1. Central Office Service Installation

2. Agenda Introduction System Requirements Installing Central Office
Creating COS Configuration
Managing Central Office

3. Introduction

4. Central Office Testing Site Manager
Beginning in the school year all DRC assessments will move from the TSM version 9.2 to the Central Office TSM (COT).
The COT is a powerful, integrated software that allows users to easily install, configure, and manage their online testing environment from a central location.

5. Benefits of the Central Office TSM
Feature
Description
Benefits
COT-Device Toolkit
Device configuration capabilities and caching services can be managed form a single, central location.
The COT-Device Toolkit offers a graphical, drill-down dashboard to provide easier, centralized management and control of the online test environment.
Within the COT-Device Toolkit, sites can access and manage multiple testing programs from a single Windows, Mac, or Linux computer, reducing both test device configuration and setup effort and the amount of hardware required.
Enhanced Security
An updated security framework provides additional controls for managing access.
COT Service Device uses the Portal and eDIRECT login process to provide stronger, more secure access.
Silent Installation of Service Devices
After installing a single COT Service Device, sites can run scripts to silently install additional COT Service Devices.
Silent installation streamlines and centralizes the process of Service Device configuration and allows sites to easily create a pool of COT Service Devices within a configuration.

6. Benefits of the Central Office TSM
Feature
Description
Benefits
Content Management
Sites can download just the specific test content that they need.
With a COT Service Device, sites can download just the test content for the administrations and assessments that they need, reducing download times and device storage requirements.
Content Hosting
Test content is securely served to student test devices.
For maximum security, COT Service Device encrypts all test content when it is downloaded to a COT Service Device.

7. TSM Version 9.2 vs. Central Office
Feature
COT Service Device Software
TSM 9.2
Increased retries during content download X
Content Hosting (content caching on the TSM
Response caching is available for fixed-form tests (currently, COT requires a TSM to be configured in order to perform response caching)
Enhanced content handling (cloud-based content distribution network)
Test readiness tools for load simulation
Must be configured manually to take advantage of additional system resources

8. TSM Version 9.2 vs. Central Office
Feature
COT Service Device Software
TSM 9.2
Enhanced security, including stronger device access controls with sign-on validation X
Small, medium, and large installation options based on testing site’s size and needs
Provide status information regarding content download and device-readiness
Report detailed COT Service Device status information at regular intervals to help users verify the status of test content.
A single, centralized, user interface with a dashboard for test readiness, device configuration, and content caching

9. TSM Version 9.2 vs. Central Office
Feature
COT Service Device Software
TSM 9.2
Supports multiple testing programs, eliminating the need for separate content hosting servers for each program X
Automatically scales to use the resources available in the COS Service Device
Provides option to download only the content needed for the testing site
Provides option to download content to a network share location that multiple Content Hosting services can use

10. Testing Device Requirements

11. Testing Device Specifications for 2019-2020
Devices which successfully supported statewide summative and non-summative online assessments during the school year will continue to provide students with a stable testing experience in the school year.
However, if school systems identify a need to purchase new devices, LDOE recommends districts purchase devices which meet the specifications noted below in order to ensure they will perform optimally for future assessment windows.

12. Testing Device Specifications for 2019-2020
Supported Operating Systems
Supported Hardware Devices
Screen Size
Processor
HDD Space
Memory
Resolution
Windows 8.1
Windows 10
Windows 10s
Touch and non-touch screen devices
9.5”+
Intel 6th Generation Product Family or Greater
20 GB or larger
4+ GB RAM
1024x768 or greater
Mac OSX
OS X 10.12
OS X 10.13
OS X 10.14
Non-touch screen devices only
Chrome OS
Chrome OS latest stable channel version
N/A
Apple iOS
11.X
12.X
iPAD 2017, iPAD 2018, iPAD Air and IPAD Pro: 9.7”, 10.5” and 12.5”
9.7”+
Any device that has already entered into end of life will not supported for secure testing

13. Testing Device Specifications for 2019-2020
Supported Devices
Number of Concurrent Testers
Processor
Memory
Minimum Available LAN Bandwidth
Unused Disk Space
64-bit Windows, desktop, laptop, and server devices
Up to 450
Dual-core i5 at 2.4 GHz or equivalent
4GB RAM
200 Mbps
20 GB or more
Up to 900
2x Dual-core i5 at 2.4 GHz or equivalent
400 Mbps
Over 900
4x Dual-core i5 at 2.4 GHz or equivalent
8 GB RAM
800 Mbps
64-bit MAC OS, desktop, laptop, and server devices
Up to 400
16 GB RAM

14. Installing Central Office

15. Installing COS
The installable for COS can be found in eDIRECT under the General Information Tab of eDIRECT.
The flexibility of COS allows school systems multiple deployment options for installation:
Single COS Service Device
Pool of COS Service Devices
Pool of COS Service Devices with Load Balancer Hardware Device

16. Installing COS
The chart to the right should be used when determining how to install COS.

17. How to Choose an Installation Option: Single COS Device
The Single COS Device option works best for:
Single site school systems
Home bound testing
School systems with less than 10 Gb WAN

18. How to Choose an Installation Option: Pool of COS Devices
The Pool of COS Devices option works best for:
School Systems with greater than 10 GB WAN
School Systems wishing to consolidate COS at one or more locations
School Systems testing >900 concurrent testers per COS device
School Systems who do not have an external virtual or hardware load balancer
School Systems with dedicated network staff to manage and monitor the COS server pool
The Pool is basically a free method for achieving load balancing. Schools systems who choose this option are strongly encouraged to have a technical staff who can manage and monitor the server pool

19. How to Install A Pool of COS Devices Manually
Steps to install a pool of COS Devices Manually:
During the process of creating a COS configuration, if you would like to add the COS Service Device that you are configuring to a logical pool of devices, reply Yes to the Use an existing configuration?
You can name the device to help you identify it in the COS - Device Toolkit Dashboard. The name displays anytime you view the device in COS. If you do not name the device, only the Device ID, generated by DRC, displays. Click Next when you are ready.
Start entering the name of the configuration you want to use in the Link device to existing configuration field. When you locate the configuration, select it or enter it in the Link device to existing configuration field.
The name of the configuration plus information about the configuration displays. Click Complete. A confirmation dialog box displays. Select Continue to use this configuration (Cancel to cancel the process).

20. How to Install A Pool of COS Devices Using Deployment
Steps to install a pool of COS Devices Using Deployment:
Select a configuration from the Configurations tab that has at least one location that does not use a TSM for Content Caching and select the Deployment tab.
To create a deployment configuration file for Service Devices, click Create Central Office Service Unattended Installer Scripts.
Click Save to create a configuration file or Cancel to cancel the process.
For a Windows Service Device, select the silent.cmd and silent.qs files, right‑click and select Copy To... and copy the files to the same directory where the COS installation file (coinstaller.exe) is located.
Navigate to the directory containing the files. To install COS silently for Windows, double‑click the silent.cmd file.
After the silent installation process completes, navigate to the COS Configuration tab. Click on the name of the configuration you updated to display configuration details and click the Service Devices tab. If your new Service Device is displayed, the silent installation is complete.

21. How to Choose an Installation Option:
Pool of COS Devices with a Load Balancer
The Pool of COS Devices with Load Balancer option works best for:
School Systems with greater than 10 GB WAN
School Systems wishing to consolidate COS at one or more locations
School Systems testing >900 concurrent testers per COS device
School Systems with load balancing software

22. How to Choose an Installation Option:
Pool of COS Devices with a Load Balancer
Steps to Install a Pool of COS Devices with a Load Balancer:
After you complete the Configuration wizard for the first COS device by following the normal progression of steps, open your new configuration by clicking on its name in the COS dashboard and navigate to the Content Hosting page.
From the Content Hosting page, perform steps A–E.
Set the Do you have a load balancer? toggle to Yes.
Using the Content Management Device drop‑down menu, select which pooled COS device will populate content into your shared storage location. Because you only added the first COS device to the pool, there will only be one choice. Later, you can add a different device and select it.
In the Shared Content Path field, enter the shared content path to your share content location (i.e., the network share location).
In the Load Balancer IP Address field, enter the internal IP address of your local load balancer. This IP address must be accessible from all of your testing devices.
Click Update Configuration.

23. Installing COS To install COS, follow the steps below:
Click the COS installer link to download the COS installation wizard.
After the file is downloaded, navigate to the Downloads folder and double-click on the coinstaller.exe file.
The default location for the COS software in C:\ProgramFiles\CentralOffice and the default location for COS to store downloaded content is C:\ProgramFiles\CentralOffice\content_fs:
The proxy host window displays. This window allows you to specify a separate proxy server for the COS Service Devices.
Click Install. The installation process can take minutes.
The configure service ports will appear. COS requires four port number, even if the device being configured will not use all of them. You usually can use the default port values* of 55222, 55223, 55224, and
After you select your ports, but before you click Next, click Test to verify that the ports selected are available on the device.
*Note: Depending on the security measures implemented in your school system, these ports may also need to be opened and active within other devices/settings (firewalls, DMZ) within the school network as well as the server being registered in DNS

24. Special Settings for Installing COS
Feature
Device
Description
Game Bar
Windows 10
Sites must disable the Game Bar feature on Windows 10 devices before testing, either manually or by using group policy.
Cortana
For Windows 10 devices, Cortana must be disabled for testing, either manually or by using group policy.
Microphone
iPAD
The first time sites launch INSIGHT on an iPAD, they must enable the microphone even if they are not taking a speaking test.
Keyboard
Chrome
Before students start taking a writing test using a Chrome device, the testing site must verify that the device’s keyboard configurations are correct for online testing.
Trackpad
Macbook
Before testing, sites must manually disable both Look up and Three finger drag/gestures functionality.
Timeout Settings
Mac (OS X and macOS)
For Mac computers, it is important that various timeout settings are set to work with the INSIGHT timeout value to avoid timing out during testing.

25. Creating a Central Office Services Configuration

26. Central Office Configuration
After you have installed COS you must create an initial COS configuration. See the steps below for instructions for creating a COS configuration.
Log-into eDIRECT and accept the licensing agreement.
Name your COS Service Device. If you do not name your COS Service Device DRC will generate a random Device ID.
Name the configuration and select auto update.
Select the testing program, district name, and school name.
Select Content Management and Content Hosting to Yes.
Click Complete.

27. Central Office Configuration
Once COS is installed correctly a green circle will appear on the configuration screen.

28. Central Office Configuration
If INSIGHT is not installed on the device follow the directions below to add a device to a configuration:
Install INSIGHT
Select Assign Device to ORG Unit
Enter the ORG ID and select register

29. Central Office Configuration
If INSIGHT is installed on the device follow the directions below to change a device to a COS configuration:
Log-in to eDIRECT and select
Central Office
Select the testing program and
site of your current TSM
Select the TSM name and then
Testing Devices
Select the devices you wish to move
to COS and then actions>move devices
Enter the ORG ID for your new COS and hit move.

30. Managing Central Office

31. Content Management
Use the Content Management tab to enable/disable Content Management and change the selected administration and accommodations.
Use the Content Management if the COS service used to management the delivery of the test content to each site.
At least one COS Service Device must have Content Management enabled to manage the download of test content from DRC cloud-based storage.

32. Content Hosting
Use the Content Hosting tab to enable/disable Content Hosting and to enable load balancing.
Content Hosting is the COS service used to provide content to student testing devices.
Content Hosting authenticates content requests, decrypts content, and aggregates items into forms.

33. Next Steps

34. Next Steps and Resources
Date
Action
April 1, 2019
Updated technology user guide, including COS, posted in eDIRECT.
May 1, 2019
COS downloadable available in eDIRECT.
June 30, 2019
Last day to test using TSM version 9.2.
School Year
All summative and non-summative testing will be conducted using the COS Service Devices.