[LON-CAPA-users] Password protection, cacheing
Stuart Raeburn
lon-capa-users@mail.lon-capa.org
Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:50:47 -0400
Mark,
> * is there any way to have a password-protected set of resources
> without using slots?
> Basically protected by a proctor password?
>
It depends on what type of resources these are.
The portfolio provides the ability to limit access by password.
However, this can only be used for files uploaded to the portfolio
(i.e., not resources in the shared LON-CAPA repository), and access
would not be restricted to a course. Parameter setting is not
available for items in the portfolio.
The portfolio could be an individual's portfolio or could be a
portfolio for a group created in the course.
However, if these resources are to be published LON-CAPA problems then
the portfolio is not a solution and you would need to use an
instructor-assigned slot to assign access controlled by proctor (and
password). A "proctor" user could be enrolled in the course for this
purpose.
> Is the cacheing of parameters still at the 10 min level?
> Are the parameters cached at the process (http child) level or at
> the machine > level? ie., if a teacher wanted to open a quiz for a
> student "now", would it > work if they did it on the same machine?
>
Caching of parameters is for 10 minutes, and uses memcache, so the
cache is specific to the machine not the httpd child. When a parameter
is stored either lonnet::devalidatecourseresdata() or
lonnet::devalidateuserresdata() is called (depending on the scope of
the parameter). This will expire cached courseres or userres values
for the specific course or user on the machine on which the change is
made, but would have no impact on cached values on other servers
(hence the warning about a possible 10 minutes for propagation of
changes).
A student on the _same_ machine would see the parameter change
immediately, e.g., opening a quiz for a student now, after reloading
the page.
Stuart Raeburn
>
> Thanks!
> Mark
>
> --
> Mark Lucas email: lucasm@ohiou.edu
> 252D Clippinger Lab phone: (740)597-2984
> Department of Physics and Astronomy fax: (740)593-0433
> Ohio University
> Athens, OH 45701