FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR VERSION 4.0 SETUP What are the system requirements for Microsoft Interactive Training Version 4.0? Server Pentium II 400 processor 256 megs of RAM 4 Gigabyte Hard Drive (Mirrored) Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server operating system with SP4, or Microsoft Windows 2000 Server operating system Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0 Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 or Microsoft Access 2000* *Note: Database may be installed on a separate server Client Minimum computer: Pentium 90 MHz with 16 MB of RAM Super VGA display with 256 colors at 800x600 resolution 16-bit sound card 56-Kbps modem or Ethernet card (for Internet or network connection), with minimum connection speed of 38 kbps for each desktop Windows 95 or higher Recommended computer: Pentium 120 MHz or better with 32 MB or more of RAM Super VGA display at 1024x768 resolution with High Color (16 bit), or better 16-bit sound card 56-Kbps or better modem card or Ethernet card (for Internet or network connection), with minimum connection speed of 44-Kbps Windows 98, Windows NT Server or Workstation 4.0 with Service Pack 3, Windows 2000 Additional requirements: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher Windows Media player 6.0 or higher Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device Windows-compatible sound board and headphones or speakers (required for audio) A minimum of 2 MB available hard disk space. Version 4 Frequently Asked Questions Page 1 of 5
What ActiveX controls are installed on the client, and where are they located? msbsedit.ocx msbslist.ocx msbsmenu.ocx msbssim.ocx msbstree.ocx By default, they are located in C:\Windows on Windows 98- and Windows 95-based machines and in C:\Inetpub\wwwroot on Windows NT Workstation- or Windows 2000 Professional-based machines. What is the size of the client-side installed files? The ActiveX controls are the only installed files and they require less than 1 MB. How do I install in a locked-down desktop corporate environment? When installing the ActiveX controls to a desktop running Windows NT or Windows 2000 Professional, the user must be a Local Administrator to configure the ActiveX controls and the registry. Note: This can be accomplished by granting these rights on a temporary basis, if necessary. Installation of the ActiveX controls is absolutely essential to use of the product. What is the average size of a lesson being cached at the client? The average lesson size is 10K, with only a few lessons exceeding 100K. Are the lessons run continuously over the network? Lessons are cached and run locally at the workstation with audio and video streamed from the Web server. 38 kbps for audio streaming and 28 kbps for text streaming. What is the approximate size of a course when installed on the server or desktop hard drive? Microsoft Office 2000 Step by Step Interactive is approximately 220MB, providing over 60 hours of instruction. Windows 2000 Professional Step by Step Interactive totals 81MB. The administrator site requires another 5MB for the tools. It is important to note that the entire course is not sent over the network at once; it is streamed using Windows Streaming Media technology. Additionally, bandwidth usage limitations can be set through IIS to ensure that adequate throughput is maintained for your other network services, provided you retain at least the minimum 44kbps throughput for the training. Version 4 Frequently Asked Questions Page 2 of 5
Where are the files located on the server? The course files are located by default in the C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\MIT folder and the program files are located in the C:\Program Files\MIT Admin folder. These locations may be changed during the setup process. What mail services can be used as the e-mail carrier for shortcuts? Any MAPI-compliant e-mail product, such as Microsoft Exchange, the Microsoft Outlook messaging and collaboration client, or Lotus Notes, can be used to send shortcuts. Can I install the full product on the client? Yes, using the CD. File sizes would be similar to those of network installation. Why is there no login for the administration site? Access to the administration site is controlled by Windows authentication in Internet Information Server (IIS). Based on your logon properties in Windows, the product recognizes whether you have been granted administration rights during the installation, and if so, there is no need to log in again. Can I create questions in the administration tool and then share them to other administrators? New questions reside with the Database Administrator. It may be possible to extract and send them, but this cannot be done automatically with Microsoft Interactive Training. Can Microsoft Terminal Server be used for deployment? Step by Step Interactive is not currently supported by Microsoft Terminal Server. Does Step by Step Interactive support Active Directory service? No. Version 4 Frequently Asked Questions Page 3 of 5
What is the size of the database used to track users? Access SQL Server Initial size Network 30 MB 30 MB Initial size Single Station 30 MB 30 MB Database growth depends on the number of users that use the database. There is no set size per user because each user operates at an individual pace and completed courses differ in size. What is the procedure to follow to install the courses on a drive other than the default C drive? Step by Step Interactive populates two areas on the server: Content in IIS: Content must be installed to the C drive during installation. The content folder can be relocated after installation is complete. The MIT virtual directory can then be re-directed to point to the new content location. Support Files: Support Files can be defined during the installation process to any location. COURSES Can users access the courses without entering an additional password? Yes, if you choose to administer your training utilizing Windows NT 4.0 user/group recognition. If you choose instead to establish a custom training database of users, a separate password will be required for access to courses. What databases can be used to track user progress? Microsoft SQL Server 7.0, Microsoft SQL Server 2000, or Microsoft Access 2000 can be used for central tracking of progress and pre-assessment/quiz scores. These database products do not need to be installed on the same server as the Training Administration Web site. Can individual training lessons be sent to end-users? Yes, lessons can be marked as shortcuts and e-mailed as attachments to end-users. Shortcuts provide relative links to particular topics or lessons, so as long as the end-user s installation is the same as the sender s (i.e., both access the content from the same network drive and both have single-station installations), recipients of the training will be linked through the shortcut to their standard location for receiving the training. Version 4 Frequently Asked Questions Page 4 of 5
Can courses be taken offline? If courses are installed on local desktops or delivered via CD, learners do not need to be online to take any part of the course. In these scenarios, there is no centralized tracking of user progress available. If courses are delivered over an intranet, learners must be connected to the LAN when taking a lesson to receive cached lessons from the server and to update the database with any changes. Will this work with the Offline Folders option in Windows 2000? No, not if the courses are deployed via an intranet. Does Search recognize custom topics? No, only the original lessons can be found through the Search feature. What could be the cause of an error when receiving a lesson from the server? There are two things to check: Is the server operating properly? Do users have correct permissions to access the courses on the server? What is the process for adding additional courses to the server? During the first installation, a registry key is created that will direct the support files to the designated destination. For subsequent installation, the installation step is bypassed so all additional support files are automatically directed to the existing support file location. Content files get installed in the default C drive location and must be moved to the new content files location manually. No other maintenance is required. What is the DBMERGE process? As additional courses are added to the server, the database will automatically merge the new course into the existing database. ' 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Active Directory, ActiveX, Outlook, VGA, Windows, Windows Media, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Version 4 Frequently Asked Questions Page 5 of 5