Box.net APIv1 migration: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:30, 17 October 2014

Note: This page contains information for site administrators only.

Box API v2

Box.net API v1, which Moodle uses to interact with the Box repository and Box portfolio, expired 14 December 2013. It was replaced by Box API v2. Three important consequences of the new API are:

The Moodle site must use HTTPS in order to access Box.
Box plugins must be configured with a Box client ID and secret.
For Box repository users it will no longer be possible to create a shortcut/alias to a file stored in Box. Existing aliases will need to be converted to file copies by running the Box.net-alias-to-copy-conversion tool.

Obtaining a Box client ID and secret

Go to https://app.box.com and create an account or log in
Go to https://app.box.com/developers/services and click the link 'Create new application'
Enter an application name and click the 'Content API' button
Once the application is created, click the 'Edit this application' button
On the Edit a Box Application page, scroll down to the section 'OAuth2 parameters' and make a note of the client ID and secret

The client ID and secret can then be used to configure the Box repository and Box portfolio.

Box repository configuration

Go to Administration > Site administration > Plugins > Repositories > Manage Repositories
Reactivate the Box.net repository by selecting 'Enabled and visible' in the dropdown menu
Configure the repository plugin by entering the Box client ID and secret. Make sure you don't include any white space in the text boxes!
Save changes

Box portfolio configuration

Go to Administration > Site administration > Plugins > Portfolios > Manage Portfolios
Reactivate the Box.net portfolio by selecting 'Enabled and visible' in the dropdown menu
Configure the portfolio plugin by entering the Box client ID and secret
Save changes

The Box-alias-to-copy-conversion tool

IMPORTANT: The Box-alias-to-copy-conversion tool must be used before 14 December 2013 to avoid data loss!

Administrators are advised to run the Box-alias-to-copy-conversion tool immediately after upgrading their site. It may be run

Either from within Moodle:

Ensure that the Box repository has been configured according to the instructions above
Go to Administration > Site administration > Modules > Repositories > Manage repositories and click the settings link for Box
Click the link to run the tool

Or via a CLI script, found at /repository/boxnet/cli/migrationv1.php.

Please be aware that this tool could take several hours to run depending on the number of aliases and their size.

Note: After running the tool, the Box settings page will still display the message 'It appears that you were using Box with the API version 1, have you run the migration tool to convert the old references?' Please just ignore it. ;-)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-As of the 14th of December 2013, the API that Moodle uses to interact with Box.net (repository, portfolio) is reaching its end of life. Box.net now recommends using their API version 2. There are a few implications related to the migration to their new API:
+{{Repositories}}
+''Note: This page contains information for site administrators only.''
-==After upgrade to 2.6==
+==Box API v2==
-===Repository===
+Box.net API v1, which Moodle uses to interact with the [[Box repository]] and [[Box portfolio]], expired 14 December 2013. It was  replaced by Box API v2. Three important consequences of the new API are:
-After the upgrade, and without doing anything, all the files that were referenced from Box.net will still be accessible until the 14th of December. But it will not be possible to import new files until you configure the repository for the API version 2.
+# The Moodle site must use HTTPS in order to access Box.
+# Box plugins must be configured with a Box client ID and secret.
+# For Box repository users it will no longer be possible to create a shortcut/alias to a file stored in Box. ''Existing aliases will need to be converted to file copies by running the Box.net-alias-to-copy-conversion tool.''
-===Portfolio===
+==Obtaining a Box client ID and secret==
-You just need to configure the portfolio settings for the API version 2.
+# Go to https://app.box.com and create an account or log in
+# Go to https://app.box.com/developers/services and click the link 'Create new application'
+# Enter an application name and click the 'Content API' button
+# Once the application is created, click the 'Edit this application' button
+# On the Edit a Box Application page, scroll down to the section 'OAuth2 parameters' and make a note of the client ID and secret
-==Requirement for HTTPS==
+The client ID and secret can then be used to configure the Box repository and Box portfolio.
-As compared to the version 1, the API version 2 requires your website to use HTTPS for the authentication process.
+==Box repository configuration==
-==End of alias/shortcuts==
+# Go to ''Administration > Site administration > Plugins > Repositories > Manage Repositories''
+# Reactivate the Box.net repository by selecting 'Enabled and visible' in the dropdown menu
+# Configure the repository plugin by entering the Box client ID and secret. Make sure you don't include any white space in the text boxes!
+# Save changes
-With the initial version of the API, we could use a direct link to a file to use a reference in Moodle. But after the migration it is not possible any more, the repository will not support references any more.
+==Box portfolio configuration==
-==To be done before the 14th of December 2013==
+# Go to ''Administration > Site administration > Plugins > Portfolios > Manage Portfolios''
+# Reactivate the Box.net portfolio by selecting 'Enabled and visible' in the dropdown menu
+# Configure the portfolio plugin by entering the Box client ID and secret
+# Save changes
-We have provided a tool that will convert all the references you had in Moodle to real files (true copies). This tool can be found by browsing the navigation block to 'Plugins > Repositories > Box.net APIv1 migration'. There is also a CLI script 'admin/tool/boxnetapiv1migration/cli/migrate.php'. Please be aware that this tool could take several hours to run depending on the number of references and their size.
+==The Box-alias-to-copy-conversion tool==
+<p class="note">'''IMPORTANT''': The Box-alias-to-copy-conversion tool must be used before 14 December 2013 to avoid data loss!</p>
+Administrators are advised to run the Box-alias-to-copy-conversion tool immediately after upgrading their site. It may be run
+Either from within Moodle:
+# Ensure that the Box repository has been configured according to the instructions above
+# Go to ''Administration > Site administration > Modules > Repositories > Manage repositories'' and click the settings link for Box
+# Click the link to run the tool
+Or via a CLI script, found at /repository/boxnet/cli/migrationv1.php.
+''Please be aware that this tool could take several hours to run depending on the number of aliases and their size.''
+Note: After running the tool, the Box settings page will still display the message 'It appears that you were using Box with the API version 1, have you run the migration tool to convert the old references?' Please just ignore it. ;-)
+[[Category:Site administration]]
+[[Category:Portfolios]]

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