MNet

Draft -- for 1.8 functionality --Martin Langhoff 22:44, 26 December 2006 (CST)

Peer to Peer Network

This is the basic layout of the system. It can be very useful to run one Moodle per faculty or departments, each with its own user management, and yet permit users to roam across the Moodle installs... subject to permissions of course.

Setup

The instructions will cover 2 Moodle installations: MoodleA and MoodleB. Both are installed correctly and have never had a Moodle Network configuration.

1. Get them to talk to eachother
   1. Ensure Admin / Server / Environment indicates you have curl installed
   2. If MoodleA and MoodleB are hosted in the same domain, ensure they have a different cookie prefix. Note that changing the cookie prefix will log you out!
   3. On both, go to Admin / Network / Settings and turn Networking ON.
   4. On MoodleA go to Admin / Network / Peers - put the URL of MoodleB under "Add New Host" and click Add.
   5. Do the equivalent on MoodleB.
2. Get user roaming going
   1. On both, go to Admin / Users / Authentication and enable Moodle Network authentication plugin. Click on 'Settings' and enable auto_add_remote_users.
   2. On MoodleA go to Admin / Network / Peers, click on 'MoodleB', and click on 'Services'. Enable SSO-IDP publish and subscribe, and SSO-SP publish and subscribe.
   3. Do the equivalent on MoodleB.
   4. On both, got to Admin / Users / Permissions / Define Roles, only roles that have "Roam to a remote Moodle moodle/site:mnetlogintoremote" will be allowed to roam. Grant the privilege as appropriate.
   5. On both, go to the homepage, and add the 'Network Servers' block.
   6. To test, it is recommended to use a different browser (even on a different machine) that is logged in to neither. Login to MoodleA with a non-administrator account that has the permissions to roam. You should see the Network Servers block, and clicking on it you should go to MoodleB with a newly autocreated account.
3. Get remote enrolments going -- this is optional. It allows administrator of MoodleB can enrol users that are "native" to MoodleB in courses in MoodleA, and viceversa.
   1. On both, go to Admin / Courses / Enrolment and enable Moodle Network enrolment plugin (click Save). Click on 'Edit' and enable 'allow_allcourses' or select some courses or categories to be remotely enrolled.
   2. On MoodleA go to Admin / Network / Peers, click on 'MoodleB', and click on 'Services'. Enable Enrolment publish and subscribe.
   3. Do the equivalent on MoodleB.
   4. To use, in MoodleA go to Admin / Courses / Enrolment / Moodle Network -> Edit / Manage Network Enrolments and you will see MoodleB listed. Click on MoodleB and you will see a list of your users, and the courses that MoodleB offers for remote enrolment.