provide any remedy as remedies could put them out of business. Chances are that this vendor does not have redundancy or experience necessary to provide mission critical service.

''Notes to selves:
Here is the real meat and potatoes, which we can put here or actually put on additional pages (my prefs)
SO a link to range of service, types of support, security, e-mail, mysql support, panels....
perhaps as well, pages on SLAs generally, boilerplate and guarantees, punchlists
Perhaps specific sections, with brief descriptors and links to more detailed pages.
''

=Planning an Installation=

[[Installation FAQ]]

==Outsourcing==

===Developing your specs===

Often a larger installation will not be a vanilla Moodle site, and needs to be tuned or customised to a particular purpose or environment.

If possible, try to develop a really clear specification of what you want internally. Create a written document that is clear and concise about your needs, including a statement of your purpose and goals. Resist the temptation to get too detailed, though - 100 page specifications full of descriptive text and mock screenshots may result in your Request For Quote (RFQ) ending up in a too-hard basket.

If you aren't sure exactly what you need, consider consulting with experts who have implemented similar systems before. The Moodle forums are a useful place to ask questions and get results from a variety of Moodle experts (but everyone will appreciate it if you read the pertinent docs first.)

===Approaching providers===

When sending your request for a quote to providers, make sure to include information about your deadlines and resources to help the provider make a balanced judgement on their costs and availability (depending on the work you need).

===Comparing quotes===

Generally you do get what you pay for. Like most things you should consider the following variables beyond cost value:

# Stability of the company
# Service level agreement (SLA) details
# Reputation of the provider
# Experience with Moodle

==Do It Yourself==
[[Planning your installation]]

[[Category:Installation]]

Finding and Selecting A Web Host

2010-08-12T17:18:05Z

Net-buoy: /* Your Compendium */

==Purpose==
These pages are meant to serve as an additional guide to help users work through variety of questions, issues, etc. as they choose the best way to provide Moodle as an LMS to their users. We hope that these pages will help to steer the user to helpful materials that may not be easily found by the docs search engine. This is an ambitious undertaking, so we would be very pleased for more authors to add to the content!

A similar effort can be found in the [[Decision FAQ]] and if you have suggestions for integration, linking, etc. please feel free to post suggestions via the "page comments" tab above.

==Planning a Moodle installation==

If you are interested in installing and using a Moodle instance in your school, organization, or business, there are many things you must consider. Not only do you have to think about the technical aspects, you also should put some thought into how you would like to use the system, maintain the system, create the content, and support the users.

Depending on the scope and scale of your instance, and the technical expertise you can bring to the table, you may decide that you can host Moodle yourself or you may realize you could use some help! This page focuses on making decisions about how or where to host a Moodle site. Other pages will be developed to address the separate issue of retaining consultants apart from the question of hosting (though many of the concerns in addressing both are comparable.)

In addition to technical expertise, there are staffing issues to consider. A '''developer''' will help you write code to enhance or add new functionality. Many installations find that they do not need a developer, or they can hire development on an ad hoc basis. An '''LMS/Moodle administrator''' needs to have a good understanding of the system side of moodle. The more this person knows about databases and general web applications, the better. If you don't have an IT person to run the server and manage security, then the LMS/Moodle administrator may need to oversee these important duties. '''Content creators''' usually assist instructors with planning and creating course content. Large installations may need dedicated IT staff and database administrators. Consider the mix of people you have to support Moodle in your organization. You may find that you can cover all these bases with your current staff. If not, you may want to look at a [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Partner] to provide management and maintenance services for your Moodle instance, your instructors, and your students/course participants.

==Who are you? Types of Moodle Instances==
Before you choose a host, it would probably be helpful to have a firm understanding of who '''YOU''' are. What do you intend to accomplish with your Moodle instance?

Typical types of Moodle instances include schools, companies, agencies, churches, and a wide variety of non-profit organizations. A single individual may want to deliver just two or three courses. Some moodle instances serve as portfolios or special project spaces. Moodlers are very innovative!

Each of these types of Moodle users will have differing requirements and needs. Each may have different ideas about what kind of content they want to provide, who will be facilitating the "course work" (or if the course work will be automated), how they will enroll the users, and how strictly they want/need to enforce privacy for users.

These issues are of great importance when selecting a host. If you can identify exactly what you want to do and how you think it can be best accomplished, then you will likely recognize whether or not you can "do it yourself", if you need to look for full-service hosting, or if you can accomplish your goals with a consultant or ad hoc development.

The following are common types of users. Some people only use moodle to create and teach courses (albeit in quite a lot of different ways!) Some people take care of the Moodle "back end", which involves administrative functions. In some cases, the Moodle admin will take on responsibilities for "server admin" as well as assisting with training for teachers using moodle. In others, the "server admin" will work with other people to form a group that covers Moodle admin and classroom teacher perspectives. Trainers often have all the skills for the instructor as well as Moodle adminintrator. There are endless combinations of staffing and roles depending on your organization.

The following examples should be seen as a rough continuum with many variations possible. Take a look at the examples that seem to fit you best and we will attempt to describe the skillsets you will need and our best advice for the type of hosting you may find most practical:

===The classroom teacher, instructor, professor, or course creator===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_teachers|The Hosting for moodle teachers page]] describes the default role of "editing teacher" and sets out some considerations for evaluating your ability to manage a Moodle instance on your own.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to negotiate an agreement with them to provide the hosting and assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance. Depending on your situation and the level of support you need, outsourcing might be the more attractive option.

=== The (limited) Moodle admin===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_admins|The hosting for moodle admins page]] describes the role of the Moodle admin. Not the server admin. This role is limited to managing Moodle, but not other software packages on the server.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to arrange for them to provide the hosting and you assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance.

===The Advanced Moodle admin===

As you by now expected, [[Hosting_for_moodle_admins_advanced|the hosting for moodle advanced admins page]] is for those people who manage Moodle as well as getting into server side considerations, such as cron, email, database management and php.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in hosting without service.

===The Server admin===

There is also a [[Hosting_for_server_admins|page addressing hosting for server admins]], for people who have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the server and stack software. If you fit into this category, you may be less or not involved in managing the moodle instance. Some individuals will be able to run the server as well as manage the moodle instance in its entirety.

==Types of Hosts==

===Hosts who provide full Moodle management/maintenance services===

Some hosts are ready to support Moodle as a software package as well as providing and maintaining the server it runs on. They may provide training, content building, and development services as well. Service packages will likely include moodle upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups.

There are two types of full-service hosts for the purposes of this discussion: Moodle Partners and hosts who are not Moodle Partners.

The [http://moodle.com/partners Moodle Partners] are an [http://moodle.com/partners/list/ international group] of Moodle-based service companies that work closely with [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Pty Ltd]. They contribute 10% of their earnings directly to core Moodle development and are subject to certain codes of conduct. They provide a range of optional commercial services including fully-serviced Moodle hosting, training, certification, remote support contracts, custom code development and consulting. Different Partners vary in size, and focus on different specialities in different countries.

Generally only Moodle Partners are allowed to use the Moodle trademark (such as the phrase "Moodle hosting") to advertise their Moodle Services (see the [[License]] for details).

There are a variety of other companies providing similar services (sometimes under other names like "lms hosting" and sometimes not) that are not affiliated with the Moodle project and who do not support the project through royalties. Some of them even offer free services that are supported by third-party advertising.

As a consumer you need to choose carefully from all the options available to you. Each of these companies is an individual concern, and a prospective client is ultimately responsible for understanding what service package they are purchasing and how long it might be likely to be around. Do your research and articulate your needs and expectations very carefully!

If you google "moodle hosting" you will find Moodle Partners and a large number of sites offering Moodle hosting that are not full-service hosts. Be very careful. Many sites that advertise "Moodle hosting" are really offering you hosting of the software only, without additional management and maintenance services. These hosts do provide the software you need to run Moodle, but you are on your own after that!

===Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services===

[[Hosting_without_service|Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services]] is perhaps the most common situation. Many people select this option when they have decided they do not want to be responsible for hardware or the basic software "stack" used to run a Moodle instance, but also do not want to pay the premium for someone else to provide administrative expertise in the management of Moodle. There are thousands of web hosts available, and each probably offers a slightly different set of service options.

While full-service or managed hosting packages may include upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups, no-frills hosting will assume that you are willing to manage all these aspects of running a moodle instance.

If you have a reasonable level of confidence in hosting your own site this can be a very inexpensive solution.

===In-house hosting (or "do it yourself")===
If you have the necessary background and interest, you (or your IT team) can set up your own server and run one or more Moodle instances to support your institution, business, or project. You may choose to deploy Moodle on a variety of different operating systems (Mac, Linux, Windows) and with several different database options (MySQL, Postgres, MSSQL). While this page is not intended to provide assistance in accomplishing this goal, it does attempt to describe the sort of knowledge base you or your team will require for successfully [[in_house_hosting|hosting your own Moodle instance.]] You could also consider commercial support for in-house hosting from any of the commercial support providers mentioned above.

=Choosing a Web Host=

==The User Experience==
===Your Compendium===
[[Web_Hosts|A matrix]] has been created so that users can provide information on various web hosting options here. Please feel free to add to the matrix, but respect the footnoting conventions and the table structure please. There is some exploration of using Google Docs to address user feedback on Web Hosts. While a Google Doc may eventually be embedded in the Web Host doc, an experimental version can be [https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0AkMXlh7DWOcTcEdsTWhWUlFfelUtM20talNqZVFDR1E| seen here].

'NB:' If the wiki structure for the matrix is too much of a hassle, please just use the + tab from the "page comment" tab (you must be logged in to docs to see this, and that is still a separate log in....) to add your comments and someone will transfer them to the matrix.

===Discussion in the Forums===
While the forums should not be viewed as authoritative as circumstances change over time, they have been a focal point for quite a bit of discussion of various web hosts over time.

A collection of posts largely focusing on GoDaddy can be [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087#p459052| found here] and a list of discussions concerning quite a few other hosts, courtesy of [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=195424&course=5| Richard Enison (RLE)], appears in that collection [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087&parent=459052| at this address].

==Why Use A Web Host==

General areas of concern are:

===General Management and Installation Assistance===
Many web hosts offer GUIs that provide shortcuts to install and manage web applications. Some typical "panel" options are Fantastico and cpanel, while an example of a management application that many webhosts make available is phpmyadmin (for managing mysql databases.)
====CPanel====
If you decide to choose a hosting company that has cpanel then [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleonhostingwitholdcpanel.swf this tutorial] may provide some guidance in choosing a host and setting up moodle via the old cpanel. It is a VERY large file (that runs for about 12 minutes) and you will have to wait for it to load but [[User:Eric Hagley|Eric Hagley]] indicates it is worth the wait as affords a step by step approach. If you have the new cpanel please use [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleoncpanel.swf this link] for an updated tutorial.

===Keeping Your Software Current===
Software such as Moodle is not static; it changes all the time. Indeed Moodle software changes sometimes daily. Software may be altered to fix security issues or to make improvements. Sometimes a fix in one respect causes a bug in another.

Additionally, as noted below, Moodle is not the only product you may want to keep current, and any time you are trying to keep multiple applications current you are bound to run into compatibility issues.

As noted elsewhere, some web hosts provide utilities for web application management. For a discussion of updating software using such utilities (Cpanel for example) see the section on [[#General Management and Installation Assistance|General Management and Installation Assistance above]].

===Keeping Your Software Compatible===
Moodle is not "just" Moodle. The Moodle experience relies on a set of software applications, including a web server (often but not necessarily Apache), PHP, and a database engine (often but not necessarily mySQL), as well as the Moodle code itself. Each of the elements involved is regularly updated and this will result in compatibility issues. A fix to one application may cause a problem in another. Moreover, the manner in which an issue is addressed in one version may change with the next (an example being the use of php.ini files, which were required in every directory in php 4.x, a practice unnecessary in php 5.)

In addition to the four primary Moodle components (again, web server, database engine, PHP and Moodle code) you may wish to install a variety of additional software to use with Moodle (Moodle offers many modules to provide for the integration of external applications). The addition of an external application to your overall system increases complexity because as the various applications develop the modules integrating them may fail.

Module installation might be handled by a firm offering dedicated Moodle services, but will not be typically addressed by a vanilla web-host, which leaves the install of aspell, dragmath, asciimathml, etc. all to you.

One of the most intelligent questions that may be heard in a Moodle class is whether a course developed in Moodle A will work in Moodle B. The best answer is, "Maybe".

===Backups===
[http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-true.html Murphy's Law] offers no exceptions; it is an absolute, and without knowing who you are, where you come from or what you do, your Moodle may some day fail. The good news is that the odds of multiple failures are in your favor, so if you are well prepared, this eventuality can be viewed with same equanimity as that stubbed toe.....

Keeping very good records of your hacks, your additions, and the settings you have used for moodle as well as all the other software that it takes to support a moodle instance provides invaluable information. A backup regime, including course backups, software backups, and database backups is also important.

The Moodler must remember that while Moodle itself can do some backups, Moodle backups are very intensive and are only a small facet of an effective backup program, which must address the variety of data that is encompassed by a Moodle web site.

We'll discuss various backup types and issues below, but first let's talk about the underlying issue: who is doing what?

Some web hosts provide "snap shots", some provide site wide backups. Some offer shell access and tell you to roll your own, while some web hosts honestly couldn't care less.... You must remember that, without a specific agreement otherwise, it is unlikely that your web host acknowledges any responsibility for maintaining your data. Unfortunately, typically each of your data types may require a different kind of backup and you either need to learn how to do effective backups of your site on your own, or you will have to negotiate what amounts to bare metal backup with your Web Host (and you will need to identify an appropriate window, because you want your backups to be rather more current than your web host might find sensible....)

If you have shell access the good news is that there are quite a few scripts out there you can use to help yourself build an effective backup regimen.

There are critical points with respect to backing up your data that need to be addressed. They range from the global, such as addressing the location for the backups and managing remote backups (rsync can be helpful in this respect) and actually handling and recycling of the files themselves (when do you back up, what do you backup when you do backup, and how long do you keep a specific file) to the narrow (for example the db should be locked during backup.) While we have broken up this discussion because different types of data need to be treated in different ways, one could script one's system to address backups for all the different types of data.

Another option that we should mention in passing is that one can also look at replication of data, either to a simple store or to a failover unit. Be aware that mysql replication requires access to mysql commands that some web hosts do not provide. Chances are that if you are looking at replication you are having multiple private systems hosted by a vendor or are running your own installation and have looked at fail-over, clusters and replication in depth.

Lastly, please remember that if you are paying a web host for bandwidth used, remote backup could become a source of significant expense

''Note: AT present there is one Backup page, [[Site_backup]], in the docs, and it might be helpful at some time to break that up so that separate docs address different aspects of backup with one page addressing scripting options. In any event link to backup page needs to be added''

====Data====
By data we mean the contents of the moodledata directory, which may represent some of your most important material.

====GUI====
Your GUI is what is most often neglected when addressing backups. More often than not much of what you think of as your GUI will be reflected in any customizations to your theme, with pertinent data located in your Moodle code installation (/moodle/theme - see below) and possibly moodledata (a possible site for images used.)

====Databases====
Whatever database you are using, it is critical that you dump and store your db regularly, especially because it can be so simple to restore a site if you have a recent db dump. This can be accomplished manually via a GUI as with phpmyadmin or mysql admin or via command line if the user has access and the requisite skills. It can also be automated via commercial or open scripting (as in HandyBackup or automysqlbackup).

====Software====
Not only your Moodle configuration (additional modules, hacks and twiddles), but complementary software that you have integrated (like Mahara, etc) should be backed up.

You might ask why you should back up your Moodle code when you can just download it from Moodle and reinstall. There are a couple of issues here. First, the version of Moodle you download today is going to be different than the same version of Moodle you download tomorrow. This is confusing but that is how things lie. It is possible that a new install will result in problems on a restore and if you are facing down some failure you DO NOT want to then also have to try and figure out why what was working yesterday isn't working today. All things being constant is the hallmark of restore, and you don;t want to deal with any changes you are not aware of.

The second issue is your potential customization, whether that amounts to hacks to php code or just to the installation of additional modules. If speed is of interest (and when doing a restore after failure the most oft heard words are "how soon" ) you don't want to have to recreate your Moodle application, you want to be able to restore.

And a third issue related to the previous point is theme customization. Themes are stored in /moodle/theme.

===Security===
Most often we talk about security in the context of potential threats to your data. Of course, what can cause some consternation here is that different folks think of data in different ways. There is the data Moodle places in the mysql database. There is the data that Moodle places in the moodledata file structure, and there is the Moodle code itself. You may want to consider protecting all of these types of data from unauthorized reading, writing and execution. Think of this as a two dimensional matrix. Now add a third dimension that includes various ways one might be able to access any cell in the existing table, including coding flaws, external configuration problems and internal Moodle configuration issues

====Code Flaws====
Code exploits are addressed regularly through patches.

''Need links to the various fora, etc for security reporting and info)''

====Configuration====
The most typical issue in this area is placing the moodledata directory in the web root.

====Moodle set-up====
This includes such matters as enrollment, internal role configuration, etc.

Perhaps the most widely discussed problem here has been the matter of profile spam that can be produced when admins allow open e-mail enrollment. There are arguments as to whether this is a security issue or not (and sometimes it seems that the same folks are on both sides of the issue at times) but what it means from a practical standpoint is that you can have a Moodle targeted at your elementary school which contains enough pornography to make Bosche blush.

Sophisticated authentication relying on Moodle Networking, LDAP etc. will require some administrative skill sets pertinent to the scheme employed. One should also be acquainted with the underlying nature of access control including the difference between authentication and authorization. See, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_control

More more prosaic but as important are matters of security policy and enunciation of protocols addressing access rights to data (in the U. S. consider HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA, etc.)

===Integration===
After an initial basic Moodle installation there are quite a few tasks that need to be addressed to integrate the Moodle with all the bells and whistles you are expecting to use.
====Cron====
One of the most important post-install tasks is to invoke cron.php via the system cron daemon (or Task Scheduler...) Among other tasks, such as backup, cron triggers mail. [[Cron]] explains a good deal but there may be issues when trying to use smtp (some of these have been fixed in Moodle 1.9.3) to alternative ports.
====Mail====
While typically Moodle will use PHP's mail routines, in some cases you may have to configure mail manually and some issues may require manual database edits. See, [[Email settings]] and [[Email setup gmail]] as examples of possible manual configuration.
====Max File Upload====
The maximum size of file uploads for Moodle can be controlled via the Moodle GUI but are also constrained via Apache and PHP, and to adjust these you may need to be able to edit .htaccess and/or php.ini. Here are some examples of the discussin of such matters: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=98064&parent=433245 and http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=103190&parent=456650

==Criteria for Selecting Web Hosts==

===What Purpose Will Your Site Serve===
Production, Experimentation, etc
Classroom support or Asynchronous Remote
Gradebook and critical classroom data
Number of concurrent users

Issues of scale can be very important. A relatively small number of concurrent users can generate enough email through forum postings to get you in trouble with your host. Email volume, storage space for users and courses, number of accounts,

===Will You Be Running a 5 Nines Site===
What is all this you hear about "five nines". This is a way to discuss [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptime system uptime] and the implications thereby for the amount of time that a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_availability system is down and not available].

While five nines is not that difficult to achieve, it becomes obvious quickly that without redundancy bringing down any part of a system for maintenance quickly knocks one out of the park.

Downtime can grossly be divided into planned and unplanned outages. You may determine that since you only serve people in one time zone who had beeter be in bed between 2 and 4 in the morning, that you can live with 2 hours of planned downtime a night. On the other hand, you may feel that from 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday no outage is acceptable.

===Are you Prepared to Serve as a SYSADMIN?===
How are you planning to staff your project (see above??)
Do you have buy in from your IT dept?
Is everyone involved familiar with the realistic demands of a Moodle install (crank the FTEs!)
===Is Your Web Host Willing to Negotiate for the Services You require===
====SLAs====
What is an SLA? An SLA is a Service Level Agreement. While wikipedia provides [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_level_agreement a basic discussion of SLAs], a review of [http://www.nkarten.com/sla.html Naomi Karten's site], which is pitched at the vendor might prove helpful. There are [http://www.service-level-agreement.net/ commercial SLA kits as well].

By way of example, consider [https://confluence.delhi.edu/display/CIS/Moodlerooms+Service+Level+Agreement the SLA between Delhi SUNY and Moodlerooms] ([https://confluence.delhi.edu/pages/diffpages.action?pageId=82083866&originalId=82346012 and see this comparison]), an SLA in pdf format for [http://www.northumbrialearning.co.uk/documents/legal/moodle_hosting.pdf North Umbria Learning], and an SLA in MS Word format for [http://www.kwantlen.ca/__shared/assets/Moodle_Service_Level_Agreement4387.doc Kwantlen, Canada].

====Remedies====
Well, having considered an SLA hard and fast, the question is whether your SLA sets out specific remedies for those occasions when your vendor doesn't provide the services agreed upon, and if not, what recourse you may have.

To put this another way, [http://www.kentlaw.edu/perritt/courses/property/Hohfeld.htm you have no rights if you have no remedies]. Depending on the relative bargaining power of the parties remedies could run from monetary damages to a term extension. In many cases your potential vendor may refuse to agree to any specific remedies. Consider the vendor who "guarantees" band width and when asked what the client receives when the bandwidth drops below the guaranteed service level, the vendor states that they will work to resolve the issue; there is no remedy and the guarantee is mere puffing.

Negotiating for remedies is an excellent way to explore the amount of faith the vendor puts in his own stock. Most often you will be told that the vendor can't provide any remedy as remedies could put them out of business. Chances are that this vendor does not have redundancy or experience necessary to provide mission critical service.

''Notes to selves:
Here is the real meat and potatoes, which we can put here or actually put on additional pages (my prefs)
SO a link to range of service, types of support, security, e-mail, mysql support, panels....
perhaps as well, pages on SLAs generally, boilerplate and guarantees, punchlists
Perhaps specific sections, with brief descriptors and links to more detailed pages.
''

=Planning an Installation=

[[Installation FAQ]]

==Outsourcing==

===Developing your specs===

Often a larger installation will not be a vanilla Moodle site, and needs to be tuned or customised to a particular purpose or environment.

If possible, try to develop a really clear specification of what you want internally. Create a written document that is clear and concise about your needs, including a statement of your purpose and goals. Resist the temptation to get too detailed, though - 100 page specifications full of descriptive text and mock screenshots may result in your Request For Quote (RFQ) ending up in a too-hard basket.

If you aren't sure exactly what you need, consider consulting with experts who have implemented similar systems before. The Moodle forums are a useful place to ask questions and get results from a variety of Moodle experts (but everyone will appreciate it if you read the pertinent docs first.)

===Approaching providers===

When sending your request for a quote to providers, make sure to include information about your deadlines and resources to help the provider make a balanced judgement on their costs and availability (depending on the work you need).

===Comparing quotes===

Generally you do get what you pay for. Like most things you should consider the following variables beyond cost value:

# Stability of the company
# Service level agreement (SLA) details
# Reputation of the provider
# Experience with Moodle

==Do It Yourself==
[[Planning your installation]]

[[Category:Installation]]

Finding and Selecting A Web Host

2010-08-12T17:10:19Z

Net-buoy: /* Developing your specs */

==Purpose==
These pages are meant to serve as an additional guide to help users work through variety of questions, issues, etc. as they choose the best way to provide Moodle as an LMS to their users. We hope that these pages will help to steer the user to helpful materials that may not be easily found by the docs search engine. This is an ambitious undertaking, so we would be very pleased for more authors to add to the content!

A similar effort can be found in the [[Decision FAQ]] and if you have suggestions for integration, linking, etc. please feel free to post suggestions via the "page comments" tab above.

==Planning a Moodle installation==

If you are interested in installing and using a Moodle instance in your school, organization, or business, there are many things you must consider. Not only do you have to think about the technical aspects, you also should put some thought into how you would like to use the system, maintain the system, create the content, and support the users.

Depending on the scope and scale of your instance, and the technical expertise you can bring to the table, you may decide that you can host Moodle yourself or you may realize you could use some help! This page focuses on making decisions about how or where to host a Moodle site. Other pages will be developed to address the separate issue of retaining consultants apart from the question of hosting (though many of the concerns in addressing both are comparable.)

In addition to technical expertise, there are staffing issues to consider. A '''developer''' will help you write code to enhance or add new functionality. Many installations find that they do not need a developer, or they can hire development on an ad hoc basis. An '''LMS/Moodle administrator''' needs to have a good understanding of the system side of moodle. The more this person knows about databases and general web applications, the better. If you don't have an IT person to run the server and manage security, then the LMS/Moodle administrator may need to oversee these important duties. '''Content creators''' usually assist instructors with planning and creating course content. Large installations may need dedicated IT staff and database administrators. Consider the mix of people you have to support Moodle in your organization. You may find that you can cover all these bases with your current staff. If not, you may want to look at a [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Partner] to provide management and maintenance services for your Moodle instance, your instructors, and your students/course participants.

==Who are you? Types of Moodle Instances==
Before you choose a host, it would probably be helpful to have a firm understanding of who '''YOU''' are. What do you intend to accomplish with your Moodle instance?

Typical types of Moodle instances include schools, companies, agencies, churches, and a wide variety of non-profit organizations. A single individual may want to deliver just two or three courses. Some moodle instances serve as portfolios or special project spaces. Moodlers are very innovative!

Each of these types of Moodle users will have differing requirements and needs. Each may have different ideas about what kind of content they want to provide, who will be facilitating the "course work" (or if the course work will be automated), how they will enroll the users, and how strictly they want/need to enforce privacy for users.

These issues are of great importance when selecting a host. If you can identify exactly what you want to do and how you think it can be best accomplished, then you will likely recognize whether or not you can "do it yourself", if you need to look for full-service hosting, or if you can accomplish your goals with a consultant or ad hoc development.

The following are common types of users. Some people only use moodle to create and teach courses (albeit in quite a lot of different ways!) Some people take care of the Moodle "back end", which involves administrative functions. In some cases, the Moodle admin will take on responsibilities for "server admin" as well as assisting with training for teachers using moodle. In others, the "server admin" will work with other people to form a group that covers Moodle admin and classroom teacher perspectives. Trainers often have all the skills for the instructor as well as Moodle adminintrator. There are endless combinations of staffing and roles depending on your organization.

The following examples should be seen as a rough continuum with many variations possible. Take a look at the examples that seem to fit you best and we will attempt to describe the skillsets you will need and our best advice for the type of hosting you may find most practical:

===The classroom teacher, instructor, professor, or course creator===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_teachers|The Hosting for moodle teachers page]] describes the default role of "editing teacher" and sets out some considerations for evaluating your ability to manage a Moodle instance on your own.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to negotiate an agreement with them to provide the hosting and assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance. Depending on your situation and the level of support you need, outsourcing might be the more attractive option.

=== The (limited) Moodle admin===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_admins|The hosting for moodle admins page]] describes the role of the Moodle admin. Not the server admin. This role is limited to managing Moodle, but not other software packages on the server.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to arrange for them to provide the hosting and you assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance.

===The Advanced Moodle admin===

As you by now expected, [[Hosting_for_moodle_admins_advanced|the hosting for moodle advanced admins page]] is for those people who manage Moodle as well as getting into server side considerations, such as cron, email, database management and php.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in hosting without service.

===The Server admin===

There is also a [[Hosting_for_server_admins|page addressing hosting for server admins]], for people who have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the server and stack software. If you fit into this category, you may be less or not involved in managing the moodle instance. Some individuals will be able to run the server as well as manage the moodle instance in its entirety.

==Types of Hosts==

===Hosts who provide full Moodle management/maintenance services===

Some hosts are ready to support Moodle as a software package as well as providing and maintaining the server it runs on. They may provide training, content building, and development services as well. Service packages will likely include moodle upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups.

There are two types of full-service hosts for the purposes of this discussion: Moodle Partners and hosts who are not Moodle Partners.

The [http://moodle.com/partners Moodle Partners] are an [http://moodle.com/partners/list/ international group] of Moodle-based service companies that work closely with [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Pty Ltd]. They contribute 10% of their earnings directly to core Moodle development and are subject to certain codes of conduct. They provide a range of optional commercial services including fully-serviced Moodle hosting, training, certification, remote support contracts, custom code development and consulting. Different Partners vary in size, and focus on different specialities in different countries.

Generally only Moodle Partners are allowed to use the Moodle trademark (such as the phrase "Moodle hosting") to advertise their Moodle Services (see the [[License]] for details).

There are a variety of other companies providing similar services (sometimes under other names like "lms hosting" and sometimes not) that are not affiliated with the Moodle project and who do not support the project through royalties. Some of them even offer free services that are supported by third-party advertising.

As a consumer you need to choose carefully from all the options available to you. Each of these companies is an individual concern, and a prospective client is ultimately responsible for understanding what service package they are purchasing and how long it might be likely to be around. Do your research and articulate your needs and expectations very carefully!

If you google "moodle hosting" you will find Moodle Partners and a large number of sites offering Moodle hosting that are not full-service hosts. Be very careful. Many sites that advertise "Moodle hosting" are really offering you hosting of the software only, without additional management and maintenance services. These hosts do provide the software you need to run Moodle, but you are on your own after that!

===Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services===

[[Hosting_without_service|Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services]] is perhaps the most common situation. Many people select this option when they have decided they do not want to be responsible for hardware or the basic software "stack" used to run a Moodle instance, but also do not want to pay the premium for someone else to provide administrative expertise in the management of Moodle. There are thousands of web hosts available, and each probably offers a slightly different set of service options.

While full-service or managed hosting packages may include upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups, no-frills hosting will assume that you are willing to manage all these aspects of running a moodle instance.

If you have a reasonable level of confidence in hosting your own site this can be a very inexpensive solution.

===In-house hosting (or "do it yourself")===
If you have the necessary background and interest, you (or your IT team) can set up your own server and run one or more Moodle instances to support your institution, business, or project. You may choose to deploy Moodle on a variety of different operating systems (Mac, Linux, Windows) and with several different database options (MySQL, Postgres, MSSQL). While this page is not intended to provide assistance in accomplishing this goal, it does attempt to describe the sort of knowledge base you or your team will require for successfully [[in_house_hosting|hosting your own Moodle instance.]] You could also consider commercial support for in-house hosting from any of the commercial support providers mentioned above.

=Choosing a Web Host=

==The User Experience==
===Your Compendium===
[[Web_Hosts|A matrix]] has been created so that users can provide information on various web hosting options here. Please feel free to add to the matrix, but respect the footnoting conventions and the table structure please. There is some exploration of using Google Docs to address user feedback on Web Hosts. While a Google Doc may eventually be embedded in the Web Host doc, an experimental version can be [http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pGlMhVRQ_zU-3m-jSjeQCGQ| seen here].

'NB:' If the wiki structure for the matrix is too much of a hassle, please just use the + tab from the "page comment" tab (you must be logged in to docs to see this, and that is still a separate log in....) to add your comments and someone will transfer them to the matrix.

===Discussion in the Forums===
While the forums should not be viewed as authoritative as circumstances change over time, they have been a focal point for quite a bit of discussion of various web hosts over time.

A collection of posts largely focusing on GoDaddy can be [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087#p459052| found here] and a list of discussions concerning quite a few other hosts, courtesy of [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=195424&course=5| Richard Enison (RLE)], appears in that collection [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087&parent=459052| at this address].

==Why Use A Web Host==

General areas of concern are:

===General Management and Installation Assistance===
Many web hosts offer GUIs that provide shortcuts to install and manage web applications. Some typical "panel" options are Fantastico and cpanel, while an example of a management application that many webhosts make available is phpmyadmin (for managing mysql databases.)
====CPanel====
If you decide to choose a hosting company that has cpanel then [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleonhostingwitholdcpanel.swf this tutorial] may provide some guidance in choosing a host and setting up moodle via the old cpanel. It is a VERY large file (that runs for about 12 minutes) and you will have to wait for it to load but [[User:Eric Hagley|Eric Hagley]] indicates it is worth the wait as affords a step by step approach. If you have the new cpanel please use [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleoncpanel.swf this link] for an updated tutorial.

===Keeping Your Software Current===
Software such as Moodle is not static; it changes all the time. Indeed Moodle software changes sometimes daily. Software may be altered to fix security issues or to make improvements. Sometimes a fix in one respect causes a bug in another.

Additionally, as noted below, Moodle is not the only product you may want to keep current, and any time you are trying to keep multiple applications current you are bound to run into compatibility issues.

As noted elsewhere, some web hosts provide utilities for web application management. For a discussion of updating software using such utilities (Cpanel for example) see the section on [[#General Management and Installation Assistance|General Management and Installation Assistance above]].

===Keeping Your Software Compatible===
Moodle is not "just" Moodle. The Moodle experience relies on a set of software applications, including a web server (often but not necessarily Apache), PHP, and a database engine (often but not necessarily mySQL), as well as the Moodle code itself. Each of the elements involved is regularly updated and this will result in compatibility issues. A fix to one application may cause a problem in another. Moreover, the manner in which an issue is addressed in one version may change with the next (an example being the use of php.ini files, which were required in every directory in php 4.x, a practice unnecessary in php 5.)

In addition to the four primary Moodle components (again, web server, database engine, PHP and Moodle code) you may wish to install a variety of additional software to use with Moodle (Moodle offers many modules to provide for the integration of external applications). The addition of an external application to your overall system increases complexity because as the various applications develop the modules integrating them may fail.

Module installation might be handled by a firm offering dedicated Moodle services, but will not be typically addressed by a vanilla web-host, which leaves the install of aspell, dragmath, asciimathml, etc. all to you.

One of the most intelligent questions that may be heard in a Moodle class is whether a course developed in Moodle A will work in Moodle B. The best answer is, "Maybe".

===Backups===
[http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-true.html Murphy's Law] offers no exceptions; it is an absolute, and without knowing who you are, where you come from or what you do, your Moodle may some day fail. The good news is that the odds of multiple failures are in your favor, so if you are well prepared, this eventuality can be viewed with same equanimity as that stubbed toe.....

Keeping very good records of your hacks, your additions, and the settings you have used for moodle as well as all the other software that it takes to support a moodle instance provides invaluable information. A backup regime, including course backups, software backups, and database backups is also important.

The Moodler must remember that while Moodle itself can do some backups, Moodle backups are very intensive and are only a small facet of an effective backup program, which must address the variety of data that is encompassed by a Moodle web site.

We'll discuss various backup types and issues below, but first let's talk about the underlying issue: who is doing what?

Some web hosts provide "snap shots", some provide site wide backups. Some offer shell access and tell you to roll your own, while some web hosts honestly couldn't care less.... You must remember that, without a specific agreement otherwise, it is unlikely that your web host acknowledges any responsibility for maintaining your data. Unfortunately, typically each of your data types may require a different kind of backup and you either need to learn how to do effective backups of your site on your own, or you will have to negotiate what amounts to bare metal backup with your Web Host (and you will need to identify an appropriate window, because you want your backups to be rather more current than your web host might find sensible....)

If you have shell access the good news is that there are quite a few scripts out there you can use to help yourself build an effective backup regimen.

There are critical points with respect to backing up your data that need to be addressed. They range from the global, such as addressing the location for the backups and managing remote backups (rsync can be helpful in this respect) and actually handling and recycling of the files themselves (when do you back up, what do you backup when you do backup, and how long do you keep a specific file) to the narrow (for example the db should be locked during backup.) While we have broken up this discussion because different types of data need to be treated in different ways, one could script one's system to address backups for all the different types of data.

Another option that we should mention in passing is that one can also look at replication of data, either to a simple store or to a failover unit. Be aware that mysql replication requires access to mysql commands that some web hosts do not provide. Chances are that if you are looking at replication you are having multiple private systems hosted by a vendor or are running your own installation and have looked at fail-over, clusters and replication in depth.

Lastly, please remember that if you are paying a web host for bandwidth used, remote backup could become a source of significant expense

''Note: AT present there is one Backup page, [[Site_backup]], in the docs, and it might be helpful at some time to break that up so that separate docs address different aspects of backup with one page addressing scripting options. In any event link to backup page needs to be added''

====Data====
By data we mean the contents of the moodledata directory, which may represent some of your most important material.

====GUI====
Your GUI is what is most often neglected when addressing backups. More often than not much of what you think of as your GUI will be reflected in any customizations to your theme, with pertinent data located in your Moodle code installation (/moodle/theme - see below) and possibly moodledata (a possible site for images used.)

====Databases====
Whatever database you are using, it is critical that you dump and store your db regularly, especially because it can be so simple to restore a site if you have a recent db dump. This can be accomplished manually via a GUI as with phpmyadmin or mysql admin or via command line if the user has access and the requisite skills. It can also be automated via commercial or open scripting (as in HandyBackup or automysqlbackup).

====Software====
Not only your Moodle configuration (additional modules, hacks and twiddles), but complementary software that you have integrated (like Mahara, etc) should be backed up.

You might ask why you should back up your Moodle code when you can just download it from Moodle and reinstall. There are a couple of issues here. First, the version of Moodle you download today is going to be different than the same version of Moodle you download tomorrow. This is confusing but that is how things lie. It is possible that a new install will result in problems on a restore and if you are facing down some failure you DO NOT want to then also have to try and figure out why what was working yesterday isn't working today. All things being constant is the hallmark of restore, and you don;t want to deal with any changes you are not aware of.

The second issue is your potential customization, whether that amounts to hacks to php code or just to the installation of additional modules. If speed is of interest (and when doing a restore after failure the most oft heard words are "how soon" ) you don't want to have to recreate your Moodle application, you want to be able to restore.

And a third issue related to the previous point is theme customization. Themes are stored in /moodle/theme.

===Security===
Most often we talk about security in the context of potential threats to your data. Of course, what can cause some consternation here is that different folks think of data in different ways. There is the data Moodle places in the mysql database. There is the data that Moodle places in the moodledata file structure, and there is the Moodle code itself. You may want to consider protecting all of these types of data from unauthorized reading, writing and execution. Think of this as a two dimensional matrix. Now add a third dimension that includes various ways one might be able to access any cell in the existing table, including coding flaws, external configuration problems and internal Moodle configuration issues

====Code Flaws====
Code exploits are addressed regularly through patches.

''Need links to the various fora, etc for security reporting and info)''

====Configuration====
The most typical issue in this area is placing the moodledata directory in the web root.

====Moodle set-up====
This includes such matters as enrollment, internal role configuration, etc.

Perhaps the most widely discussed problem here has been the matter of profile spam that can be produced when admins allow open e-mail enrollment. There are arguments as to whether this is a security issue or not (and sometimes it seems that the same folks are on both sides of the issue at times) but what it means from a practical standpoint is that you can have a Moodle targeted at your elementary school which contains enough pornography to make Bosche blush.

Sophisticated authentication relying on Moodle Networking, LDAP etc. will require some administrative skill sets pertinent to the scheme employed. One should also be acquainted with the underlying nature of access control including the difference between authentication and authorization. See, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_control

More more prosaic but as important are matters of security policy and enunciation of protocols addressing access rights to data (in the U. S. consider HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA, etc.)

===Integration===
After an initial basic Moodle installation there are quite a few tasks that need to be addressed to integrate the Moodle with all the bells and whistles you are expecting to use.
====Cron====
One of the most important post-install tasks is to invoke cron.php via the system cron daemon (or Task Scheduler...) Among other tasks, such as backup, cron triggers mail. [[Cron]] explains a good deal but there may be issues when trying to use smtp (some of these have been fixed in Moodle 1.9.3) to alternative ports.
====Mail====
While typically Moodle will use PHP's mail routines, in some cases you may have to configure mail manually and some issues may require manual database edits. See, [[Email settings]] and [[Email setup gmail]] as examples of possible manual configuration.
====Max File Upload====
The maximum size of file uploads for Moodle can be controlled via the Moodle GUI but are also constrained via Apache and PHP, and to adjust these you may need to be able to edit .htaccess and/or php.ini. Here are some examples of the discussin of such matters: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=98064&parent=433245 and http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=103190&parent=456650

==Criteria for Selecting Web Hosts==

===What Purpose Will Your Site Serve===
Production, Experimentation, etc
Classroom support or Asynchronous Remote
Gradebook and critical classroom data
Number of concurrent users

Issues of scale can be very important. A relatively small number of concurrent users can generate enough email through forum postings to get you in trouble with your host. Email volume, storage space for users and courses, number of accounts,

===Will You Be Running a 5 Nines Site===
What is all this you hear about "five nines". This is a way to discuss [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptime system uptime] and the implications thereby for the amount of time that a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_availability system is down and not available].

While five nines is not that difficult to achieve, it becomes obvious quickly that without redundancy bringing down any part of a system for maintenance quickly knocks one out of the park.

Downtime can grossly be divided into planned and unplanned outages. You may determine that since you only serve people in one time zone who had beeter be in bed between 2 and 4 in the morning, that you can live with 2 hours of planned downtime a night. On the other hand, you may feel that from 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday no outage is acceptable.

===Are you Prepared to Serve as a SYSADMIN?===
How are you planning to staff your project (see above??)
Do you have buy in from your IT dept?
Is everyone involved familiar with the realistic demands of a Moodle install (crank the FTEs!)
===Is Your Web Host Willing to Negotiate for the Services You require===
====SLAs====
What is an SLA? An SLA is a Service Level Agreement. While wikipedia provides [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_level_agreement a basic discussion of SLAs], a review of [http://www.nkarten.com/sla.html Naomi Karten's site], which is pitched at the vendor might prove helpful. There are [http://www.service-level-agreement.net/ commercial SLA kits as well].

By way of example, consider [https://confluence.delhi.edu/display/CIS/Moodlerooms+Service+Level+Agreement the SLA between Delhi SUNY and Moodlerooms] ([https://confluence.delhi.edu/pages/diffpages.action?pageId=82083866&originalId=82346012 and see this comparison]), an SLA in pdf format for [http://www.northumbrialearning.co.uk/documents/legal/moodle_hosting.pdf North Umbria Learning], and an SLA in MS Word format for [http://www.kwantlen.ca/__shared/assets/Moodle_Service_Level_Agreement4387.doc Kwantlen, Canada].

====Remedies====
Well, having considered an SLA hard and fast, the question is whether your SLA sets out specific remedies for those occasions when your vendor doesn't provide the services agreed upon, and if not, what recourse you may have.

To put this another way, [http://www.kentlaw.edu/perritt/courses/property/Hohfeld.htm you have no rights if you have no remedies]. Depending on the relative bargaining power of the parties remedies could run from monetary damages to a term extension. In many cases your potential vendor may refuse to agree to any specific remedies. Consider the vendor who "guarantees" band width and when asked what the client receives when the bandwidth drops below the guaranteed service level, the vendor states that they will work to resolve the issue; there is no remedy and the guarantee is mere puffing.

Negotiating for remedies is an excellent way to explore the amount of faith the vendor puts in his own stock. Most often you will be told that the vendor can't provide any remedy as remedies could put them out of business. Chances are that this vendor does not have redundancy or experience necessary to provide mission critical service.

''Notes to selves:
Here is the real meat and potatoes, which we can put here or actually put on additional pages (my prefs)
SO a link to range of service, types of support, security, e-mail, mysql support, panels....
perhaps as well, pages on SLAs generally, boilerplate and guarantees, punchlists
Perhaps specific sections, with brief descriptors and links to more detailed pages.
''

=Planning an Installation=

[[Installation FAQ]]

==Outsourcing==

===Developing your specs===

Often a larger installation will not be a vanilla Moodle site, and needs to be tuned or customised to a particular purpose or environment.

If possible, try to develop a really clear specification of what you want internally. Create a written document that is clear and concise about your needs, including a statement of your purpose and goals. Resist the temptation to get too detailed, though - 100 page specifications full of descriptive text and mock screenshots may result in your Request For Quote (RFQ) ending up in a too-hard basket.

If you aren't sure exactly what you need, consider consulting with experts who have implemented similar systems before. The Moodle forums are a useful place to ask questions and get results from a variety of Moodle experts (but everyone will appreciate it if you read the pertinent docs first.)

===Approaching providers===

When sending your request for a quote to providers, make sure to include information about your deadlines and resources to help the provider make a balanced judgement on their costs and availability (depending on the work you need).

===Comparing quotes===

Generally you do get what you pay for. Like most things you should consider the following variables beyond cost value:

# Stability of the company
# Service level agreement (SLA) details
# Reputation of the provider
# Experience with Moodle

==Do It Yourself==
[[Planning your installation]]

[[Category:Installation]]

Finding and Selecting A Web Host

2010-08-12T17:06:34Z

Net-buoy: /* Data */

==Purpose==
These pages are meant to serve as an additional guide to help users work through variety of questions, issues, etc. as they choose the best way to provide Moodle as an LMS to their users. We hope that these pages will help to steer the user to helpful materials that may not be easily found by the docs search engine. This is an ambitious undertaking, so we would be very pleased for more authors to add to the content!

A similar effort can be found in the [[Decision FAQ]] and if you have suggestions for integration, linking, etc. please feel free to post suggestions via the "page comments" tab above.

==Planning a Moodle installation==

If you are interested in installing and using a Moodle instance in your school, organization, or business, there are many things you must consider. Not only do you have to think about the technical aspects, you also should put some thought into how you would like to use the system, maintain the system, create the content, and support the users.

Depending on the scope and scale of your instance, and the technical expertise you can bring to the table, you may decide that you can host Moodle yourself or you may realize you could use some help! This page focuses on making decisions about how or where to host a Moodle site. Other pages will be developed to address the separate issue of retaining consultants apart from the question of hosting (though many of the concerns in addressing both are comparable.)

In addition to technical expertise, there are staffing issues to consider. A '''developer''' will help you write code to enhance or add new functionality. Many installations find that they do not need a developer, or they can hire development on an ad hoc basis. An '''LMS/Moodle administrator''' needs to have a good understanding of the system side of moodle. The more this person knows about databases and general web applications, the better. If you don't have an IT person to run the server and manage security, then the LMS/Moodle administrator may need to oversee these important duties. '''Content creators''' usually assist instructors with planning and creating course content. Large installations may need dedicated IT staff and database administrators. Consider the mix of people you have to support Moodle in your organization. You may find that you can cover all these bases with your current staff. If not, you may want to look at a [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Partner] to provide management and maintenance services for your Moodle instance, your instructors, and your students/course participants.

==Who are you? Types of Moodle Instances==
Before you choose a host, it would probably be helpful to have a firm understanding of who '''YOU''' are. What do you intend to accomplish with your Moodle instance?

Typical types of Moodle instances include schools, companies, agencies, churches, and a wide variety of non-profit organizations. A single individual may want to deliver just two or three courses. Some moodle instances serve as portfolios or special project spaces. Moodlers are very innovative!

Each of these types of Moodle users will have differing requirements and needs. Each may have different ideas about what kind of content they want to provide, who will be facilitating the "course work" (or if the course work will be automated), how they will enroll the users, and how strictly they want/need to enforce privacy for users.

These issues are of great importance when selecting a host. If you can identify exactly what you want to do and how you think it can be best accomplished, then you will likely recognize whether or not you can "do it yourself", if you need to look for full-service hosting, or if you can accomplish your goals with a consultant or ad hoc development.

The following are common types of users. Some people only use moodle to create and teach courses (albeit in quite a lot of different ways!) Some people take care of the Moodle "back end", which involves administrative functions. In some cases, the Moodle admin will take on responsibilities for "server admin" as well as assisting with training for teachers using moodle. In others, the "server admin" will work with other people to form a group that covers Moodle admin and classroom teacher perspectives. Trainers often have all the skills for the instructor as well as Moodle adminintrator. There are endless combinations of staffing and roles depending on your organization.

The following examples should be seen as a rough continuum with many variations possible. Take a look at the examples that seem to fit you best and we will attempt to describe the skillsets you will need and our best advice for the type of hosting you may find most practical:

===The classroom teacher, instructor, professor, or course creator===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_teachers|The Hosting for moodle teachers page]] describes the default role of "editing teacher" and sets out some considerations for evaluating your ability to manage a Moodle instance on your own.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to negotiate an agreement with them to provide the hosting and assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance. Depending on your situation and the level of support you need, outsourcing might be the more attractive option.

=== The (limited) Moodle admin===

[[Hosting_for_moodle_admins|The hosting for moodle admins page]] describes the role of the Moodle admin. Not the server admin. This role is limited to managing Moodle, but not other software packages on the server.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in full service hosting or full service hosting with a moodle partner. If you have an in-house IT department, you may be able to arrange for them to provide the hosting and you assume responsibility for the administrative tasks related to running a Moodle instance.

===The Advanced Moodle admin===

As you by now expected, [[Hosting_for_moodle_admins_advanced|the hosting for moodle advanced admins page]] is for those people who manage Moodle as well as getting into server side considerations, such as cron, email, database management and php.

If you decide that this category describes you best, you will likely be interested in hosting without service.

===The Server admin===

There is also a [[Hosting_for_server_admins|page addressing hosting for server admins]], for people who have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the server and stack software. If you fit into this category, you may be less or not involved in managing the moodle instance. Some individuals will be able to run the server as well as manage the moodle instance in its entirety.

==Types of Hosts==

===Hosts who provide full Moodle management/maintenance services===

Some hosts are ready to support Moodle as a software package as well as providing and maintaining the server it runs on. They may provide training, content building, and development services as well. Service packages will likely include moodle upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups.

There are two types of full-service hosts for the purposes of this discussion: Moodle Partners and hosts who are not Moodle Partners.

The [http://moodle.com/partners Moodle Partners] are an [http://moodle.com/partners/list/ international group] of Moodle-based service companies that work closely with [http://moodle.com/ Moodle Pty Ltd]. They contribute 10% of their earnings directly to core Moodle development and are subject to certain codes of conduct. They provide a range of optional commercial services including fully-serviced Moodle hosting, training, certification, remote support contracts, custom code development and consulting. Different Partners vary in size, and focus on different specialities in different countries.

Generally only Moodle Partners are allowed to use the Moodle trademark (such as the phrase "Moodle hosting") to advertise their Moodle Services (see the [[License]] for details).

There are a variety of other companies providing similar services (sometimes under other names like "lms hosting" and sometimes not) that are not affiliated with the Moodle project and who do not support the project through royalties. Some of them even offer free services that are supported by third-party advertising.

As a consumer you need to choose carefully from all the options available to you. Each of these companies is an individual concern, and a prospective client is ultimately responsible for understanding what service package they are purchasing and how long it might be likely to be around. Do your research and articulate your needs and expectations very carefully!

If you google "moodle hosting" you will find Moodle Partners and a large number of sites offering Moodle hosting that are not full-service hosts. Be very careful. Many sites that advertise "Moodle hosting" are really offering you hosting of the software only, without additional management and maintenance services. These hosts do provide the software you need to run Moodle, but you are on your own after that!

===Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services===

[[Hosting_without_service|Hosting without Moodle management and maintenance services]] is perhaps the most common situation. Many people select this option when they have decided they do not want to be responsible for hardware or the basic software "stack" used to run a Moodle instance, but also do not want to pay the premium for someone else to provide administrative expertise in the management of Moodle. There are thousands of web hosts available, and each probably offers a slightly different set of service options.

While full-service or managed hosting packages may include upgrades, installation of approved third-party blocks/modules/question types, database maintenance, phone or email support, and backups, no-frills hosting will assume that you are willing to manage all these aspects of running a moodle instance.

If you have a reasonable level of confidence in hosting your own site this can be a very inexpensive solution.

===In-house hosting (or "do it yourself")===
If you have the necessary background and interest, you (or your IT team) can set up your own server and run one or more Moodle instances to support your institution, business, or project. You may choose to deploy Moodle on a variety of different operating systems (Mac, Linux, Windows) and with several different database options (MySQL, Postgres, MSSQL). While this page is not intended to provide assistance in accomplishing this goal, it does attempt to describe the sort of knowledge base you or your team will require for successfully [[in_house_hosting|hosting your own Moodle instance.]] You could also consider commercial support for in-house hosting from any of the commercial support providers mentioned above.

=Choosing a Web Host=

==The User Experience==
===Your Compendium===
[[Web_Hosts|A matrix]] has been created so that users can provide information on various web hosting options here. Please feel free to add to the matrix, but respect the footnoting conventions and the table structure please. There is some exploration of using Google Docs to address user feedback on Web Hosts. While a Google Doc may eventually be embedded in the Web Host doc, an experimental version can be [http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pGlMhVRQ_zU-3m-jSjeQCGQ| seen here].

'NB:' If the wiki structure for the matrix is too much of a hassle, please just use the + tab from the "page comment" tab (you must be logged in to docs to see this, and that is still a separate log in....) to add your comments and someone will transfer them to the matrix.

===Discussion in the Forums===
While the forums should not be viewed as authoritative as circumstances change over time, they have been a focal point for quite a bit of discussion of various web hosts over time.

A collection of posts largely focusing on GoDaddy can be [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087#p459052| found here] and a list of discussions concerning quite a few other hosts, courtesy of [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=195424&course=5| Richard Enison (RLE)], appears in that collection [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53087&parent=459052| at this address].

==Why Use A Web Host==

General areas of concern are:

===General Management and Installation Assistance===
Many web hosts offer GUIs that provide shortcuts to install and manage web applications. Some typical "panel" options are Fantastico and cpanel, while an example of a management application that many webhosts make available is phpmyadmin (for managing mysql databases.)
====CPanel====
If you decide to choose a hosting company that has cpanel then [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleonhostingwitholdcpanel.swf this tutorial] may provide some guidance in choosing a host and setting up moodle via the old cpanel. It is a VERY large file (that runs for about 12 minutes) and you will have to wait for it to load but [[User:Eric Hagley|Eric Hagley]] indicates it is worth the wait as affords a step by step approach. If you have the new cpanel please use [http://ic.eflclasses.org/tutorials/settingupmoodleoncpanel.swf this link] for an updated tutorial.

===Keeping Your Software Current===
Software such as Moodle is not static; it changes all the time. Indeed Moodle software changes sometimes daily. Software may be altered to fix security issues or to make improvements. Sometimes a fix in one respect causes a bug in another.

Additionally, as noted below, Moodle is not the only product you may want to keep current, and any time you are trying to keep multiple applications current you are bound to run into compatibility issues.

As noted elsewhere, some web hosts provide utilities for web application management. For a discussion of updating software using such utilities (Cpanel for example) see the section on [[#General Management and Installation Assistance|General Management and Installation Assistance above]].

===Keeping Your Software Compatible===
Moodle is not "just" Moodle. The Moodle experience relies on a set of software applications, including a web server (often but not necessarily Apache), PHP, and a database engine (often but not necessarily mySQL), as well as the Moodle code itself. Each of the elements involved is regularly updated and this will result in compatibility issues. A fix to one application may cause a problem in another. Moreover, the manner in which an issue is addressed in one version may change with the next (an example being the use of php.ini files, which were required in every directory in php 4.x, a practice unnecessary in php 5.)

In addition to the four primary Moodle components (again, web server, database engine, PHP and Moodle code) you may wish to install a variety of additional software to use with Moodle (Moodle offers many modules to provide for the integration of external applications). The addition of an external application to your overall system increases complexity because as the various applications develop the modules integrating them may fail.

Module installation might be handled by a firm offering dedicated Moodle services, but will not be typically addressed by a vanilla web-host, which leaves the install of aspell, dragmath, asciimathml, etc. all to you.

One of the most intelligent questions that may be heard in a Moodle class is whether a course developed in Moodle A will work in Moodle B. The best answer is, "Maybe".

===Backups===
[http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-true.html Murphy's Law] offers no exceptions; it is an absolute, and without knowing who you are, where you come from or what you do, your Moodle may some day fail. The good news is that the odds of multiple failures are in your favor, so if you are well prepared, this eventuality can be viewed with same equanimity as that stubbed toe.....

Keeping very good records of your hacks, your additions, and the settings you have used for moodle as well as all the other software that it takes to support a moodle instance provides invaluable information. A backup regime, including course backups, software backups, and database backups is also important.

The Moodler must remember that while Moodle itself can do some backups, Moodle backups are very intensive and are only a small facet of an effective backup program, which must address the variety of data that is encompassed by a Moodle web site.

We'll discuss various backup types and issues below, but first let's talk about the underlying issue: who is doing what?

Some web hosts provide "snap shots", some provide site wide backups. Some offer shell access and tell you to roll your own, while some web hosts honestly couldn't care less.... You must remember that, without a specific agreement otherwise, it is unlikely that your web host acknowledges any responsibility for maintaining your data. Unfortunately, typically each of your data types may require a different kind of backup and you either need to learn how to do effective backups of your site on your own, or you will have to negotiate what amounts to bare metal backup with your Web Host (and you will need to identify an appropriate window, because you want your backups to be rather more current than your web host might find sensible....)

If you have shell access the good news is that there are quite a few scripts out there you can use to help yourself build an effective backup regimen.

There are critical points with respect to backing up your data that need to be addressed. They range from the global, such as addressing the location for the backups and managing remote backups (rsync can be helpful in this respect) and actually handling and recycling of the files themselves (when do you back up, what do you backup when you do backup, and how long do you keep a specific file) to the narrow (for example the db should be locked during backup.) While we have broken up this discussion because different types of data need to be treated in different ways, one could script one's system to address backups for all the different types of data.

Another option that we should mention in passing is that one can also look at replication of data, either to a simple store or to a failover unit. Be aware that mysql replication requires access to mysql commands that some web hosts do not provide. Chances are that if you are looking at replication you are having multiple private systems hosted by a vendor or are running your own installation and have looked at fail-over, clusters and replication in depth.

Lastly, please remember that if you are paying a web host for bandwidth used, remote backup could become a source of significant expense

''Note: AT present there is one Backup page, [[Site_backup]], in the docs, and it might be helpful at some time to break that up so that separate docs address different aspects of backup with one page addressing scripting options. In any event link to backup page needs to be added''

====Data====
By data we mean the contents of the moodledata directory, which may represent some of your most important material.

====GUI====
Your GUI is what is most often neglected when addressing backups. More often than not much of what you think of as your GUI will be reflected in any customizations to your theme, with pertinent data located in your Moodle code installation (/moodle/theme - see below) and possibly moodledata (a possible site for images used.)

====Databases====
Whatever database you are using, it is critical that you dump and store your db regularly, especially because it can be so simple to restore a site if you have a recent db dump. This can be accomplished manually via a GUI as with phpmyadmin or mysql admin or via command line if the user has access and the requisite skills. It can also be automated via commercial or open scripting (as in HandyBackup or automysqlbackup).

====Software====
Not only your Moodle configuration (additional modules, hacks and twiddles), but complementary software that you have integrated (like Mahara, etc) should be backed up.

You might ask why you should back up your Moodle code when you can just download it from Moodle and reinstall. There are a couple of issues here. First, the version of Moodle you download today is going to be different than the same version of Moodle you download tomorrow. This is confusing but that is how things lie. It is possible that a new install will result in problems on a restore and if you are facing down some failure you DO NOT want to then also have to try and figure out why what was working yesterday isn't working today. All things being constant is the hallmark of restore, and you don;t want to deal with any changes you are not aware of.

The second issue is your potential customization, whether that amounts to hacks to php code or just to the installation of additional modules. If speed is of interest (and when doing a restore after failure the most oft heard words are "how soon" ) you don't want to have to recreate your Moodle application, you want to be able to restore.

And a third issue related to the previous point is theme customization. Themes are stored in /moodle/theme.

===Security===
Most often we talk about security in the context of potential threats to your data. Of course, what can cause some consternation here is that different folks think of data in different ways. There is the data Moodle places in the mysql database. There is the data that Moodle places in the moodledata file structure, and there is the Moodle code itself. You may want to consider protecting all of these types of data from unauthorized reading, writing and execution. Think of this as a two dimensional matrix. Now add a third dimension that includes various ways one might be able to access any cell in the existing table, including coding flaws, external configuration problems and internal Moodle configuration issues

====Code Flaws====
Code exploits are addressed regularly through patches.

''Need links to the various fora, etc for security reporting and info)''

====Configuration====
The most typical issue in this area is placing the moodledata directory in the web root.

====Moodle set-up====
This includes such matters as enrollment, internal role configuration, etc.

Perhaps the most widely discussed problem here has been the matter of profile spam that can be produced when admins allow open e-mail enrollment. There are arguments as to whether this is a security issue or not (and sometimes it seems that the same folks are on both sides of the issue at times) but what it means from a practical standpoint is that you can have a Moodle targeted at your elementary school which contains enough pornography to make Bosche blush.

Sophisticated authentication relying on Moodle Networking, LDAP etc. will require some administrative skill sets pertinent to the scheme employed. One should also be acquainted with the underlying nature of access control including the difference between authentication and authorization. See, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_control

More more prosaic but as important are matters of security policy and enunciation of protocols addressing access rights to data (in the U. S. consider HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA, etc.)

===Integration===
After an initial basic Moodle installation there are quite a few tasks that need to be addressed to integrate the Moodle with all the bells and whistles you are expecting to use.
====Cron====
One of the most important post-install tasks is to invoke cron.php via the system cron daemon (or Task Scheduler...) Among other tasks, such as backup, cron triggers mail. [[Cron]] explains a good deal but there may be issues when trying to use smtp (some of these have been fixed in Moodle 1.9.3) to alternative ports.
====Mail====
While typically Moodle will use PHP's mail routines, in some cases you may have to configure mail manually and some issues may require manual database edits. See, [[Email settings]] and [[Email setup gmail]] as examples of possible manual configuration.
====Max File Upload====
The maximum size of file uploads for Moodle can be controlled via the Moodle GUI but are also constrained via Apache and PHP, and to adjust these you may need to be able to edit .htaccess and/or php.ini. Here are some examples of the discussin of such matters: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=98064&parent=433245 and http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=103190&parent=456650

==Criteria for Selecting Web Hosts==

===What Purpose Will Your Site Serve===
Production, Experimentation, etc
Classroom support or Asynchronous Remote
Gradebook and critical classroom data
Number of concurrent users

Issues of scale can be very important. A relatively small number of concurrent users can generate enough email through forum postings to get you in trouble with your host. Email volume, storage space for users and courses, number of accounts,

===Will You Be Running a 5 Nines Site===
What is all this you hear about "five nines". This is a way to discuss [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptime system uptime] and the implications thereby for the amount of time that a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_availability system is down and not available].

While five nines is not that difficult to achieve, it becomes obvious quickly that without redundancy bringing down any part of a system for maintenance quickly knocks one out of the park.

Downtime can grossly be divided into planned and unplanned outages. You may determine that since you only serve people in one time zone who had beeter be in bed between 2 and 4 in the morning, that you can live with 2 hours of planned downtime a night. On the other hand, you may feel that from 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday no outage is acceptable.

===Are you Prepared to Serve as a SYSADMIN?===
How are you planning to staff your project (see above??)
Do you have buy in from your IT dept?
Is everyone involved familiar with the realistic demands of a Moodle install (crank the FTEs!)
===Is Your Web Host Willing to Negotiate for the Services You require===
====SLAs====
What is an SLA? An SLA is a Service Level Agreement. While wikipedia provides [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_level_agreement a basic discussion of SLAs], a review of [http://www.nkarten.com/sla.html Naomi Karten's site], which is pitched at the vendor might prove helpful. There are [http://www.service-level-agreement.net/ commercial SLA kits as well].

By way of example, consider [https://confluence.delhi.edu/display/CIS/Moodlerooms+Service+Level+Agreement the SLA between Delhi SUNY and Moodlerooms] ([https://confluence.delhi.edu/pages/diffpages.action?pageId=82083866&originalId=82346012 and see this comparison]), an SLA in pdf format for [http://www.northumbrialearning.co.uk/documents/legal/moodle_hosting.pdf North Umbria Learning], and an SLA in MS Word format for [http://www.kwantlen.ca/__shared/assets/Moodle_Service_Level_Agreement4387.doc Kwantlen, Canada].

====Remedies====
Well, having considered an SLA hard and fast, the question is whether your SLA sets out specific remedies for those occasions when your vendor doesn't provide the services agreed upon, and if not, what recourse you may have.

To put this another way, [http://www.kentlaw.edu/perritt/courses/property/Hohfeld.htm you have no rights if you have no remedies]. Depending on the relative bargaining power of the parties remedies could run from monetary damages to a term extension. In many cases your potential vendor may refuse to agree to any specific remedies. Consider the vendor who "guarantees" band width and when asked what the client receives when the bandwidth drops below the guaranteed service level, the vendor states that they will work to resolve the issue; there is no remedy and the guarantee is mere puffing.

Negotiating for remedies is an excellent way to explore the amount of faith the vendor puts in his own stock. Most often you will be told that the vendor can't provide any remedy as remedies could put them out of business. Chances are that this vendor does not have redundancy or experience necessary to provide mission critical service.

''Notes to selves:
Here is the real meat and potatoes, which we can put here or actually put on additional pages (my prefs)
SO a link to range of service, types of support, security, e-mail, mysql support, panels....
perhaps as well, pages on SLAs generally, boilerplate and guarantees, punchlists
Perhaps specific sections, with brief descriptors and links to more detailed pages.
''

=Planning an Installation=

[[Installation FAQ]]

==Outsourcing==

===Developing your specs===

Often a larger installation will not be a vanilla Moodle site, and needs to be tuned or customised to a particular purpose or environment.

If possible, try to develop a really clear specification of what you want internally. Create a written document that is clear and concise about your needs, including a statement of your purpose and goals. Resist the temptation to get too detailed, though - 100 page specifications full of descriptive text and mock screenshots may result in your Request For Quote (RFQ) ending up in a too-hard basket.

If you aren't sure exactly what you need, consider consulting with experts who have implemented similar systems before. The Moodle forums are a useful place to ask questions and get results from a variety of Moodle experts. If you need privacy or more direct interaction, many of the Moodle Partners offer [http://moodle.com/consulting Moodle consulting].

===Approaching providers===

When sending your request for a quote to providers, make sure to include information about your deadlines and resources to help the provider make a balanced judgement on their costs and availability (depending on the work you need).

===Comparing quotes===

Generally you do get what you pay for. Like most things you should consider the following variables beyond cost value:

# Stability of the company
# Service level agreement (SLA) details
# Reputation of the provider
# Experience with Moodle

==Do It Yourself==
[[Planning your installation]]

[[Category:Installation]]

Talk:Using TeX Notation

2010-08-12T16:51:10Z

Net-buoy:

At this point it would not be appropriate to promote another TeX package so please be careful. it might be better to add a link to another page that could describe how to change to a full TeX package.--[[User:Colin Fraser|Colin Fraser]] 15:06, 13 July 2010 (UTC)

== Bit inaccurate ==

The problem, Colin, is that a good deal of this material is inaccurate and I don;t want to start a documentation war - lol- as you know that I agree that documentation is inadequate. While I would also agree with some of your "editorializing":
The various brands of TeX and other math markup languages have become
something of a nightmare to try and find any reasonable consistency.
Most use sub-sets and variations of TeX rules and fonts and symbols
that seem to be developed on the whim of the developer rather than
any consistent mathematical strategy. Also the lack of user friendly
documentation has worked against the easy spread of knowledge here,
but what is worse, and this is the problem for the Moodle Community,
the lack of directly related documentation in using TeX Notation in
Moodle has not been helpful. (Having said these things, I am sure that
many people will disagree - but I accept there is a large difference
between what the developers of the various TeX "standards" consider
"consistent" and reality..:) ) Please help by adding your own examples
and rules to these pages. If you notice an error, please change it, if
you see something missing, please add it.
I don't know that it belongs in the doc itself... [[User:Marc Grober|Marc Grober]] 21:13, 16 July 2010 (UTC)

Do not think there is much in the way of ego here, I wax profanely due to ignorance as much as knowledge sometimes..:) That is just what I do! You might want to try reading Cicero, my kind of editorializing!!! Anyway, there is a need for accuracy, if there is anything that is so woefully inaccurate that it may reflect poorly on the value of the information that is included, please change it.--[[User:Colin Fraser|Colin Fraser]] 11:23, 19 July 2010 (UTC)

Marc, I am uncomfortable with the second paragraph here:

If you are using other than the Moodle Tex filter to render Tex you may find
yourself using other tokens, as well as different syntax. It is critical that
you understand what applications you are using to parse your text expression,
as well as whether the application is parsing Tex or some other syntax and what
application you are using to display the Math. The Moodle Tex filter outputs
gif or png images based on Tex text expressions delimtied by doubledollar signs.
But, if you are using the Moodle Algebra filter, you will be using a parser
imported from webworks to parse non-Tex text expressions (algebra syntax), as in
@@x/y@@, though you will be using the Tex filter to actually display the resulting
images as png or gif. If you use MathJax or ASCIIMathML, you can easily change
the tokens you use. ASCIIMathML on its own uses backticks, as in `root(n)(x)` though
it can also parse Tex if delimited by dollar signs. ASCIIMathML by default outputs
MathML and falls back to gif or png. MathJax can output MathML or HTML-CSS. The
discussion below largely focuses on using Tex syntax text expressions with the Moodle
Tex filter. However, much of the discussion that addresses Tex syntax can be generalized
to other applications that parse Tex. FYI, Moodle Docs uses mediawiki with a Tex extension
that employs tags for delimiters instead of tokens, as in: <nowiki><math>x^2</math></nowiki>

For me, this demonstrates part of the problem I have with the entire TeX/LateX/etc thing. There is so much overlap that it is easy to get tied up in qualifying statements that the main message is lost.:) --[[User:Colin Fraser|Colin Fraser]] 23:16, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

Colin, Any time one wishes to make something "simple" one runs the risk of obscuring important information, lol. The reason I add the text that you deleted is that you imply that tokens are absolute (they are not) and you run the risk of further confusing users as to the diffs among math notation syntax, parsers, constructors, display methods. Tex in Moodle is, for good or ill, not monolithic, but as with much of open software, a collage of this that or the other. I think there is a balance to be struck, especially in as much as so many users are doing Tex without the Moodle Tex filter, and that popuation is most likely going to grow. [[User:Marc Grober|Marc Grober]] 09:21, 8 August 2010 (UTC)

Well, being male, things need to be simple..:) Simple things for simple minds. I agree that important information is often obscured by over-simplifying, and I am certainly guilty of that, but what I am looking at is some sort of consistency. Not being OCD myself, (like most programmers which is probably why I never was much of a programmer) I do not have the urge to track down every minor detail and render it unconscious until I find a place for it. In this case, the over abundance of detail in one aspect, and the often apparent deliberate obfuscation of that detail is appalling. You only have to look at the Mimetex manual to see what has been done there to understand my point, and that is, I think, considerably better than many other sites I went to. Essentially, I am looking at the basics and at that level, most people are not going to worry about the finer points, all they want is "can I get this to work". I suspect that most Maths teachers who are going to be using Moodle are not going to be able to get past Equation Editor, therefore Moodle is a dud as far as they are concerned. We have already seen one example of that recently and this is a simple and non-invasive way of introducing what is an extremely complex subject. Certainly, most will move on to something better than TeX Notation, but for the moment, is there a way to keep this clear and clean and as simple as possible without too much confusion? If MathJax or AsciiMath were native to Moodle, and no doubt there is strong argument to do that, then I doubt I would even have done this.--[[User:Colin Fraser|Colin Fraser]] 14:19, 8 August 2010 (UTC)

Also, this paragraph:
For the most part, the TeX Notation has been built using a sub-set of characters
from the TeX "default" character set. The trouble is there does not seem to be a
"default" character set for TeX. This is one of the most confusing aspects of using
TeX Notation in Moodle. When we realise that the documentation we are using is
related to the creation of printed documents, and we want to use TeX on line,
in Moodle, then further problems occur. There are no environment statements to be
made. There are few \begins and \ends. If you go to Administration > Modules > Filters > Filter Manager
you will see what filters have been enabled. If you then go to the TeX Notation
page, the default preamble is editable via the text box. Using this tool you can add in
or subtract font packages and other packages, change the default font package, etc.
Says what it needs to say, but it sucks in that it really does not say enough. There should be here, or perhaps as another question, a description of how fonts can be added in, and ultimately, a way in which the Teacher and Administrator can get away from the native TeX Notation filter. For me, there needs to be a way in which scientific symbols can be added in for Physics, Chemistry and some of the more esoteric sciences, like cosmology? I know that TeX Notation uses a great deal of the same syntax, but there is a lot it does not use. --[[User:Colin Fraser|Colin Fraser]] 12:00, 9 August 2010 (UTC)

That did not make a lot of sense... the last part. I know that most sciences use the same Maths symbology, and chemistry can be largely covered with subscripts and superscripts and with the \line command sequence activated, but a lot of sciences use particular theorems and symbology that cannot be replicated easily. This is why I am thinking there needs to be a way of elaborating the point that other fonts can be added in and used as well as just changing away from the core TeX Notation. For example, the question will be asked "I have installed doh-doh-TeX but I cannot access half the characters their help file tells me I should have available. Is Moodle interfering?" "Well Johnnie, Santa does not really exist either... " and so on. There needs be some descriptor on how to do it in Moodle, but I can't find one either because there is nothing available or it is couched in such obscure terms that it does not register.--[[User:Colin Fraser|Colin Fraser]] 08:32, 10 August 2010 (UTC)
____
Colin, I agree with much of what you say. One of my concerns is that we end up seeing lots of posts to the forums because users do not understand that there are different pieces that do different things because like all users they just want things to be simple, transparent, universal, etc. While this is coming, it won't be moodle core for the foreseeable future, so folk do need some basic understanding of how math notation can be done in Moodle. You would be amazed the number of posts we get that dragmath doesn;t work, simply because the user doesn;t understand that dragmath is a constructor, not a displayer. Or posts about the algebra filter because people don't understand that it simply parses algebra syntax into Tex syntax.

The Moodle Tex filter is a kludge, a kludge that needs some updating (I do need to find some time to work on the code tweak to use dvipng, lol). If users were all using tex live and all had access to tlmgr it would be a simple matter to post instructions as to how to tweak one's tex installation and update the preamble, but that is not the case. In many respects that is why something like asciimathml or mathjax may be a "best" solution for users rather than the current Tex filter (and yes, I suppose I should probably create a doc page for mathjax and a module page) because it can be configured to make things transparent for many users. If we want to offer something easy then it needs to be contained in Moodle as any time Moodle relies on anything external easy goes out the window, and that is one reason why asciimathml is so nice, as it can be added to Moodle with almost no impact (mathJax is much larger.) But, any time you want to do something that will meet "most" demands, you are failing to address some needs of some users. If I argue that dragmath and asciimath should be core it is because I want things to work without any problem for "most" users. As we have seen, Tex, which relies on externalities, continues to give people fits. [[User:Marc Grober|Marc Grober]] 16:51, 12 August 2010 (UTC)

2010-07-16T21:47:01Z

Net-buoy:

While there are quite a few notational systems employed for the purpose of representing Math notation, as noted in the discussion of the [[TeX filter]] Moodle core provides a Tex filter that can be configured to display a gif representation of a Tex expression delimited by double dollar signs. Failing that, the Moodle Tex filter falls back to the use of MimeTex. However, the core TeX filter is not the only way to display Tex expressions in Moodle and the discussion of [[Mathematics]] tools address a variety of other solutions. Additionally, the results obtained from the Moodle filter are dependent on the Tex binaries you have installed.

If you choose to display Math in Moodle via Tex expressions, you have to understand that that there are quite a few "flavors" in the Tex world, and what may work in one Tex implementation, may not work in another. Probably one of the most useful tools for using Tex in Moodle (or elsewhere for that matter), is [[Dragmath]] which will allow you to use a GUI constructor to build your expression, and then insert it in the format you choose.

These docs now use [http://www.tug.org/texlive/doc/texlive-en/texlive-en.html Tex Live], though your Moodle installation may not. Some of the frustration for Moodle users is that the Moodle filter does not implement a full LaTex environment (see the discussion of mode below.)

==TeX Notation in Moodle==

For the most part, the TeX Notation has been built using a sub-set of characters from the TeX "default" character set. The trouble is there does not seem to be a "default" character set for TeX. This is one of the most confusing aspects of using TeX Notation in Moodle. When we realise that the documentation we are using is related to the creation of printed documents, and we want to use TeX on line, in Moodle, then further problems occur. There are no environment statements to be made. There are no \begins and \ends. If you go to Administration > Modules > Filters > Filter Manager you will see what filters have been enabled. If you then go to the TeX Notation page, the default preamble is written there and is editable via the text box. You can add in or subtract font packages. You can change the default font package. The issue here also seems to be that to use other fonts you need to install a full TeX notation system other than the TeX Notation system for the fonts to change.

''A precise, i.e. simple, description of how to do that would be nice here..:)''

Which would, if clearer, provide a nice little tool for developing local strategies for responding to your student needs.

==Language Conventions==

To invoke the TeX filter is to use the $$ symbols to open and close statements. To invoke a particular command or control sequence, use the backslash, \. A typical control sequence looks like:

$$ x \ = \ \frac{\sqrt{144}}{2} \ \times \ (y \ + \ 12) $$
{| class="nicetable"
|-
| [[Image: cfmimetex10.gif|frame|center]]
|-
|Fraction and square root.
|}

Additional spaces are placed into the equation by using the \ without a leading or trailing character. Escape characters, of which there are a few in Moodle's TeX Notation, have the \ in front of them. These are usually set aside for reserved characters.

==Available Characters==
There seems to be a number of differences between what characters are available in Moodle and what are not. There also seems to be great discrepancies between what the manuals tell you is available and what actually is available. [[Using TeX Notation 2]] shows a lot of what is available, but not all.

==Windows and TeX==

Using TeX in Windows is simpler than it used to be. Download and install a TeX for Windows program, like [http://www.miktex.org/ MikTeX]. (MikTeX is probably the most useful at this point in time for Windows Users.) Also, a graphics package is required for rendering the scripted TeX statements into images, and probably the most readily available and easily installable program useful for this purpose would be [http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php ImageMagick]. While there may be better programs available for these purposes, these are the most immediately useful. They are easily installed and configured.

==Reserved Characters and Keywords==

Most characters and numbers on the keyboard can be used at their default value. As with any computing language, though, there are a set of reserved characters and keywords that are used by the program for its own purposes. TeX Notation is no different, but it does have a very small set of Reserved Characters. This will not be a complete list of reserved characters, but some of these are:

@ # $ % ^ & * ( ) .

To use these characters in an equation just place the \ in front of them \$ or \%. If you want to use the backslash, just use \backslash. The only exception here seems to be the &, ampersand. See the characters listed in [[Using TeX Notation 2]] for more details.

The Keywords, they are different. There is only one that is of concern here and that it the word "line". If the \line control sequence, or command, is not properly implemented, then the consequences can be indeterminate. Controlling lines is an adventure of its own, so getting it right when written is important, you can always reposition the line, but you might get it really wrong if you do not use it with some caution. To use the \line control sequence, go to your text editor, open the filter\lib.php file, and at about line 48, you will see the word "\line". Delete it from the list. If you do not have direct access to the server, then the whole thing becomes problematic. You may want to download and install your own Moodle and develop things there rather than on your production site. You can write things out in your own Moodle, render the statement, save the image and then upload it to your production site. If something goes seriously wrong, it is easier to restart your own Moodle than it is your production site.

'''WARNING:''' If you get a dimension wrong on a line, it can actually prevent you from creating any new TeX. You will see the offending control sequence in its natural state. Everything that you have written to that point will work, but nothing you have written after that will.

==Maths Mode==
A full TeX version has two modes, a "text mode" and a "maths mode" and Moodle stays in maths mode. Perhaps a better description of what happens is that Moodle allows a writer to enter maths mode when the $$ symbols are written and leave it when the $$ symbol appears a second time.

==Superscripts, Subscripts and Roots==

Superscripts are recorded using the caret, ^, symbol. An example for a Maths class might be:

$$ 4^2 \ \times \ 4^3 \ = 4^5 $$
This is a shorthand way of saying:
(4 x 4) x (4 x 4 x 4) = (4 x 4 x 4 x 4 x 4)
or
16 x 64 = 1024.

<math>4^2 \ \times \ 4^3 \ = 4^5</math>

Subscripts are similar, but use the underscore character.

$$ 3x_2 \ \times \ 2x_3 $$

<math>3x_2 \ \times \ 2x_3</math>

This is OK if you want superscripts or subscripts, but square roots are a little different. This uses a control sequence.

$$ \sqrt{64} \ = \ 8 $$

<math>\sqrt{64} \ = \ 8</math>

You can also take this a little further, but adding in a control character. You may ask a question like:

$$ If \ \sqrt[n]{1024} \ = \ 4, \ what \ is \ the \ value \ of \ n? $$

<math>If \ \sqrt[n]{1024} \ = \ 4, \ what \ is \ the \ value \ of \ n?</math>

Using these different commands allows you to develop equations like:

$$ The \sqrt{64} \ \times \ 2 \ \times \ 4^3 \ = \ 1024 $$

<math>The \sqrt{64} \ \times \ 2 \ \times \ 4^3 \ = \ 1024</math>

==Fractions==

Fractions in TeX are actually simple, as long as you remember the rules.

$$ \frac{numerator}{denominator} $$ which produces <math>\frac{numerator}{denominator}</math> .

This can be given as:

<math>\frac{5}{10} \ is \ equal \ to \ \frac{1}{2}</math>.

This is entered as:

$$ \frac{5}{10} \ is \ equal \ to \ \frac{1}{2}.$$

==See Also==
* [[Using TeX Notation 2]]

* [[TeX notation filter]]

[[Category:Mathematics]]

Mathematics

2010-07-16T21:06:46Z

Net-buoy: /* Tools */

==Equation Construction and Display==
===Tools===
There are a variety of tools that are available for the purpose of constructing equations, providing text expressions that can be converted to equations, and displaying equations.

The most common text expression syntax is LaTeX or a derivative with probably the most common form of display being a conversion of the equation to an image file. However, is demonstrated with ASCIIMathML simple text expressions can now be be converted to MathML on the fly.

Some tools for creating and displaying equations on-line that may be of interest to those teaching mathematics are:
* The default [[TeX filter]], which allows Tex expressions to be inserted anywhere (e.g. quiz questions, discussion messages, text resources)
* [[ASCIIMathML]], which both converts equations into MathML on the fly and provides a text expression syntax more easily mastered than Tex, though the filter will convert TeX expressions as well. [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=106148 The ASCIIMathML 2.0.2 zip] provides all the files necessary for setting ASCIIMathML up as a Moodle filter as well creating run-time graphs with ASCIIsvg. An on-line calculator is also included. Just recently an ASCIIMathML export format for DragMath was added to version 0.7.2, [https://docs.moodle.org/en/DragMath_equation_editor available here], so that you have access to both a GUI and text expression syntax for creating and displaying equations. Quick and GIFless. [http://math.chapman.edu/~jipsen/asciencepad/asciencepad.html ASciencePad is also available] and consists of htmlarea enhanced with the ASCIIMathML functionality.
* [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=916 Tim Hunt's Moodle MathTran Module] converts Tex into images on the fly. You can also use [http://www.mathtran.org/wiki/index.php/TeX_image mathtran_img.js] on a page by page basis.
* The [[jsMath]] filter, which does a similar job but using [[Javascript]] on the user's computer
* [[MathJax]], a next generation for jsMath from David Cervone et al that now includes MathML and web font features: [http://MathJax.org] A discussion regarding deploying the beta release can be found here: [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142785]
* [[Calculated question type]]
* [[DragMath equation editor]], a WYSIWYG equation editor that integrates easily with the Moodle HTML editor.
* [[WIRIS]], is a plugin that easily integrates with the HTML editor several math tools. Test them at [http://www.wiris.com/demo-moodle/ www.wiris.com/demo-moodle/]
** WYSIWYG equation editor. Based on MathML
** Advanced calculator. Integrals, derivatives, limits, ploting in 2D and 3D,...
** Advancaed math quizzes

* MathType, a commercial product created by DSI (the folk who also offer MathPlayer, a plugin many IE users employ). Bob Mathews recently posted [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=93728&parent=549428] that info on MathType can be found at http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathtype/works_with.htm?target=moodle
Mathematics teachers may also be interested to follow the work of [http://maths.york.ac.uk York University Maths department], who are working on [http://maths.york.ac.uk/serving_maths/ some projects] to augment Moodle, particularly its [[Quiz module]] for online assessment, for example by integrating a system which is able to mark algebraic and trigonometric answers to open-ended questions.

===Accessibility Display Matrix===

{{Expand-section|date=August 2008}}

■ Feature Key appears below the matrix.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
!Notation
!Tex/LaTex
!ASCIIMath
!MathML
|-
|Ease of Use
|Plain text system. Knowledge of LaTeX notation required. Being a plain text system, LaTeX notation is straightforward to create and edit.
|Plain text system. Easy to learn. Notation simple. Being a plain text system, ASCIIMath is very easy to create and edit.
|XML-based. Not easy to create and edit: an editor is required.
|-
|Conversion to Braille
|Output directly to Braille display via screen reader (fn 2)
|ASCIIMath notation is converted to MathML or LaTeX. Please refer to those formats for details.
|Converted to suitable textual format and Brailled using screen reader (fn 3)
|-
|Transmission via TTS
|Notation spoken "as-is" via screen reader (fn 2)
|ASCIIMath notation is converted to MathML or LaTeX. Please refer to those formats for details.
|Converted to suitable textual format and spoken using screen reader. Note that MathPlayer add-on for IE has TTS functionality built-in (fn 3).
|-
|}

'''fn1.'''
MathPlayer claims to do math-to-speech by parsing the MathML, not by parsing TeX. See http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathplayer/tech/accessibility.htm where it is stated:

All of these examples were written in Microsoft Word and MathType and exported to MathML using MathType’s “MathPage” technology. MathPage technology was added to MathType in version 5.0. No special work is needed to author the expressions to make them accessible. Any product that exports MathML will produce pages that MathPlayer can speak.

For a larger real life example, see this page. Also, MSN Encarta uses MathML on many of their web pages that contain math, so much of their Math should be accessible using MathPlayer.

'''fn2. '''
The alt attribute of the rendered graphic is spoken and/or Braillled. As LaTeX is a plain text notation, the notation can be spoken and Brailled by the screen reader directly. This does, of course, assume an understanding of LaTeX notation on the part of the screen reader user.

'''fn3. '''
In the case of Internet Explorer, screen readers require the MathPlayer plugin to be installed before MathML is rendered (IE does not include native MathML support). By using MSAA, the screen reader can obtain a textual version of the math notation from MathPlayer, which it can then TTS and Braille. Note that MathPlayer also contains built-in TTS functionality (employing MS SAPI) which can be used to speak the math notation without having to employ a screen reader. See [http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathplayer/tech/accessibility.htm] for further details. At time of writing, screen reader support for Firefox is via MSAA and a special custom, Firefox-specific IAccessible2 interface (to reveal text attributes and character positions). Math notation is spoken via a screen reader which interrogates these interfaces.

==Using Java for Curriculum==
===Java Tools for Building Applets for Interactive Demonstration===
These tools can be integrated in or used with Moodle Resources
* Java Sketchpad, http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/JavaSketchpad/About_JavaSketchpad.html, is an applet developed by Key Curriculum Press. The applet has been the focus of quite a bit of discussion and demonstrations and discussions are widely available. An introductory article from the Journal of Online Mathematics can be found here: http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/4/?nodeId=508&pa=content&sa=viewDocument. Usage focuses largely on Geometry
* CabriJava, http://www-cabri.imag.fr/cabrijava/, an applet offered by the University of Cabri, also focuses on interactive geometry. Quite a number of examples employing CabriJava can be found here: http://www.mathsnet.net/cabri/index.html.
* Descartes, http://descartes.cnice.mec.es/, is an applet developed under the auspices of the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion Politica Social y Diporte. An English introduction can be found here at http://descartes.cnice.mec.es/ingles/index.html. The Ministery has produced an extensive Mathematics curriculum using Descartes, which is available in English and can be freely downloaded and used. Much of what is available is still only in Spanish so anyone interested in doing translation work please post to the Moodle Math Tools forum.
* Sympl, http://www.sympl.org/, an open source Java application/applet for creating interactive graphs.

===Additional Curricular Use of Applets===
*Euclid's Elements - http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/elements/elements.html
*Tutorials employing applets (applets can be downloaded and used in Moodle) http://www.analyzemath.com/

===Applet Tools===
*Graphing - http://www.langara.bc.ca/mathstats/resource/GraphExplorer/
*Geometry Construction - http://www.cs.rice.edu/~jwarren/grace/
*GeoGebra - http://www.geogebra.org/
*Physics Applets for Drawing (PAD) - http://www.wku.edu/pads/ These can make interactive activities that can both check for correctness and give guiding feedback. Includes modules for graphs (2D functions), vectors (even in/out and other lines and arrows and bar-graphs), motion analysis, equation recognition and more. Uses don't have to be just for Physics. Math, of course. VectorPAD can be used for placing markers (as points, lines, small pictures, [http://www.wku.edu/pads/exercise.php?id=mgaazqzoakmqgfrkkmqgaaayo arrows) on a picture], that could be used in almost any subject. They can be incorporating in SCORM packages which can interact with Moodle. There is no Moodle module now (july 2009) for using them directly, but that would add a lot more power (compared to SCORM), like being able to save states, turn on/off feedback, etc.
*GraphApplet 1.05: both calculator and graphapplet - http://www.lundin.info/graphapplet.aspx
*Physlets: large suite of applets about physics but includes [http://webphysics.davidson.edu/physletprob/ch16_datagraph/default.html advanced graphing] too. [http://www.tupo.biz/kurser/javaapplets/Fysik/java/Physlets/CFL/3dimDiag.htm A time dependent 3D example (Swedish!)]

===Java Applet Collections===
* http://cs.jsu.edu/mcis/faculty/leathrum/Mathlets/
* http://www.walter-fendt.de/m14e/

* Probability and Statistics
**http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/pavel/java/dilemma/
**http://lstat.kuleuven.be/java/
**http://www.math.csusb.edu/faculty/stanton/m262/

*http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/murphy/JavaOverview/default.html
*Math and Physics - http://www.falstad.com/mathphysics.html
*Curves - http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Java/index.html
*Chaos and Fractals - http://math.bu.edu/DYSYS/applets/index.html
*For sale, but extensive - http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml

==Mathematics Assessment==

Assessment is a key driver for mathematics. There are a number of ways of getting students to answer mathematical questions through Moodle.
* WebWork, see http://webwork.maa.org/wiki/Main_Page http://webwork.math.rochester.edu/docs/docs/, and http://webwork.maa.org/moodle/ is an independent web application for assessing student Math progress, and there is a Moodle Module for interfacing WebWork to Moodle that can be found here: http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=332, though the resources on the WeBWork wiki are probably more current as the code in the Moodle CVS has not been updated for some time.
* STACK provides very mathematical questions for the Moodle quiz module. These are supported by the CAS Maxima. The home page for STACK can be found on http://stack.bham.ac.uk/
* WIRIS quizzes [http://www.wiris.com/demo-moodle wiris.com/demo-moodle]
**Random variables and graphics
**Automatic evaluation of oen answers
**Syntax checking of answers

==See also==
* [[Mathematics tools FAQ]]
Using Moodle forum discussions:
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=46009 Best practices for teaching Math(s) in Moodle]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=61993 How do you deal with the challenge of writing equations?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=62002 How do you deal with the challenge of drawing graphs and diagrams?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=62014 How do you deal with the challenge of interactive exercises and simulations?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=95950 How can I have a student enter a fraction as an answer?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127867 What are the components of an exemplary high school Moodle course?]

[[Category:Mathematics]]

Mathematics

2010-07-16T20:59:12Z

Net-buoy:

==Equation Construction and Display==
===Tools===
There are a variety of tools that are available for the purpose of constructing equations, providing text expressions that can be converted to equations, and displaying equations.

The most common text expression syntax is LaTeX or a derivative with probably the most common form of display being a conversion of the equation to an image file. However, is demonstrated with ASCIIMathML simple text expressions can now be be converted to MathML on the fly.

Some tools for creating and displaying equations on-line that may be of interest to those teaching mathematics are:
* The default [[TeX filter]], which allows Tex expressions to be inserted anywhere (e.g. quiz questions, discussion messages, text resources)
* [[ASCIIMathML]], which both converts equations into MathML on the fly and provides a text expression syntax more easily mastered than Tex, though the filter will convert TeX expressions as well. [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=106148 The ASCIIMathML 2.0.2 zip] provides all the files necessary for setting ASCIIMathML up as a Moodle filter as well creating run-time graphs with ASCIIsvg. An on-line calculator is also included. Just recently an ASCIIMathML export format for DragMath was added to version 0.7.2, [https://docs.moodle.org/en/DragMath_equation_editor available here], so that you have access to both a GUI and text expression syntax for creating and displaying equations. Quick and GIFless. [http://math.chapman.edu/~jipsen/asciencepad/asciencepad.html ASciencePad is also available] and consists of htmlarea enhanced with the ASCIIMathML functionality.
* [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=916 Tim Hunt's Moodle MathTran Module] converts Tex into images on the fly. You can also use [http://www.mathtran.org/wiki/index.php/TeX_image mathtran_img.js] on a page by page basis.
* The [[jsMath]] filter, which does a similar job but using [[Javascript]] on the user's computer
* [[Calculated question type]]
* [[DragMath equation editor]], a WYSIWYG equation editor that integrates easily with the Moodle HTML editor.
* [[WIRIS]], is a plugin that easily integrates with the HTML editor several math tools. Test them at [http://www.wiris.com/demo-moodle/ www.wiris.com/demo-moodle/]
** WYSIWYG equation editor. Based on MathML
** Advanced calculator. Integrals, derivatives, limits, ploting in 2D and 3D,...
** Advancaed math quizzes

* MathType, a commercial product created by DSI (the folk who also offer MathPlayer, a plugin many IE users employ). Bob Mathews recently posted [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=93728&parent=549428] that info on MathType can be found at http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathtype/works_with.htm?target=moodle
Mathematics teachers may also be interested to follow the work of [http://maths.york.ac.uk York University Maths department], who are working on [http://maths.york.ac.uk/serving_maths/ some projects] to augment Moodle, particularly its [[Quiz module]] for online assessment, for example by integrating a system which is able to mark algebraic and trigonometric answers to open-ended questions.

===Accessibility Display Matrix===

{{Expand-section|date=August 2008}}

■ Feature Key appears below the matrix.

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
!Notation
!Tex/LaTex
!ASCIIMath
!MathML
|-
|Ease of Use
|Plain text system. Knowledge of LaTeX notation required. Being a plain text system, LaTeX notation is straightforward to create and edit.
|Plain text system. Easy to learn. Notation simple. Being a plain text system, ASCIIMath is very easy to create and edit.
|XML-based. Not easy to create and edit: an editor is required.
|-
|Conversion to Braille
|Output directly to Braille display via screen reader (fn 2)
|ASCIIMath notation is converted to MathML or LaTeX. Please refer to those formats for details.
|Converted to suitable textual format and Brailled using screen reader (fn 3)
|-
|Transmission via TTS
|Notation spoken "as-is" via screen reader (fn 2)
|ASCIIMath notation is converted to MathML or LaTeX. Please refer to those formats for details.
|Converted to suitable textual format and spoken using screen reader. Note that MathPlayer add-on for IE has TTS functionality built-in (fn 3).
|-
|}

'''fn1.'''
MathPlayer claims to do math-to-speech by parsing the MathML, not by parsing TeX. See http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathplayer/tech/accessibility.htm where it is stated:

All of these examples were written in Microsoft Word and MathType and exported to MathML using MathType’s “MathPage” technology. MathPage technology was added to MathType in version 5.0. No special work is needed to author the expressions to make them accessible. Any product that exports MathML will produce pages that MathPlayer can speak.

For a larger real life example, see this page. Also, MSN Encarta uses MathML on many of their web pages that contain math, so much of their Math should be accessible using MathPlayer.

'''fn2. '''
The alt attribute of the rendered graphic is spoken and/or Braillled. As LaTeX is a plain text notation, the notation can be spoken and Brailled by the screen reader directly. This does, of course, assume an understanding of LaTeX notation on the part of the screen reader user.

'''fn3. '''
In the case of Internet Explorer, screen readers require the MathPlayer plugin to be installed before MathML is rendered (IE does not include native MathML support). By using MSAA, the screen reader can obtain a textual version of the math notation from MathPlayer, which it can then TTS and Braille. Note that MathPlayer also contains built-in TTS functionality (employing MS SAPI) which can be used to speak the math notation without having to employ a screen reader. See [http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathplayer/tech/accessibility.htm] for further details. At time of writing, screen reader support for Firefox is via MSAA and a special custom, Firefox-specific IAccessible2 interface (to reveal text attributes and character positions). Math notation is spoken via a screen reader which interrogates these interfaces.

==Using Java for Curriculum==
===Java Tools for Building Applets for Interactive Demonstration===
These tools can be integrated in or used with Moodle Resources
* Java Sketchpad, http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/JavaSketchpad/About_JavaSketchpad.html, is an applet developed by Key Curriculum Press. The applet has been the focus of quite a bit of discussion and demonstrations and discussions are widely available. An introductory article from the Journal of Online Mathematics can be found here: http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/4/?nodeId=508&pa=content&sa=viewDocument. Usage focuses largely on Geometry
* CabriJava, http://www-cabri.imag.fr/cabrijava/, an applet offered by the University of Cabri, also focuses on interactive geometry. Quite a number of examples employing CabriJava can be found here: http://www.mathsnet.net/cabri/index.html.
* Descartes, http://descartes.cnice.mec.es/, is an applet developed under the auspices of the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion Politica Social y Diporte. An English introduction can be found here at http://descartes.cnice.mec.es/ingles/index.html. The Ministery has produced an extensive Mathematics curriculum using Descartes, which is available in English and can be freely downloaded and used. Much of what is available is still only in Spanish so anyone interested in doing translation work please post to the Moodle Math Tools forum.
* Sympl, http://www.sympl.org/, an open source Java application/applet for creating interactive graphs.

===Additional Curricular Use of Applets===
*Euclid's Elements - http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/elements/elements.html
*Tutorials employing applets (applets can be downloaded and used in Moodle) http://www.analyzemath.com/

===Applet Tools===
*Graphing - http://www.langara.bc.ca/mathstats/resource/GraphExplorer/
*Geometry Construction - http://www.cs.rice.edu/~jwarren/grace/
*GeoGebra - http://www.geogebra.org/
*Physics Applets for Drawing (PAD) - http://www.wku.edu/pads/ These can make interactive activities that can both check for correctness and give guiding feedback. Includes modules for graphs (2D functions), vectors (even in/out and other lines and arrows and bar-graphs), motion analysis, equation recognition and more. Uses don't have to be just for Physics. Math, of course. VectorPAD can be used for placing markers (as points, lines, small pictures, [http://www.wku.edu/pads/exercise.php?id=mgaazqzoakmqgfrkkmqgaaayo arrows) on a picture], that could be used in almost any subject. They can be incorporating in SCORM packages which can interact with Moodle. There is no Moodle module now (july 2009) for using them directly, but that would add a lot more power (compared to SCORM), like being able to save states, turn on/off feedback, etc.
*GraphApplet 1.05: both calculator and graphapplet - http://www.lundin.info/graphapplet.aspx
*Physlets: large suite of applets about physics but includes [http://webphysics.davidson.edu/physletprob/ch16_datagraph/default.html advanced graphing] too. [http://www.tupo.biz/kurser/javaapplets/Fysik/java/Physlets/CFL/3dimDiag.htm A time dependent 3D example (Swedish!)]

===Java Applet Collections===
* http://cs.jsu.edu/mcis/faculty/leathrum/Mathlets/
* http://www.walter-fendt.de/m14e/

* Probability and Statistics
**http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/pavel/java/dilemma/
**http://lstat.kuleuven.be/java/
**http://www.math.csusb.edu/faculty/stanton/m262/

*http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/murphy/JavaOverview/default.html
*Math and Physics - http://www.falstad.com/mathphysics.html
*Curves - http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Java/index.html
*Chaos and Fractals - http://math.bu.edu/DYSYS/applets/index.html
*For sale, but extensive - http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml

==Mathematics Assessment==

Assessment is a key driver for mathematics. There are a number of ways of getting students to answer mathematical questions through Moodle.
* WebWork, see http://webwork.maa.org/wiki/Main_Page http://webwork.math.rochester.edu/docs/docs/, and http://webwork.maa.org/moodle/ is an independent web application for assessing student Math progress, and there is a Moodle Module for interfacing WebWork to Moodle that can be found here: http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=332, though the resources on the WeBWork wiki are probably more current as the code in the Moodle CVS has not been updated for some time.
* STACK provides very mathematical questions for the Moodle quiz module. These are supported by the CAS Maxima. The home page for STACK can be found on http://stack.bham.ac.uk/
* WIRIS quizzes [http://www.wiris.com/demo-moodle wiris.com/demo-moodle]
**Random variables and graphics
**Automatic evaluation of oen answers
**Syntax checking of answers

==See also==
* [[Mathematics tools FAQ]]
Using Moodle forum discussions:
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=46009 Best practices for teaching Math(s) in Moodle]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=61993 How do you deal with the challenge of writing equations?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=62002 How do you deal with the challenge of drawing graphs and diagrams?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=62014 How do you deal with the challenge of interactive exercises and simulations?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=95950 How can I have a student enter a fraction as an answer?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127867 What are the components of an exemplary high school Moodle course?]

[[Category:Mathematics]]

TeX notation filter

2010-07-16T20:57:43Z

Net-buoy:

Location: TeX Notation settings link in ''Administration > Modules > Filters > Manage filters''

The TeX Filter is a core Moodle filter intended to allow one to convert tex expressions into GIF images. The filter relies on three binaries to accomplish this for expressions contained between appropirate tokens. Where these binaries are not available, Moodle provides for a fallback through the use of Mimetex. Versions of MimeTex for Linux (glib2.3), Windows, Mac OS X and FreeBSD are included in the Moodle distribution. There are other technologies available for displaying Tex (see the section on [[Mathematics]] tools for a discussion.)

=== Methods ===

To avoid confusion you should note that the TeX filter has two separate methods for converting the TeX notation to images. The preferred method is a collection of three binaries that you are responsible for installing and configuring on your server. The filter settings page relates entirely to this method. If this fails for any reason the filter will fall back to a single binary - MimeTeX - that is included with Moodle. A number of different builds are included for popular operating systems.

=== Usage ===

Before doing anything else, you need to go to '''Administration > Filters > Manage Filters''' and activate the TeX Notation Filter. If you want to use the Algebra filter (another core filter) since the Algebra Filter is really only a "front end" to the Tex filter, you should also turn on the Algebra filter. For more information on the Algebra Filter see the [[algebra filter]]

Once the filter is turned on and properly configured you can make use of it by
including a TeX expression delimited by double-dollar signs. Example:

$$ \sqrt{x + y} $$

If this does not display properly, see the information on debugging.

=== MimeTeX ===

Moodle may use a pre-built MimeTeX binary (located in the filters/tex directory) if it can't properly access dvips, convert and latex binaries as a "fallback". There are a number of different versions for different operating systems. The TeX filter picks the appropriate binary for the detected host operating system (you will need to hack the script if your operating system is not included). Note that your web server needs to be set up with appropriate permissions for running binaries in that location.

Windows Users need to download and install at least two other programs, a TeX editing program, MikTeX is one, and a image generating program, either GhostScript or Image Magick, to use a TeX filter, but the fallback of MimeTeX appears to be sufficient to at least get started.

If you use the TeX filter for displaying Tex in a GIFT question import file you must escape { } and = (even # and ~) with a \ before each symbol.

More information on [[Using TeX Notation]]. The [http://www.forkosh.com/mimetexmanual.html MimeTeX manual] is available and, potentially, it could be useful, but maybe not - too confusing if you have little experience with TeX and has no relationship with the Moodle environment.

=== Settings Page ===

The TeX filter settings page are primarily intended to adjust the operation of the LaTeX renderer. The defaults for the three path settings are selected according to the detection of the operating system on which Moodle is running. These are simply suggested common values - Moodle does not check that the binaries actually exist at these locations. More recent versions of Moodle show a green tick or a red cross next to the path setting - this shows that the binary exists at that location (only). The settings have no effect on the operation of the MimeTex binary (used if any of these binaries are not found).

==== Installing the binaries ====

This depends on your platform, but for a typical Linux install you are going to need a latex implementation (e.g. tetex) and the convert binary (e.g, from ImageMagick). A typical command - in this case for Ubuntu - that installs everything you need would look something like:

apt-get install tetex-base tetex-bin tetex-extra imagemagick ghostscript

On newer versions of Ubuntu, tetex has been replaced by '''texlive'''. You may need to experiment a bit (for example, ImageMagick doesn't seem to work properly on Solaris but Ghostscript does). If you find the combination that works for your system kindly add the info to this page! On Windows however, ImageMagic seems to work as it should with '''teXLive'''.

==== LaTeX preamble ====

Enables the LaTeX preamble to be specified. The default should work for most users, but you may need to change it to support non-latin character sets etc. Please see the LaTeX documentation for further details.

==== Transparent colour ====

This should be set to your normal text background colour. The default setting is #FFFFFF (i.e., white).

==== Density ====

This setting effects the size of the resulting image. The default setting is 120 pixels, and it produces an image of reasonable quality, but for some complicated equations, this still may not be enough. It may be that anything less is not going to produce an image of sufficient quality but the image size can be controlled by the TeX encoding when the page is rendered.

==== Path of ''latex'' binary ====

Path to standard latex binary.

On a MacOS X, the path is "/usr/texbin/".

In Windows, using MiKTeX, it is usually something like C:\texmf\miktex\bin\latex.exe

==== Path of ''dvips'' binary ====

Path to standard dvips binary - generally distributed as part of a LaTeX system.

On a MacOS X, the path is "/usr/texbin/".

On Windows using MikTeX is is usually something like C:\texmf\miktex\bin\dvips.exe

==== Path of ''convert'' binary ====

Path to standard convert binary. This is distributed as part of the Ghostscript system, or ImageMagick in Linux.

A simple check is made to establish if the binaries exist at the given paths. A tick or a cross is displayed alongside each as a result. Note that this does not check that the application actually works, just that it is there.

On a MacOS X, the path is "/usr/local/bin/".

On a Windows based PC the path is something like C:\Program Files\ImageMagick\convert.exe (for ImageMagick, but something else for GhostScript.)

=== Debugging TeX filter ===

The TeX filter has a debugging script (which will be much more helpful if you turn moodle debugging on) included that should help if you are having problems. The URL will be as follows...

<nowiki>http://your.moodle.path/filter/tex/texdebug.php</nowiki>

You can either enter this path explicitly or with appropriate role permissions the TeX images (or more likely incorrectly rendered text, if you need debugging) will link to this. There are a number of options and suggestions to facilitate debugging the filter. Note that options for the latex/ghostscript versions are only provided from Moodle version 1.8.3.

=== Mimetex on Debian based systems ===

For some reason, the mimetex file that comes with Moodle doesn't work on Debian based systems (like Debian, Ubuntu, ...).
What works is installing Mimetex and Ghostscript on your server as Debian package (needs to be executed as root):

apt-get install tetex-extra mimetex gs

Move your old mimetex file away

mv /var/www/moodle/filter/tex/mimetex.linux /var/www/moodle/filter/tex/mimetex.linux.old

Make a symbolic link to the mimetex file, installed by the debian installer

ln -s /usr/bin/mimetex /var/www/moodle/filter/tex/mimetex.linux

== See also ==

* [[Filters]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/glossary/view.php?id=2739&mode=letter&hook=M&sortkey=CREATION&sortorder=asc TeX Filter Glossary] - a [[Glossary|glossary]] you can add to your course which details usage of the supported [[TeX notation]].
* [http://www.latex-project.org/ LaTeX] - the LaTeX document preparation system.
* [http://www.ghostscript.com/ ghostscript] - required to render the image
* [http://www.forkosh.com/mimetexmanual.html MimeTeX Manual] - Default TeX notation manual
* [http://www.miktex.org/ MikTeX] - LaTeX for Windows systems
* [http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php ImageMagick] - required to render images for Windows
* [[Using TeX Notation]]

[[Category:Filter]]
[[Category:Mathematics]]

TeX notation filter

2010-07-16T20:55:34Z

Net-buoy: /* Usage */

Location: TeX Notation settings link in ''Administration > Modules > Filters > Manage filters''

The TeX Filter is a core Moodle filter intended to allow one to convert tex expressions into GIF images. The filter relies on three binaries to accomplish this for expressions contained between appropirate tokens. Where these binaries are not available, Moodle provides for a fallback through the use of Mimetex. Versions of MimeTex for Linux (glib2.3), Windows, Mac OS X and FreeBSD are included in the Moodle distribution. There are other technologies available for displaying Tex (see the section on Math tools for a discussion.)

=== Methods ===

To avoid confusion you should note that the TeX filter has two separate methods for converting the TeX notation to images. The preferred method is a collection of three binaries that you are responsible for installing and configuring on your server. The filter settings page relates entirely to this method. If this fails for any reason the filter will fall back to a single binary - MimeTeX - that is included with Moodle. A number of different builds are included for popular operating systems.

=== Usage ===

Before doing anything else, you need to go to '''Administration > Filters > Manage Filters''' and activate the TeX Notation Filter. If you want to use the Algebra filter (another core filter) since the Algebra Filter is really only a "front end" to the Tex filter, you should also turn on the Algebra filter. For more information on the Algebra Filter see the [[algebra filter]]

Once the filter is turned on and properly configured you can make use of it by
including a TeX expression delimited by double-dollar signs. Example:

$$ \sqrt{x + y} $$

If this does not display properly, see the information on debugging.

=== MimeTeX ===

Moodle may use a pre-built MimeTeX binary (located in the filters/tex directory) if it can't properly access dvips, convert and latex binaries as a "fallback". There are a number of different versions for different operating systems. The TeX filter picks the appropriate binary for the detected host operating system (you will need to hack the script if your operating system is not included). Note that your web server needs to be set up with appropriate permissions for running binaries in that location.

Windows Users need to download and install at least two other programs, a TeX editing program, MikTeX is one, and a image generating program, either GhostScript or Image Magick, to use a TeX filter, but the fallback of MimeTeX appears to be sufficient to at least get started.

If you use the TeX filter for displaying Tex in a GIFT question import file you must escape { } and = (even # and ~) with a \ before each symbol.

More information on [[Using TeX Notation]]. The [http://www.forkosh.com/mimetexmanual.html MimeTeX manual] is available and, potentially, it could be useful, but maybe not - too confusing if you have little experience with TeX and has no relationship with the Moodle environment.

=== Settings Page ===

The TeX filter settings page are primarily intended to adjust the operation of the LaTeX renderer. The defaults for the three path settings are selected according to the detection of the operating system on which Moodle is running. These are simply suggested common values - Moodle does not check that the binaries actually exist at these locations. More recent versions of Moodle show a green tick or a red cross next to the path setting - this shows that the binary exists at that location (only). The settings have no effect on the operation of the MimeTex binary (used if any of these binaries are not found).

==== Installing the binaries ====

This depends on your platform, but for a typical Linux install you are going to need a latex implementation (e.g. tetex) and the convert binary (e.g, from ImageMagick). A typical command - in this case for Ubuntu - that installs everything you need would look something like:

apt-get install tetex-base tetex-bin tetex-extra imagemagick ghostscript

On newer versions of Ubuntu, tetex has been replaced by '''texlive'''. You may need to experiment a bit (for example, ImageMagick doesn't seem to work properly on Solaris but Ghostscript does). If you find the combination that works for your system kindly add the info to this page! On Windows however, ImageMagic seems to work as it should with '''teXLive'''.

==== LaTeX preamble ====

Enables the LaTeX preamble to be specified. The default should work for most users, but you may need to change it to support non-latin character sets etc. Please see the LaTeX documentation for further details.

==== Transparent colour ====

This should be set to your normal text background colour. The default setting is #FFFFFF (i.e., white).

==== Density ====

This setting effects the size of the resulting image. The default setting is 120 pixels, and it produces an image of reasonable quality, but for some complicated equations, this still may not be enough. It may be that anything less is not going to produce an image of sufficient quality but the image size can be controlled by the TeX encoding when the page is rendered.

==== Path of ''latex'' binary ====

Path to standard latex binary.

On a MacOS X, the path is "/usr/texbin/".

In Windows, using MiKTeX, it is usually something like C:\texmf\miktex\bin\latex.exe

==== Path of ''dvips'' binary ====

Path to standard dvips binary - generally distributed as part of a LaTeX system.

On a MacOS X, the path is "/usr/texbin/".

On Windows using MikTeX is is usually something like C:\texmf\miktex\bin\dvips.exe

==== Path of ''convert'' binary ====

Path to standard convert binary. This is distributed as part of the Ghostscript system, or ImageMagick in Linux.

A simple check is made to establish if the binaries exist at the given paths. A tick or a cross is displayed alongside each as a result. Note that this does not check that the application actually works, just that it is there.

On a MacOS X, the path is "/usr/local/bin/".

On a Windows based PC the path is something like C:\Program Files\ImageMagick\convert.exe (for ImageMagick, but something else for GhostScript.)

=== Debugging TeX filter ===

The TeX filter has a debugging script (which will be much more helpful if you turn moodle debugging on) included that should help if you are having problems. The URL will be as follows...

<nowiki>http://your.moodle.path/filter/tex/texdebug.php</nowiki>

You can either enter this path explicitly or with appropriate role permissions the TeX images (or more likely incorrectly rendered text, if you need debugging) will link to this. There are a number of options and suggestions to facilitate debugging the filter. Note that options for the latex/ghostscript versions are only provided from Moodle version 1.8.3.

=== Mimetex on Debian based systems ===

For some reason, the mimetex file that comes with Moodle doesn't work on Debian based systems (like Debian, Ubuntu, ...).
What works is installing Mimetex and Ghostscript on your server as Debian package (needs to be executed as root):

apt-get install tetex-extra mimetex gs

Move your old mimetex file away

mv /var/www/moodle/filter/tex/mimetex.linux /var/www/moodle/filter/tex/mimetex.linux.old

Make a symbolic link to the mimetex file, installed by the debian installer

ln -s /usr/bin/mimetex /var/www/moodle/filter/tex/mimetex.linux

== See also ==

* [[Filters]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/glossary/view.php?id=2739&mode=letter&hook=M&sortkey=CREATION&sortorder=asc TeX Filter Glossary] - a [[Glossary|glossary]] you can add to your course which details usage of the supported [[TeX notation]].
* [http://www.latex-project.org/ LaTeX] - the LaTeX document preparation system.
* [http://www.ghostscript.com/ ghostscript] - required to render the image
* [http://www.forkosh.com/mimetexmanual.html MimeTeX Manual] - Default TeX notation manual
* [http://www.miktex.org/ MikTeX] - LaTeX for Windows systems
* [http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php ImageMagick] - required to render images for Windows
* [[Using TeX Notation]]

[[Category:Filter]]
[[Category:Mathematics]]

TeX notation filter

2010-07-16T20:54:41Z

Net-buoy:

Location: TeX Notation settings link in ''Administration > Modules > Filters > Manage filters''

The TeX Filter is a core Moodle filter intended to allow one to convert tex expressions into GIF images. The filter relies on three binaries to accomplish this for expressions contained between appropirate tokens. Where these binaries are not available, Moodle provides for a fallback through the use of Mimetex. Versions of MimeTex for Linux (glib2.3), Windows, Mac OS X and FreeBSD are included in the Moodle distribution. There are other technologies available for displaying Tex (see the section on Math tools for a discussion.)

=== Methods ===

To avoid confusion you should note that the TeX filter has two separate methods for converting the TeX notation to images. The preferred method is a collection of three binaries that you are responsible for installing and configuring on your server. The filter settings page relates entirely to this method. If this fails for any reason the filter will fall back to a single binary - MimeTeX - that is included with Moodle. A number of different builds are included for popular operating systems.

=== Usage ===

Before doing anything else, you need to go to '''Administration > Filters > Manage Filters''' and activate the TeX Notation Filter. If you want to use the Algebra filter (another core filter) since the Algebra Filter is really only a "front end" to the Tex filter, you should also turn on the Algebra filter. For more information on the Algebra FIlter see the [[algebra)filter]]

Once the filter is turned on and properly configured you can make use of it by
including a TeX expression delimited by double-dollar signs. Example:

$$ \sqrt{x + y} $$

If this does not display properly, see the information on debugging.

=== MimeTeX ===

Moodle may use a pre-built MimeTeX binary (located in the filters/tex directory) if it can't properly access dvips, convert and latex binaries as a "fallback". There are a number of different versions for different operating systems. The TeX filter picks the appropriate binary for the detected host operating system (you will need to hack the script if your operating system is not included). Note that your web server needs to be set up with appropriate permissions for running binaries in that location.

Windows Users need to download and install at least two other programs, a TeX editing program, MikTeX is one, and a image generating program, either GhostScript or Image Magick, to use a TeX filter, but the fallback of MimeTeX appears to be sufficient to at least get started.

If you use the TeX filter for displaying Tex in a GIFT question import file you must escape { } and = (even # and ~) with a \ before each symbol.

More information on [[Using TeX Notation]]. The [http://www.forkosh.com/mimetexmanual.html MimeTeX manual] is available and, potentially, it could be useful, but maybe not - too confusing if you have little experience with TeX and has no relationship with the Moodle environment.

=== Settings Page ===

The TeX filter settings page are primarily intended to adjust the operation of the LaTeX renderer. The defaults for the three path settings are selected according to the detection of the operating system on which Moodle is running. These are simply suggested common values - Moodle does not check that the binaries actually exist at these locations. More recent versions of Moodle show a green tick or a red cross next to the path setting - this shows that the binary exists at that location (only). The settings have no effect on the operation of the MimeTex binary (used if any of these binaries are not found).

==== Installing the binaries ====

This depends on your platform, but for a typical Linux install you are going to need a latex implementation (e.g. tetex) and the convert binary (e.g, from ImageMagick). A typical command - in this case for Ubuntu - that installs everything you need would look something like:

apt-get install tetex-base tetex-bin tetex-extra imagemagick ghostscript

On newer versions of Ubuntu, tetex has been replaced by '''texlive'''. You may need to experiment a bit (for example, ImageMagick doesn't seem to work properly on Solaris but Ghostscript does). If you find the combination that works for your system kindly add the info to this page! On Windows however, ImageMagic seems to work as it should with '''teXLive'''.

==== LaTeX preamble ====

Enables the LaTeX preamble to be specified. The default should work for most users, but you may need to change it to support non-latin character sets etc. Please see the LaTeX documentation for further details.

==== Transparent colour ====

This should be set to your normal text background colour. The default setting is #FFFFFF (i.e., white).

==== Density ====

This setting effects the size of the resulting image. The default setting is 120 pixels, and it produces an image of reasonable quality, but for some complicated equations, this still may not be enough. It may be that anything less is not going to produce an image of sufficient quality but the image size can be controlled by the TeX encoding when the page is rendered.

==== Path of ''latex'' binary ====

Path to standard latex binary.

On a MacOS X, the path is "/usr/texbin/".

In Windows, using MiKTeX, it is usually something like C:\texmf\miktex\bin\latex.exe

==== Path of ''dvips'' binary ====

Path to standard dvips binary - generally distributed as part of a LaTeX system.

On a MacOS X, the path is "/usr/texbin/".

On Windows using MikTeX is is usually something like C:\texmf\miktex\bin\dvips.exe

==== Path of ''convert'' binary ====

Path to standard convert binary. This is distributed as part of the Ghostscript system, or ImageMagick in Linux.

A simple check is made to establish if the binaries exist at the given paths. A tick or a cross is displayed alongside each as a result. Note that this does not check that the application actually works, just that it is there.

On a MacOS X, the path is "/usr/local/bin/".

On a Windows based PC the path is something like C:\Program Files\ImageMagick\convert.exe (for ImageMagick, but something else for GhostScript.)

=== Debugging TeX filter ===

The TeX filter has a debugging script (which will be much more helpful if you turn moodle debugging on) included that should help if you are having problems. The URL will be as follows...

<nowiki>http://your.moodle.path/filter/tex/texdebug.php</nowiki>

You can either enter this path explicitly or with appropriate role permissions the TeX images (or more likely incorrectly rendered text, if you need debugging) will link to this. There are a number of options and suggestions to facilitate debugging the filter. Note that options for the latex/ghostscript versions are only provided from Moodle version 1.8.3.

=== Mimetex on Debian based systems ===

For some reason, the mimetex file that comes with Moodle doesn't work on Debian based systems (like Debian, Ubuntu, ...).
What works is installing Mimetex and Ghostscript on your server as Debian package (needs to be executed as root):

apt-get install tetex-extra mimetex gs

Move your old mimetex file away

mv /var/www/moodle/filter/tex/mimetex.linux /var/www/moodle/filter/tex/mimetex.linux.old

Make a symbolic link to the mimetex file, installed by the debian installer

ln -s /usr/bin/mimetex /var/www/moodle/filter/tex/mimetex.linux

== See also ==

* [[Filters]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/glossary/view.php?id=2739&mode=letter&hook=M&sortkey=CREATION&sortorder=asc TeX Filter Glossary] - a [[Glossary|glossary]] you can add to your course which details usage of the supported [[TeX notation]].
* [http://www.latex-project.org/ LaTeX] - the LaTeX document preparation system.
* [http://www.ghostscript.com/ ghostscript] - required to render the image
* [http://www.forkosh.com/mimetexmanual.html MimeTeX Manual] - Default TeX notation manual
* [http://www.miktex.org/ MikTeX] - LaTeX for Windows systems
* [http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php ImageMagick] - required to render images for Windows
* [[Using TeX Notation]]

[[Category:Filter]]
[[Category:Mathematics]]