EchoSystem 5.5 Service Pack 1 (5.5.2015-12-01.x) Release Notes
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Introduction
This document covers EchoSystem 5.5, Service Pack 1 (5.5.2015-12-01.x).
Services version is:
5.5.548938284
EchoSystem 5.5 Service Pack 1 is an update to the release of the EchoSystem version 5.5 and addresses the issues listed in the Fixed Included section below.
You can refer to this version as "EchoSystem 5.5 Service Pack 1" when working with Echo360 Support.
32-bit Installers
Please be aware that as of EchoSystem 5.5 Service Pack 1, we will no longer be providing installers for 32-bit Linux systems. All ESS installers will now be 64-bit.
New Features and Updated Support
Echo360 PRO
The EchoSystem 5.5 Service Pack 1 release includes support for our new classroom device, the Echo360 PRO. The PRO is our newest & most reliable hardware capture device yet and can be used to capture the collaborative learning moments that occur in a classroom environment. It is a multi-channel device and supports capturing a wide array of analog and digital input sources on each channel. The PRO supersedes SCHD as Echo360's flagship hardware capture solution. For more information on this device, please see Echo360 PRO.
Updated Technology Support
ESS: Java 8
- MSSQL 2014
- Wowza 4.2 (for External configurations only)
Increased capture reliability
The EchoSystem Service Pack 1 release includes increased capture reliability in the event of an interrupted capture. Previously, if there was an interruption to the capturing process due to power loss, user logout, etc. (meaning that the capture was then resumed) the echo that was created within the ESS was only one part of the capture (usually what was captured prior to the interruption). We have enhanced our software so that our classroom devices will now upload all parts of the capture to the server. For example, let's look at the following scenario involving an instructor using Classroom Capture:
- The instructor logs in to the computer in preparation for a scheduled class from 9:00 am to 11:00 am that's titled, "Time-independent Perturbation Theory"
- The instructor is accidentally logged out of the ongoing capture at 9:45 am by a TA
- The instructor logs back in and the capture automatically resumes at 9:48 am
Increased performance and reliability of Migration functionality
With this release of the EchoSystem, we have greatly increased the performance of the Migration functionality for processing times 3x-5x faster than our GA release. We have also removed the additional library requirements for Linux Media Processors and extended support of the Migration functionality to include Windows Media Processors as well.
Service Pack Installation Notes
Traditional Publishing
Please be aware that as of the initial release of EchoSystem 5.5, we no longer support publishing methods other than LTI-based publishing. Prior to upgrading your ESS, you will need to upgrade to LTI. For more information please see LTI-Based Publishing or, as always, feel free to contact us! Traditional publishing methods, such as Blackboard Building Blocks, will no longer function after upgrading to this version. We have resolved this issue in Service Packs 2 and 3.
Please follow the steps below when upgrading to EchoSystem 5.5 Service Pack 1.
- Run the EchoSystem 5.5 Service Pack 1 installer.
- Wait for all of your classroom devices (Classroom Capture, SafeCapture HD) to upgrade completely.
- Restart the EchoSystem Server.
Service Pack 1 provides important fixes to EchoSystem 5.5. Please note the following:
- If you have already upgraded to 5.5, you should install this Service Pack in order to address any issues encountered with this installation.
- If you are installing or newly upgrading to EchoSystem 5.5, be sure you are using this latest Service Pack version of the installer.
In addition to the fixes listed in the next section, you are strongly encouraged to read EchoSystem 5.5 Release Notes. EchoSystem 5.5 Service Pack 1 includes all of the features and fixes from the original GA release, and earlier.
Fixes and Enhancements Included in Service Pack 1
The following issues, listed by Issue ID, have been addressed:
Issue ID | Description | Affected Component |
|---|---|---|
| ECHO-10646 | Resolved an issue where echoes that had been downloaded from EchoCenter were not playing back at the proper quality level. | offline EchoPlayer (downloaded echoes) |
| ECHO-10920 | Resolved an issue where the API was returning 404 Errors when attempting to Get Devices for Buildings. | API |
| ECHO-10998 | Resolved an issue for Academic Staff users where the Section selection list was not filtering properly when attempting to upload external media. | EMI |
| ECHO-11457 | Resolved an issue where EchoCenter pages were occasionally loading a blank page (showing no echoes). | EchoCenter |
| ECHO-11649 | Resolved an issue where, on upgrade, echoes were occasionally unable to be played due to player corruption. | EchoPlayer |
| ECHO-18943 | Resolved an issue where Input Missing alerts were being sent out erroneously. | ESS Alerts |
| ECHO-23983 | Removed the requirement to install 3rd party libraries for the Linux Media Processor (Xvfb and OpenGL) to ease the installation/upgrade process. | Linux Media Processor |
| ECHO-23983 | Updated the Windows Media Processor to allow for the use of the Migration Tool. | Windows Media Processor |
| ECHO-23989 | Resolved an issue where Users attempting to migrate more than one Instructor per Section to the active learning platform were not able to do so. | ESS -> active learning platform Migration |
ECHO-16303 | Made enhancements to extend the schedule API to allow retrieval of existing Security Module Name and UUID information. For more information, please see API Documentation. 1. HTTP GET <ESS URL>/ess/scheduleapi/v1/security-modules 2. HTTP GET <ESS URL>/ess/scheduleapi/v1/security-modules/<Security Module ID> | API |
| ECHO-12551 | We now provide the ability to Move echoes from one Section to another. | ESS |
| ECHO-11117 | Removed the requirement to enable read committed transaction isolation levels if using a MySQL database to ease the installation/upgrade process. | MySQL |
| ECHO-11125 | Resolved an issue where the 1080p LIVE profile at a Standard (4:3) aspect ratio was producing a 960x724 capture at 15fps rather than the expected 24fps. | 1080p Live Only Product Group |
| ECHO-24844 | Improved Documentation surrounding potential issues in Mac PCAP when using Macs with Retina Displays. Please see Personal Capture For Mac. | Mac PCAP |
ECHO-13465 | Closed Captioning and transcript data can now be migrated to the active learning platform. | ESS -> active learning platform Migration |
Known Issues
Besides the issues listed below, you may also want to refer to the Known Issues and Workarounds listed for the original 5.5 release as well as the Known Limitations section of the Migration Guide.
Issue ID | Who is Affected? | Affected Component | Issue Description | What to do? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECHO-29315 | Users and Students attempting to play Downloaded Echoes. | Downloaded content. | Users attempting to playback a downloaded Echo may see the following error message:
This is due to a security update in the latest flash versions, which is blocking the .xml file from loading on localhost when launched in a browser. | In order to playback an Echo that has been downloaded, a standalone flash player is needed.
|
ECHO-29886 | Customers attempting to update user accounts via CSV upload. | Email addresses and CSVimports | Unfortunately, email addresses associated with user accounts cannot be updated/edited via CSV import. | Use the ESS UI to edit the email address for the user in question instead. |
| US-11417 | Users relying on accurate information for elapsed processing times. | ESS Monitor > Summary Page | In situations where jobs are processed back-to-back, the Elapsed column on the Monitor >Summary page will report incorrect values. | We are working towards a permanent solution for this issue. In the meantime, please note that the times listed may not be accurate. |
| US-15491 | Users attempting to log in to the Ad Hoc UI through Internet Explorer 11 using Windows 8.1 | Ad Hoc Web Interface | In situations when users are attempting to log in to the Ad Hoc UI via Internet Explorer 11 with instructor or admin credentials, the Ad Hoc UI will fail to load. | Please follow these steps to resolve this issue (or use Chrome or Firefox):
You can also find more detail regarding these steps under "Add or remove a site from a security zone" on the following Windows page:http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/ie-security-privacy-settings#ie=ie-11 |
| US-12731 | Users planning on upgrading their ESS to this version. | EchoPlayer | After an EchoSystem Server upgrade, it's possible your EchoPlayer assets may not update properly which can impede content playback following the upgrade. | If you encounter any content playback issues, please contact Echo360 support immediately for a timely resolution. We are actively developing a fix that will prevent this problem in future releases of the EchoSystem Server. |
| US-15139 | Users attempting to monitor or use Classroom Capture via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). | Classroom Capture | In situations where a user logs into a Classroom Capture PC via the RDP, it's possible to overwrite the default Windows audio device. When that happens, the setting can 'stick' and potentially cause failed captures. | Please follow the documented workaround here under Remote Desktop Control. |
| ECHO-24089 | Users attempting to 'view' audio-only captures for Sections that have Downloads disabled. | EchoCenter | In situations where users are attempting to 'view' audio-only captures they will receive the message, "This Echo is not being made available at this time.". | If you would like users to be able to 'view' audio-only captures within EchoCenter, please enable Downloads for the Section. |
| For additional information on the currently known limitations regarding ESS to active learning platform Migrations, please see the Known Limitations list as well as the Pre-Migration Checklist within the Migration Guide. | ||||
Hotfixes Available
Please contact Customer Support in order to apply a Hotfix. The following issues, listed by Hotfix number, have been addressed:
| Hotfix Number | Issue IDs | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5.549178936 | ECHO-25016 | SCHDs can stop communication with the ESS when a user started a monitoring session. This only occurs in situations where a user had already done an ad hoc capture following a client worker restart. |
Contacting Support
Echo360 Customer Support is always willing to help and it's easy to contact us!