With Kemp LoadMasters deployed in front of the Blackboard environment, server administrators can offload the SSL processing to the LoadMasters. This requires a simple configuration change on the Blackboard environment via the Administrator panel or alternatively via the command line (set bbconfig.appserver.ssl.offloaded=true). Kemp LoadMasters support the passing of the user requested host header so there is no requirment for any advanced configuration on Blackboard servers.
As the client IP address is used extensively in Blackboard for logging and access control, Kemp LoadMasters add the X-Forwarded-For header to client requests to ensure consistent and transparent processing of client connections. The LoadMaster will also implement active cookie based persisitence to ensure session affinity to the correct backend Blackboard server.
The Blackboard collaboration server is a standalone service that provides chat and virtual classroom services in a Blackboard environment. While Blackboard collaboration servers may not be deployed in clusters and load balanced, it is possible for a LoadMaster to monitor a collaboration server and redirect traffic to a standby collaboration server in the event of failure.
Visit our documentation center to access the Blackboard Learn deployment guide.