PearsonAccess. TestNav 7 Proctor Caching User Guide

Document Revisions This list shows the recent updates to the TestNav 7 Proctor Caching User Guide. (The most recent updates are listed first.) October 25, 2012 Updated section 5.0 Configure TestNav. Renamed the title of this document to TestNav 7 Proctor Caching User Guide. This was done to match the existing file name. September 24, 2012 Updated section 3.0 Windows Platform Installation August 27, 2012 Updated section 3.0 Windows Platform Installation Updated section 4.0 Macintosh Platform Installation. June 21, 2012 Updated section 2.1 Network Connectivity. Updated section 5.0 Configure TestNav. Replaced image in 1.0 with a new one that uses the same style as the image in 5.0. February 28, 2012 Made editorial changes in the Tips on Proctor Caching section. February 9, 2012 Updated Section 4.0 Macintosh Platform Installation to reflect UI changes that were made as well as the Tips on Proctor Caching section. Added sections: o 6.3 Refreshing Downloaded Content from the Proctor Caching Computer o 6.4 Reloading Test Content from the Proctor Caching Computer o 6.6 Purging Client from the Proctor Caching Computer. Moved Purging Test Content from the Proctor Caching Computer from 6.3 to 6.5. February 6, 2012 Updated Section 1.2 Frequently Asked Questions Updated Section 3.0 Windows Platform Installation to reflect UI changes that were made as well as the Tips on Proctor Caching text. December 1, 2011 Updated client response file backup location settings, instructions and screen shots in Section 5, Configuring TestNav Clients to Use Proctor Caching. Updated instructions and screen shots in Section 6.1, Caching Test Content. Updated instructions, status descriptions, and screen shots in Section 6.2, Monitoring Proctor Caching. Microsoft, Windows, and Internet Explorer are registered trademarks of Microsoft Inc. Firefox is a trademark of the Mozilla Foundation. Safari is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Mac is a trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe, Acrobat, and Flash are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe System Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All rights reserved. TestNav is a trademark of Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved. 2 of 26

1.0 What is Proctor Caching?... 4 1.1 Benefits of Using Proctor Caching... 5 1.2 Frequently Asked Questions... 5 2.0 Pre-Installation Planning... 6 2.1 Network Connectivity... 6 2.2 Multimedia Testing Considerations... 6 3.0 Windows Platform Installation... 7 4.0 Macintosh Platform Installation... 12 5.0 Configure TestNav... 16 5.1 Proctor Caching Computer... 16 5.2 Response File Backup Locations... 17 5.3 TestNav Configurations... 18 6.0 Caching Test Content... 22 6.1 Caching Test Content... 22 6.2 Monitoring Proctor Caching... 23 6.3 Refreshing Downloaded Content from the Proctor Caching Computer... 25 6.4 Reloading Test Content from the Proctor Caching Computer25 6.5 Purging Test Content from the Proctor Caching Computer 26 6.6 Purging Client from the Proctor Caching Computer... 26 3 of 26

1.0 What is Proctor Caching? Proctor Caching is a software program that enables school districts to download encrypted test content to a local computer. A district downloads the content once for each test administration. This reduces the amount of bandwidth required for electronic testing. As represented in the following diagram, Proctor Caching pulls and stores test content from Pearson to a local Proctor Caching computer. This stored or cached test content is then distributed to TestNav clients as testing sessions are started. 4 of 26

1.1 Benefits of Using Proctor Caching Proctor Caching improves the online testing experience for students and test administrators by providing the following key benefits: Students experience fewer testing delays due to network congestion. Testing continues if the Internet connection is lost, because test content is precached. 1.2 Frequently Asked Questions Does Proctor Caching require special hardware or server equipment? No. You should not, however, install Proctor Caching on the same computer that is being used for testing. How many students can be served by one Proctor Caching computer? The number of students that can be served depends on several factors, including the bandwidth, network speed and average utilization of your location s internal network and wide area network (WAN) and also the amount of memory your Proctor Caching computer has (the greater the memory, the more students it can handle). Go to System Check for TestNav 7 to assess your situation. How long does it take to install Proctor Caching? A typical installation takes approximately 10 minutes per Proctor Caching computer. Can I install Proctor Caching if I am not a network administrator? If you are not a network administrator, the following are needed to install Proctor Caching: Full local administrator permissions Working knowledge of your network Why should I use Proctor Caching if my network is very fast and has a lot of bandwidth? Large test files with enhanced content (e.g., animated graphics or calculators) may take longer to load without Proctor Caching enabled. Your network will experience download redundancy if each student downloads an independent copy of an online test. Students will be able to complete the test they are taking even if the Internet connection fails. 5 of 26

2.0 Pre-Installation Planning Place Proctor Caching computers as close as possible on the network to the students testing computers, preferably in the same room. If Proctor Caching takes place at the district level, then any lower-level Proctor Caching computers should be configured to use the district-level computer as an upstream proxy. If Proctor Caching software is already installed on the selected computer, it should be uninstalled and then the computer should be rebooted before installing a new Proctor Caching version. 2.1 Network Connectivity If possible, Proctor Caching computers should have a network connection of 100 Mbps full-duplex or higher. The minimum network connection is 10/100. Your network must be set up to use IPv4 DNS (Domain Name System) servers. If you have not made any explicit changes to use only IPv6 for DNS, you should not have any issues. You will know if this is properly configured because your TestNav and Proctor Cache machines will communicate properly with one another. If you do not have any network issues between these machines, no action is required. If there are problems, contact your network administrator. Currently, IPv4 is the standard method for how computers communicate with each other. Because there are a finite number of IP addresses that can be used with IPv4, a newer version, called IPv6, was developed. An example of an IPv4 address is 192.168.1.1 and an example of an IPv6 address is 2012:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. 2.2 Multimedia Testing Considerations Multimedia files are very large content elements and must be cached to the school prior to the test beginning. We recommend that you use a separate computer as the Proctor Caching computer dedicated only to caching media test content. The variables that impact the number of media tests that can be delivered from a single caching computer include the size of the test itself. Because media tests vary in size dramatically, use the System Check tool for TestNav capacity planning. It is expected that for traditional audio tests with relatively small audio clips or for video tests that have a limited number of clips, the ratio of students to Proctor Caching computers can be increased. 6 of 26

3.0 Windows Platform Installation To configure a Windows-based computer to perform Proctor Caching functions, follow the steps listed below. Note: Administrator-level access is required to perform these steps. To install Proctor Caching 1. Enter www.pearsonaccess.com into your browser to go to PearsonAccess, and then select your account from the drop-down list. 2. Select Support, and then Downloads under the Resources category. 3. Click Proctor Caching Software - PC - Executable to download the file to your computer. Click Save File. You may need to verify the save location in your browser s settings. 4. Double-click the proctorcache-installer-<version>.exe file to open the installer screen. 5. You will be prompted with a security message. Click Yes to launch the installer. 6. After the software loads, read the introduction and then click Next. 7 of 26

7. Proxy server information displays. Verify that the Proxy Server Information is correct or enter the correct value. Click Next. 8. Accept default destination folder and click Next. If you want to install TestNav 7 Proctor Cache in a location other than the default, make sure the location has no spaces in its name. Note: If the Proctor Caching computer uses an upstream proxy computer to access the Internet, refer to Tips on Proctor Caching, which follows this section. 8 of 26

9. Select the locations to create the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache icon(s). If you would like the icon to appear when all users log in to the computer, select the Create Icons for All Users checkbox, and then click Next. 10.Leave the check box selected and click Next. 9 of 26

11.Review the pre-installation summary, and then click Install. 12.You will see a progress bar and status information indicating that Proctor Caching is installing. When it is complete the Install Complete screen displays. Click Done to close the installation. You will need to restart your computer before launching TestNav 7 Proctor Caching. When you are ready to start the Proctor Caching software to cache test content, go to Start > Programs > TestNav 7 Proctor Cache > Start Proctor Caching to launch the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache program. 10 of 26

Tips on Proctor Caching If you need to make further changes to the proctor caching computer settings, you can do this via the following files: <install_dir>\squid\etc\squid.conf <install_dir>\jetty\etc\jetty.xml <install_dir>\jetty\etc\proctorcache.properties Virtual machines can be used as the proctor caching computer. Java must be installed on the virtual machine in order for proctor caching to work successfully. The proctor caching service must be running in order for content to successfully cache. You must launch the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache program (Start > Programs > TestNav 7 Proctor Cache > Start Proctor Cache) in order for content to be cached. If the service is stopped, content will not cache. If the Proctor Caching Computer uses an upstream proxy computer to access the Internet, make the following changes to the <install_dir>\squid\etc\squid.conf file: change from: ##cache_peer address parent port 0 login=user:pass default no-query http11 ##never_direct allow all To cache_peer <proxy server IP address> parent port <proxy server port number> login=<user ID>:<password> default no-query http11 never_direct allow all If the upstream proxy is unauthenticated, remove the "login=user:pass" clause as shown below: cache_peer <proxy server IP address> parent port <proxy server port number> default no-query http11 never_direct allow all 11 of 26

4.0 Macintosh Platform Installation To configure a Macintosh computer to perform Proctor Caching functions, follow the steps listed below. Note: Administrator-level access is required to perform these steps. To install Proctor Caching 1. Enter www.pearsonaccess.com into your browser to go to PearsonAccess, and then select your account from the drop down list. 2. Select the Support link, and then Downloads. 3. Download the Proctor Caching Software Mac OS X to your computer. 4. Double-click the proctorcache-installer-<version>.zip file, then double-click on the installproctorcache file to open the installer screen. 5. Double-click the installproctorcache icon to open the installer screen. 6. You will be prompted with a security message. Click Next to launch the installer. 12 of 26

9. Select the locations to create the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache aliases (e.g., icon). If you do not want the icon to appear when all users log in to the computer, select the Don t create aliases radio button, and then click Next. 11.Review the pre-installation summary, and then click Install. 12.You will see a progress bar and status information indicating that Proctor Caching is installing. On completion the installation complete screen will appear. Click Done to close the installation. Note: You will need to restart your computer before launching TestNav 7 Proctor Caching. When you are ready to start the Proctor Caching software, go to <install_dir> and double-click the start.command. 14 of 26

Tips on Proctor Caching If you need to make further changes to the Proctor Caching computer settings, you can do this via the following files: <install_dir>/squid/etc/squid.conf <install_dir>/jetty/etc/jetty.xml <install_dir>/jetty/etc/proctorcache.properties Virtual machines can be used as the proctor caching computer. Java must be installed on the virtual machine in order for proctor caching to work successfully. The Proctor Caching service must be running in order for content to be successfully cached. You must launch the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache program, and select the start.command in order for content to be cached. If the service is stopped, content will not cache. If the Proctor Caching Computer uses an upstream proxy computer to access the Internet, make the following changes to the <install_dir>/squid/etc/squid.conf file: change from: ##cache_peer address parent port 0 login=user:pass default no-query http11 ##never_direct allow all To cache_peer <proxy server IP address> parent port <proxy server port number> login=<user ID>:<password> default no-query http11 never_direct allow all If the upstream proxy is unauthenticated, remove the "login=user:pass" clause as shown below: cache_peer <proxy server IP address> parent port <proxy server port number> default no-query http11 never_direct allow all 15 of 26

5.0 Configure TestNav Two aspects of TestNav must be configured, Proctor Caching Computer and the Response File Backup Locations. Both aspects are found on the same PearsonAccess screen. 5.1 Proctor Caching Computer The proctor caching computer downloads and stores test data, such as multimedia or test questions, and then serves that data to individual test computers from within the local network. This enables faster test page loading times and more efficient test taking. 16 of 26

5.2 Response File Backup Locations When a student responds to a test item, that response is saved in an SRF (saved response file) and then sent to the Pearson server. If recorded successfully on the Pearson server, it is then wiped from the SRF. This is done to ensure student responses are not lost and because the next test item will not be presented to the examinee until it is confirmed that the response to the current test item has been safely recorded in one place or the other (SRF or Pearson server). On a busy network, with many testing computers attempting to send student test item responses concurrently, network congestion can occur. These backups prevent delays in testing while safeguarding student responses. Specify the primary and secondary locations where TestNav will store SRFs until the responses are recorded on the Pearson server. This generally happens in milliseconds unless the connection to the Pearson server is congested or interrupted. Choose backup locations that allow student accounts to have complete read and write access. Your options are to place the backup files in a directory on the computer the student is using to take the test or in a directory on a network file server. This chart outlines the pros and cons of each option. Backup Location Options Local Directory on Testing Computer (TestNav client) Directory on Network Computer Pros Uses less internal network bandwidth Test item delivery will not be delayed by waiting for files to be written to the networked drive Backup file may be accessed from other computers, which is important if you have a hardware failure on a testing computer Cons Backup file is not accessible from any other computer, so a student cannot easily move from one testing computer to another to complete a test without the need for an administrator to manually move the backup file Uses more internal network bandwidth As a best practice, Pearson recommends using both by setting up both a primary and secondary backup location. The primary and secondary SRF backup files are updated as a student navigates from the item, or periodically for writing items. The next test item will be shown to the student as soon as the response to the currently submitted test item is recorded in any location the Pearson server, the primary backup, or the secondary backup but will continue to attempt to write to the other location until it is confirmed that the response has been recorded on the Pearson server. 17 of 26

It is recommended that your Proctor Caching computer is not set as the location for either primary or secondary SRF backups, as this may increase traffic to the Proctor Caching computer beyond appropriate levels. 5.3 TestNav Configurations There are two types of TestNav configurations: An organization-based configuration (used by default for all test sessions) In PearsonAccess, schools and campuses, districts and divisions are referred to as organizations. An organization-based configuration is assigned to a session automatically, based on the school identified in the session. If a configuration has been created and School A has been added to it, and a session is created for School A, then the session will use that configuration. If there is no configuration defined for the school, then the session will use the first configuration it finds above the school in the hierarchy for example, the configuration defined for District A, in which School A resides. A custom session configuration A custom session configuration can be defined so that a session uses specific settings regardless of the school that is associated with the session. If you need one or more students to have settings that are different from those defined in the location-based configuration, you must place the student or students into a separate session and create a custom configuration for that session. Every student in a test session will use the configuration set for that session (whether the session is set to use the organization-based configuration, or set to use the custom configuration). If changes are made to the configuration, the session and the students in the session are automatically updated with those changes. Note: If changes are made to the configuration while a student is logged into TestNav, TestNav will continue to use the settings that were in effect when they logged in but it will automatically use the latest configuration on any subsequent login to the test (i.e., if the student exits and then resumes the test). Because it is possible to define multiple TestNav Settings for proctor caching computers and corresponding response file backup locations within a configuration, defining a default configuration is important. The default configuration is the one that will automatically be used by sessions that point to the configuration, unless this is changed at the session level. If there is only one set of TestNav Settings within a configuration, it is the default, but if there is more than one then you can choose which is the default: 1. Go to Test Setup > Configure TestNav. 2. Click the name of the configuration you want to view. 3. In the TestNav Settings area, you will see that one set of TestNav Settings is identified as Default TestNav Settings. To make another set of TestNav settings the default, click on the Make Default link for that other set. 18 of 26

Custom configurations can be created for specific sessions. The custom configuration will be applied to every student in the session. You can create a custom configuration for one individual student for one test session. To do so, you must move the individual student into a new, separate session and then define a custom configuration for that session. Creating an organization-based configuration: 1. Go to Test Setup > Configure TestNav. 2. Click New Configuration. Enter a name to identify the configuration, and then click Continue. 3. Select the organizations that will be associated to the configuration. Click Add Organization to view and select an organization not already listed in the table, then click Add to add one or several to the list. You can change the View By setting to view different types of organizations from which to choose. Click the icon next to Organization Name and enter your search terms in the box to search for a specific organization or narrow the list or clear the filter. Click Remove to remove an organization. A configuration must have at least one associated organization. Click Continue. 4. Enter the details for the Proctor Caching Computer, including a name/description, IP Address, and Port. The default port is 4480. 5. Refer to the Response File Backup Locations information earlier in this section for guidance on setting up the Response File Backup Locations. The Windows Response File Backup Locations will be used for any students who take a test using a Windows computer, and the Mac locations will be used for any students testing using a Mac computer. 6. Enter the path to a local or network drive or select the Use Default Location checkbox next to Primary for either Windows or Mac Response File Backup Locations, depending on whether your location resides on a Windows or Mac computer. When the Use Default Location check box is selected, TestNav will save SRFs to the Pearson folder in the user s home directory, which is a location that varies by operating system. When specifying a custom location, the use of UNC paths is not recommended (for example, \\server\volume\directory\file). Set the Secondary location in the same manner. There is no default Secondary location. 7. Click Continue to return to the Configure TestNav screen, where your new configuration now appears in the list. Creating a custom session configuration: 1. Go to Test Management > Manage Test Sessions. 2. Click the name of the session for which you want to view the configuration. 3. In the Test Session Details box, next to TestNav Settings, click Edit. 4. Choose the Custom TestNav Settings option. 5. Enter the details for the Proctor Caching Computer, including a name/description, IP Address, and Port. The default port is 4480. 19 of 26

6. Refer to the Response File Backup Locations information earlier in this section for guidance on setting up the Response File Backup Locations. The Windows Response File Backup Locations will be used for any students who take a test using a Windows computer, and the Mac locations will be used for any students testing using a Mac computer. 7. Enter the path to a local or network drive or select the Use Default Location checkbox next to Primary for either Windows or Mac Response File Backup Locations, depending on whether your location resides on a Windows or Mac computer. When the Use Default Location check box is selected, TestNav will save SRFs to the Pearson folder in the user s home directory, which is a location that varies by operating system. When specifying a custom location, the use of UNC paths is not recommended (for example, \\server\volume\directory\file). Set the Secondary location in the same manner. There is no default Secondary location. 8. Click Save and then confirm your changes to save the new custom configuration for the session. To view an existing configuration: Organization-based configurations: 1. Go to Test Setup > Configure TestNav. 2. Click the name of the configuration you want to view. Custom session configurations: 1. Go to Test Management > Manage Test Sessions. 2. Click the name of the session for which you want to view the configuration. 3. In the Test Session Details box, next to TestNav Settings, click View. To modify an existing configuration: Organization-based configurations: 1. Go to Test Setup > Configure TestNav. 2. Click the name of a configuration you want to view. 3. From here you can: Rename the configuration Add or delete organizations Edit or delete existing TestNav Settings Add new TestNav Settings Custom session configurations: 1. Go to Test Management > Manage Test Sessions. 2. Click the name of the session for which you want to view the configuration. 3. In the Test Session Details box, next to TestNav Settings, click Edit. 4. From here you can: 20 of 26

Edit existing TestNav Settings Change the session to use the organization-based configuration instead. 21 of 26

6.0 Caching Test Content To get the maximum benefit from Proctor Caching, test content should be cached so that it is locally available on the Proctor Caching computer when students begin testing. 6.1 Caching Test Content The Proctor Caching software includes functionality to enable test proctors to precache the test content to the Proctor Caching computer: click the Proctor Caching link on the Session Details screen in Test Management > Manage Test Sessions > Session Details. Before caching test content from the Session Details page: 1. Install and start the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache software. 2. Install Java version 1.5.x-1.6.x (The caching applet requires a Suncompatible Java Plug-in to run. Go to http://java.sun.com for a free download.) 3. Enable pop-ups for testnav.com. 4. Add https://testnav.com to the list of Trusted Sites in your browser. To cache test content (Proctor Caching) for a test session 1. Verify that a TestNav configuration exists (Home > Test Setup > Configure TestNav) for the organization assigned to the test session. 2. Verify that the Proctor Caching computer is turned on and the TestNav 7 Proctor Caching software is started. 3. Go to the Session Details screen for the test session you want to cache (Home > Test Management > Manage Test Sessions > Session Details). 4. Click Proctor Caching on the Session Details screen. Proctor Caching will be grayed out and you will not be able to cache the test content for the test session if you do not have access to Proctor Caching, or if the ability to proctor cache is not within the defined functionality date. 5. Review the Proctor Caching information, and then click Next. 22 of 26

6. The Proctor Caching Diagnostics screen opens in a new window. 7. To get back to Session Details screen, switch to the original window and click Return to Session Details. 6.2 Monitoring Proctor Caching You can monitor Proctor Caching activity from the Proctor Caching Diagnostics screen. This interface provides visibility to the test caching process by item in a test form (content) monitors the Proctor Caching computer connectivity (client). The Contents tab provides a high level list of the test content downloaded by test form and last cache date. The Status column indicates whether the test content was successfully cached for the test form. The number of content entries successfully cached is also displayed with the date the content was last cached. If test content is successfully cached, a green status icon displays. If test content is not successfully cached, a yellow or red icon displays. The Client List tab provides a list of all clients by name, IP address, and platform, who have recently requested test content. The Status column indicates time elapsed since the client was last active. For additional technical instructions to verify that Proctor Caching is successfully serving test content to TestNav clients see the Proctor Caching 7 Verification Quick Start document. To view the status of cached test content 1. Click Monitor Proctor Caching [Navigation: Start > All Programs > TestNav 7 Proctor Cache] 2. Click Go to Content List from the Home tab, or click on the Contents tab. 3. Click on the Test or Form name to go to the Content Details screen. 23 of 26

The Content Details screen provides the caching status of all items in the test form. Each URL represents item content, along with the number of hits, which can provide some indication of the number of students who have accessed the item. Content Status is as follows: Green OK content is successfully cached. Yellow Not Loaded content is not cached. Yellow Waiting content is waiting to be loaded. Yellow Loading content is currently loading. Red Failed to load content caching content failed. Red MD5 Check Invalid MD5 comparison failed. Red MD5 Mismatch MD5 comparison succeeded, but files did not match. 24 of 26

To view the status of content caching by computer 1. Click Monitor Proctor Caching from the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache program menu on the Start menu. 2. Click Go to Client List from the Home tab, or click on the Client List tab. 3. Click on the computer name to go to the Client Details screen. The Client Details screen provides information about an individual client that has recently requested test content. The Status field indicates client activity. Client Status is as follows: Green OK client is active. Yellow Idle - 5 to 30 minutes since client was active. Yellow Long Idle - 30 minutes to 12 hours since last activity. Clients are removed after 12 hours of inactivity. 6.3 Refreshing Downloaded Content from the Proctor Caching Computer The Proctor Caching software includes functionality to refresh downloaded content from Pearson. All test content is checked to ensure the Proctor Caching computer has the most recent version. If a newer version of test content is detected on the Pearson server, it is downloaded to the Proctor Caching computer. To refresh downloaded content 1. Click Monitor Proctor Caching from the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache program menu. 1. Click Go to Content List from the Home tab, or click on the Contents tab to access the Contents page. 2. Select the check box next to the test content you wish to refresh, and then click Refresh Downloaded Content. 3. Enter the following proctor password in the popup window: t35t1n6 4. Click Yes Update All Tests. 5. Downloaded content is refreshed. 6.4 Reloading Test Content from the Proctor Caching Computer The Proctor Caching software includes functionality to reload all cached test content from the Pearson server. All test content from the Pearson server is deleted and reloaded. To reload test content 1. Click Monitor Proctor Caching from the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache program menu. 2. Click Go to Content List from the Home tab, or click on the Contents tab to access the Contents page. 25 of 26

3. Select the check box next to the test content you wish to reload, and then click Reload Content. 4. Enter the following proctor password in the popup window: t35t1n6 5. Test content is reloaded. 6.5 Purging Test Content from the Proctor Caching Computer The Proctor Caching software includes functionality to remove all cached test content from the computer it is running on. To purge test content 1. Click Monitor Proctor Caching from the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache program menu. 2. Click Go to Content List from the Home tab, or click on the Contents tab to access the Contents page. 3. Select the check box next to the test you wish to purge, and then click Purge Content. 4. Enter the following proctor password in the popup window: t35t1n6 5. Test content is purged. Note: Test content should be purged from the Proctor Caching computer after each test administration. 6.6 Purging Client from the Proctor Caching Computer The Proctor Caching software includes functionality to purge the client list from the Proctor Caching computer. To purge client 1. Click Monitor Proctor Caching from the TestNav 7 Proctor Cache program menu. 2. Click Go to Client List from the Home tab, or click on the Client List tab to access the Client List page. 3. Select the check box next to the clients you wish to purge, and then click Purge Client. 4. Enter the following proctor password in the popup window: t35t1n6. 5. Client list is purged. 26 of 26