Basic settings

Setting a short title

You would like to define a short title in ILIAS which appears in the browser's header and on the individual tabs opened in the browser.

  1. Open the Administration and select the entry General Settings.
  2. ILIAS displays the General Settings tab with the Basic Settings sub-tab.
  3. Enter a new title in the Short title field.
    Note: If no entry is made here, the short title ILIAS will appear.
  4. Then click on the Save button.

Activating the public area

The public area function allows you to release entire areas or just individual objects in the repository for non-registered users. This also applies to central functions, such as the search. In this case, ILIAS behaves like a normal website that anyone on the internet can access. ILIAS does not have a public area by default.

You want to activate the public area.

  1. Open Administration and select the General Settings entry.
  2. ILIAS displays the General Settings tab with the Basic Settings sub-tab.
  3. Under Basic Settings, activate the Public Area checkbox.
  4. Then click on the Save button.

Using the additional options, you can

  • release the contents of personal profiles for public access on the Internet. Of course, this requires that a user releases their profile for this purpose; however, this option only appears in the profile if you have released the function globally.
  • the contents of the public area can also be released for internet search engines.
  • Such contents of the public area in which users without special permissions (e.g. with the standard role “User”) can make entries – such as in forums and wikis – can be secured by a so-called “Captcha”: Anonymous users must pass a captcha before they can post an entry when this option is used. A captcha helps you to avoid a situation in which posts from spam-bots or sabotage programs constantly appear in your public forum and you have to remove them.

Selecting a personal start page

After logging in, users are taken to the ILIAS start page. By default, this is the overview of your dashboard. However, you can also select a different page as your start page.

You would like to define an alternative start page.

  1. Open Administration and select General Settings.
  2. ILIAS displays the General Settings tab with the Basic Settings sub-tab.
  3. Now select one of the following options as your start page under Personal Start Page.
    • Overview
    • My courses and groups
    • My workspace
    • Calendar
    • Repository
    • Repository item
      Note: You need the reference ID of the respective object to define a repository object as your start page. The easiest way to find out the reference ID is to place the cursor on the title of the object and look at the URL in the browser status bar – it will include “ref_id=”. Enter the number in the field.
  4. Activate the Personalization check box if you want to give your users the option of selecting their own personal start page.
  5. Then click on the Save button.

Installation Title

Defining an installation title

You would like to define an installation title. This appears above the main navigation.

  1. Open administration and select the entry General Settings.
  2. ILIAS displays the tab General Settings with the sub-tab Basic Settings.
  3. Switch to the sub-tab Installation Title.
  4. ILIAS lists your installations in a table.
  5. Enter the desired installation heading in the Title column.
    Note: At this point, you can also enter different installation headings for other language versions. To do this, click on Add and select the desired language under Language. Enter a new installation heading for the new language version in the Title column.
  6. Then click on the Save button.

Imprint

Defining an imprint

You would like to create an imprint that can be accessed by every user and from every view in the middle of the bottom page margin.

  1. Open administration and select General Settings.
  2. ILIAS displays the General Settings tab with the Basic Settings sub-tab.
  3. Switch to the Imprint sub-tab.
  4. Click on the Edit tab to open the page editor and create an imprint.
    Note: You have largely the same options as when designing repository pages.
  5. Finally, click on the Save button.

Cron jobs

Cron jobs – introduction

A cron job is an automated process that runs regularly at certain predefined times, e.g. once a day, once a week, etc.

In ILIAS, cron jobs are used, for example, to...

  • check the validity of temporary accounts and notify those affected.
  • send notifications from forum communication, about news items in ILIAS, mail correspondence, peer feedback or booked office hours.
  • update contacts.
  • automatically delete users who have not been active for a certain number of days.
  • check the storage space quota of users and, if necessary, notify them.
  • initiate data synchronization from LDAP.
  • update the search index of the Lucene server.
  • check the validity of links.

Activating and configuring cron jobs

You want to activate and configure cron jobs.

  1. Open Administration and select General settings.
  2. ILIAS displays the General Settings tab with the Basic Settings sub-tab.
  3. Switch to the Cron Jobs tab.
  4. Here you can view certain information for the various cron jobs, activate them and configure them.
    • In the “Schedule” column, you can see the execution interval of the cron job (this can only be set for a few cron jobs via the user interface; otherwise, it can be set via the .ini file on the server).
    • The “Status” column shows whether a cron job is currently activated. In addition, the “Status info” column shows when and by whom the cron job was last activated or deactivated.
    • The “Last run” column shows when the cron job was last executed.
    • “Actions” column
      • Immediate “Run” of a cron job
      • “Activate” or “Deactivate” a cron job
      • “Edit”
  5. If you want to activate or deactivate or reset several cron jobs, activate the check-boxes in front of the corresponding cron jobs and select the desired action from the drop-down menu above or below the list.
  6. Then click on the “Execute actions” button.

Cron jobs

ILIAS provides the following cron jobs:

  • Remind users to participate in surveys: ILIAS can automatically remind invited participants to take part in a survey. You can specify when the reminder function should start, when it should stop and how often (every x days) it should be executed.
  • Check ILIAS accounts: If you activate this cron job,
    • users with a temporary account will be informed by email two weeks before it expires.
    • all accounts that have been re-registered with e-mail confirmation and have not activated their account in due time will be deleted.
  • Delete ILIAS accounts: With the help of this cron job, you can automatically delete ILIAS accounts if they are considered inactive in one way or another. ILIAS offers you the following options:

1. If you activate the cron job Delete ILIAS accounts with long-standing login, all users who have not logged in for a certain number of days will be automatically deleted on a regular basis.

2. The cron job Delete inactive ILIAS accounts automatically removes all users who have not had the status 'active' for a certain number of days.

As soon as you activate one of these cron jobs, several parameters can be set:

    • frequency with which the cron job is executed
    • number of days after which an account is deleted
    • roles to which the cron job should be restricted
  • Check external links: Two cron jobs automatically check the function of links in ILIAS learning modules or link collections:
    • The cron job Check external links automatically checks the external links used in ILIAS learning modules.
    • The cron job Check web links automatically checks link collections (“web links”).
  • Send forum notifications: If you activate this cron job, an internal ILIAS e-mail will be sent to those users who wish to be notified of new posts in certain forum topics. This can be done immediately or at certain intervals (set on the server).
  • Trigger LDAP user synchronization automatically: By default, a user of your ILIAS installation is stored in the ILIAS database, i.e. their personal data is stored in the system itself. However, there may be scenarios in which this information is managed in a central location outside of ILIAS, e.g. on an LDAP server. In such cases, the data stored in ILIAS itself is synchronized from the external system. The synchronization can take place for two different reasons:
    • when users log in (standard)
    • regularly through a cron job

If you activate this function, user-related data fields are regularly synchronized automatically from an LDAP server, even if users do not log in. Note: Even if you use an LDAP interface, not every ILIAS account necessarily has to be synchronized from there; this is determined by the so-called authentication mode of the respective ILIAS account.

  • Send mail notifications: ILIAS has an internal e-mail system. Users can decide for themselves where they want to receive e-mails: only within ILIAS or forwarded to an external e-mail address (or both). In the former case, a summary of the e-mails received within ILIAS can be sent to the external e-mail address via cron job. You can activate this function by selecting the option “Regularly via cron job” from the “Send mail notifications” menu. Please note: All ILIAS users can decide for themselves whether they want to use this notification individually! There is an option for this in the personal mail settings.
  • Update Lucene search index: If you activate this function, the Lucene search index is updated.
  • Check user quotas (“Disk Quota”): If you activate this function, a check is carried out daily to see if user disk quotas have already been exhausted. In addition, the cron job can be set up to send notifications to all active users who have exceeded their disk quota. Please read the following: Activating and configuring disk space quotas for ILIAS accounts. As soon as you activate the function, several parameters can be set:
    • A disk quota reminder message can be sent to all active users who have exceeded their disk quota. The message is sent once a day when the cron job is run. Users who have already received a reminder message will receive it every seven days as long as they exceed their disk quota.
    • In addition, it is possible to send a daily notification about exceeded disk quotas to certain users. Enter the usernames of the persons to whom ILIAS should send a daily summary of exceeded disk quotas, separated by commas, in the additional field that appears.
  • Update object statistics automatically: ILIAS administrators can access detailed access statistics for individual objects. For performance reasons, these statistics are no longer updated with every query, but only in two cases:
    • when a user explicitly requests it (default)
    • regularly via cron job
    • When you activate this function, ILIAS regularly and automatically updates the object statistics (usage intensity and number of objects).
  • Send peer feedback notifications: Since version 4.4, a function can be activated in ILIAS exercise units that draws on the opinions of other exercise participants to evaluate a submitted solution, known as “anonymous peer feedback”. Each participant can be asked to rate a certain number of other contributions using a 5-star rating system. For more information on the functionality supported, see the “ILIAS Handbook for Teachers” by Qualitus GmbH. When you activate this function, ILIAS regularly and automatically sends two different types of notifications in the context of peer feedback exercise units:
    • As soon as the editing time for the exercise unit has expired, participants are asked to give feedback to a specified number of fellow participants.
    • As soon as feedback is available for a participant, they are notified.
  • Send consultation hour notifications: ILIAS offers a consultation hour function as part of the calendar system. This allows trainers who offer consultation hours to clearly coordinate the allocation of appointments. Since version 4.4, appointment providers are now also automatically notified by ILIAS-internal e-mail when consultation hours are booked. If you activate this function, the notifications are sent regularly.
  • Offer daily email notification for messages from courses and groups: If you activate this function, course and group members have the option of receiving a daily email notification for new messages from the relevant container.

Cron jobs: Activating and configuring storage space quotas for accounts

You want to activate and configure the storage quota for ILIAS accounts.

  1. Open Administration and select General Settings.
  2. ILIAS displays the General Settings tab with the Basic Settings sub-tab.
  3. Switch to the Cron Jobs tab.
  4. Find the cron job Disk quota for repository and click on the Edit link in the Actions column.
  5. Activate the check-boxes in front of one or both of the following options:
    • The cron job “Send disk quota reminder messages” sends an e-mail to users informing them that they have exceeded their disk quota. The e-mail is sent once a day. Users who have already received a reminder message will receive it again every 7 days until their disk quota is no longer exceeded.
    • The cron job “Send disk quota summary” allows you to send a daily notification of exceeded disk quotas to specific users: In this case, enter the login names, separated by commas, of the persons to whom ILIAS should send a daily summary of exceeded disk quotas.
  6. Then click on the Save button.
  7. ILIAS will display the list of cron jobs again.
  8. Now click on the Activate link in the Actions column of the cron job Disk quota for repository.
  9. Confirm the activation.

The storage quota can then be set directly in the respective ILIAS account in the section Disk quota for repository.

Web services

Web services – introduction

ILIAS can communicate with other computers in many ways via the SOAP web service.

“SOAP is a network protocol that can be used to exchange data between systems. SOAP is regularly used where direct access to an information source in an external system does not appear to be useful. This way, (partial) access to a database can be enabled without having to allow the user program direct access."

Activating web services

You would like to activate web services for your ILIAS installation.

  1. Open Administration and select the entry General Settings.
  2. ILIAS displays the General Settings tab with the Basic Settings sub-tab.
  3. Switch to the Server tab and select the SOAP sub-tab.
  4. Activate the checkbox next to Administration via SOAP.
  5. Then click on the Save button.

Java server

Java server – introduction

A Java server can be set up on the Apache web server at the same time as ILIAS. This is necessary to operate some of the functions in ILIAS:

  • Lucene search, i.e. the search within content such as HTML learning content or.pdf files that are not stored in the ILIAS database itself (see also the chapter Configuring the Lucene search).
  • Creating Excel or PDF documents in ILIAS, e.g. certificates (see chapter Standardizing certificates) or learning progress exports.
  • Forwarding e-mails from the ILIAS mail system to external addresses.

Activating the Java server

You want to activate a Java server.

  1. Open Administration and select the General Settings entry.
  2. ILIAS displays the General Settings tab with the Basic Settings sub-tab.
  3. Switch to the Server tab and select the Java Server sub-tab.
  4. Click on Create Configuration File.
  5. Enter the following information:
    • IP address of the host (usually 127.0.0.1)
    • Port (e.g. 11111)
    • Directory for index files
    • Path and name for the log file
    • Desired log level (Debug, Info, Warn, Error, Fatal)
    • Number of threads (at least 1)
  6. Confirm your input by clicking the Download configuration file button.
  7. Copy this file to the “/Services/WebServices/RPC/lib” folder on the server.
  8. To start the Java server, execute the following command in the shell: java -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -jar ilServer.jar <PATH_TO_SERVER_INI> start &

If there is no button in the certificate settings, the service has either not been set up in the administration or/and on the server.
Note: To set up the Java server, root access to the server is required for installation.

Proxy

Proxy server – introduction

ILIAS allows you to enter the connection data for a proxy server when using a proxy server:

“A proxy is a communication interface in a network. It works as an intermediary that receives requests on one side and then uses its own address to establish a connection to the other side [...] Possible functions of a proxy: A proxy server can generally be used to place the actual server in a protected network, whereby it can only be accessed from the external network through the proxy. This is an attempt to protect the server from attacks. The proxy software is less complex and therefore offers fewer points of attack. Many proxies allow you to log connections that run through them. This enables statistical evaluations and the detection of unwanted connections."

In the ILIAS context, a proxy can be used, for example, if you use web feeds or the automatic checking of external web links.

Proxy server – Configuring the connection

You want to enter the connection data for a proxy in ILIAS.

  1. Open Administration and select the General Settings entry.
  2. ILIAS displays the General Settings tab with the Basic Settings sub-tab.
  3. Switch to the Server tab and select the Proxy sub-tab.
  4. Activate the Proxy checkbox.
  5. Enter the host address and port of the proxy server.
  6. Then click on the Save button.

Performing a system check

System check – introduction

Among other things, you can use the system check to automatically execute various repair actions for repository objects.

All repair options are always based on a system check, which is already activated by default by the “Examine” option in the “Analysis Options” section.
You can view a recording of the last system check by clicking on “Show Last Scan Log” on the right below the form. The recording of such a log is already activated by default (option “Record Examination Results” in the “Output Options” section).

Restore deleted objects

In the system check, you also have the option to restore all deleted objects from all recycle bins in the installation and move them to the “Restored Objects” folder.

  1. Select the option “Restore deleted objects”.
  2. Click on “Start!” on the right below the form.
  3. ILIAS displays the “Details of the investigation” (this may take some time depending on the size of your repository).

Note: The administration dialog “Recovered Objects” is only visible after you have performed the procedure described above for the first time.

Eliminate deleted objects

The system check also includes options for emptying all wastebaskets at once, i.e. to permanently delete all objects in them:

  1. Check the option “Eliminate deleted items”.
  2. Click on “Start!” on the right below the form.
  3. ILIAS displays the “Details of the investigation” (this may take some time, depending on how extensive your repository already is).

You can also use filter criteria to capture specific sections of the trash contents:

  • by the number of objects to be eliminated:
    In this case, the n objects whose original deletion dates back the furthest will be eliminated.
  • by the time that has passed since the deletion (“age”)
  • by the object type.

Configure cron job for system check

System check processes (or a combination of several) can also be automated by a so-called cron job (see also chapter Activating and Configuring Cron Jobs:
To do this, proceed as follows:

  1. Click “Save parameters for cron job”.
  2. In the lower section “Activating the system check in the cron job” select the option “Activated” and save.

Finding orphaned objects

In possession of an object

When a user creates an object in ILIAS, that person automatically owns the object. The username of this person is displayed in the Owned by sub-menu of the Permissions section. The entry can also be changed there.

When you own an object, you automatically have rights to it, even if they are not assigned by a role. These permissions are to see the object, to read/open it, to change settings (write permission) and to delete the object. The only permission not granted to owners is the right to change the permissions settings.

Important: Only one person can own an object at a time!

If you are in possession of an object, entering a different ILIAS login name for ownership of the object may, under certain circumstances, result in you losing all or some of the permissions to the object in question! Whether this actually happens depends on the roles you have and the rights these roles have at the corresponding point in the repository.

There are two permissions to an object that are not assigned by the status of ownership of the object:

  • Change Permissions Settings
  • Learning Progress Edit