Web Conferencing

Web conferencing is supported using Elluminate Live!, a virtual meetingware product that allows moderator-led internet-based elearning and collaboration with options for full duplex audio, sharing PPT presentations, instant messaging, application sharing, breakout rooms, recording sessions for later playback and more.

Interested users can contact the ITS Help Desk, its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu, 319.384.HELP(4357) or one of the collegiate contacts.

See below for information on:

Service-Related AnnouncementsReturn to of page

Users Having Problems Accessing Meetings

If you are having problems connecting to Elluminate Live meetings that you were able to connect successfully at some point and optionall using the University of Iowa's VPN allows you to successfully connect to the meeting, please try the following:

Also, if you are using Internet Explorer, please review:

Which version of Java should I use for my 64-bit Windows system?

Due to the way that certain libraries are written, Elluminate products will only function as expected with a 32 bit version of Sun Java. If you have already installed a 64 bit version, please follow the steps below to revert to a 32 bit version.
  • Open the Control Panel (Start -> Control Panel or Start -> Settings -> Control Panel)
  • Select "Add or Remove Programs"
  • Locate the “Java” in your list of currently installed programs. You will have to remove all installations of “Java”
  • Once all installations have been removed, please Restart your computer.
  • Install 32-bit Java from Sun by clicking here. Please note that Elluminate Support does not recommend running 32-bit Java alongside 64-bit Java. Our testing has shown the two products may interfere and you can expect to experience problems while running our software!

Apple, Java SE 6 Update 4
NOTE: The latest Java update from Apple, Java SE 6 Update 4, has modified the association between JNLP files and Java Web Start. A couple of examples are:
  • You may find your session opening with another application like Elluminate Publish!
  • You may find that the usual JNLP icon on your desktop is blank and the program used to open the file cannot be found.
Solution:
  • Open any Elluminate Live! session available to you such as this Elluminate Live test meeting.
  • If the JNLP file opens in anything other than an Elluminate Live! session:
    1. Save the file to your desktop with a jnlp file extension, e.g. Meeting.jnlp
    2. Right click or Control click on the JNLP file.
    3. Select "Open With -> Other".
    4. In the "Choose Application" window, browse to either "Devices" or "Macintosh HD/System/Library/CoreServices/Java Web Start.app".
    5. Check the box for "Always Open With".
    6. Click the "Open" button.

Collegiate and Departmental ContactsReturn to of page

Interested users in these campus units, please contact your Elluminate Live! support person.

College of Business  

Jeff Reuter

   jeff-reuter@uiowa.edu
College of Engineering  

Diana Harris

   diana-harris@uiowa.edu
College of Nursing  

Sampada Girish Mhatre

   sampada-mhatre@uiowa.edu
College of Medicine  

Shannon Manley

   shannon-manley@uiowa.edu
College of Pharmacy  

Barb Kelley

   barbara-kelley@uiowa.edu
College of Public Health  

Ray Bennett

   ray-bennett@uiowa.edu
Division of Continuing Education  

Ron Kral

   ronald-kral@uiowa.edu
All others units:   ITS-Help Desk   its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu

Getting Started with Elluminate Live! Return to of page

To use Elluminate Live! requires Java Web Start to be installed.

(Java Web Start is a framework developed by Sun Microsystems which allows application software for the Java Platform to be started using a web browser. For more information see Sun's Java Web Start product page.)

To ensure your workstation is configured properly, users are encouraged to follow the directions provided on Elluminate's support site.

Recommended microphones, headsets, cameras Return to of page

Audio An example: Cost Comments
Individuals GlobalMedia AMH-300 headset $25  
Medium-sized conference rooms DUET Speakerphone by Phoenix Audio Technologies $175 Main strengths: acoustic echo cancellation, line echo cancellation, noise suppression. Also, allows a person to join the audio portion of the Elluminate Live session using a standard phone.
  Note: If you find your USB microphones do not always work immediately in an Elluminate Live! Session be sure to plug-in your USB microphone or headset prior to joining the Elluminate Live! session.
 
Cameras

Elluminate Live! supports 24 Bit RGB Color, compressed video format, Direct X video support and high end cameras such as FireWire Sony Camcorders.

For a list of cameras that are known to be compatible with Elluminate Live! visit the following website,

http://www.elluminate.com/support/faqs/camera_supported.jsp

Training Materials

To learn more about Elluminate, visit Elluminate's web site and click Demo (in the middle of the home page).

Online documentation and recorded training are available on Elluminate Inc's training site where you can also register for live online training delivered using Elluminate Live!

How Do People Use Elluminate Live! Return to top of page

People use Elluminate to have meetings rather than physically gathering on campus. Some departments use Elluminate to hold meetings, training events, or conferences that include people across campus, across the country, or around the world. A faculty member used Elluminate to teach students how to use engineering software with the application sharing feature. Because those sessions were recorded, the students could view and listen to the recordings of those sessions at any time.

Holding office hours and TA help sessions is another use of Elluminate Live!. The facilitator, the instructor or TA can be at an Internet-connected computer at any location during the stated hours. Students can connect to ask questions. Questions can be typed or spoken if both people have a microphone attached to the computer. You can share an application and demonstrate how to accomplish some task the students does not understand. With the participant's agreement, you can also take control of the participant's desktop to demonstrate use of an application.

Elluminate Live! Meetings Return to top of page

Scheduled meetings and classes are available at globalcampus.uiowa.edu. Use the calendar in the upper right hand corner to locate your meeting or page through the meeting by clicking on the page numbers in the lower right hand corner. To join the meeting click on the meeting name.

Elluminate Live! Recordings Return to top of page

When you host an Elluminate meeting, you can record what happens during the meeting. People who are interested in the content but could not attend can listen to the recording and see what was shared on the whiteboard or the applications shared during that meeting.

Elluminate Live! recordings can be found at globalcampus.uiowa.edu/recordings.html. Use the calendar to find the recording you want to view.

Firewall, Proxy Settings, and SSL InformationReturn to top of page

This information is intended for firewall or network administrators in the event their users are unable to establish a connection to an Elluminate Live! session hosted by the University of Iowa. The information is based on documents found at Elluminate, Inc.'s website, http://www.elluminate.com/support/docs/.

Elluminate Live! meetings are launched when a user clicks on a link in an Internet browser or email. Clicking the link downloads a small Java Network Launching Protocol (JNLP) file containing the information necessary to connect to an Elluminate Live! session. Java Web Start launches, reads the information in the JNLP file, ensures that the proper Java Resource (JAR) files are in place, and makes the connection to the University Iowa’s Elluminate Live! server, https://globalcampus.uiowa.edu (128.255.56.213). Once this connection has been made it will remain open and transfer all communication using a proprietary protocol called the Collaborative Communication Framework (CCF) that is layered on a TCP transport protocol.

Java Web Start detects the proxy settings used by the default Internet browser on the connecting system and uses the same settings during the connection process. Java Web Start supports most proxy configuration scripts and can detect proxy settings in most environments. If Java Web Start cannot detect the proxy settings, it will prompt to specify them. In this case it will be necessary to manually configure Java Web Start’s proxy settings in order to launch Elluminate Live!. Java Web Start will also prompt for username and password should it encounter an authenticating proxy. For step-by-step instructions on how to configure Java Web Start’s proxy setting, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support/docs/ and look for a document under “Proxy Server”.

Firewall and web content filters must allow the download of both JNLP files (or content types) and JAVA application archive (JAR) files. The desktop client system must be configured to allow the download, installation, and execution of JAVA network applications. For step-by-step instructions on configuring your firewall ports to allow access to an Elluminate Live! session, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support/docs/ and look for a document under “Firewall”.

The University of Iowa’s Elluminate Live! server is configured with SSL. This means the login and management activity is all SSL encrypted (so all authentication is secure). In addition, the conference sessions (meetings) themselves are also encrypted. Port 563 is used to send encrypted/secured streams.

Please note:

  • Only authorized clients may connect to an Elluminate Live! Server.
  • The connection is always initiated from the client.
  • After connection, only the Elluminate Live! server will send data to the client.


Please ensure firewalls and proxy systems allow access to the University of Iowa host https://globalcampus.uiowa.edu and to the following IP address 128.255.56.213.

For more information, and access to a 24-hour Configuration Room which you may use to test a system’s ability to login to an Elluminate Live! session, visit Elluminate, Inc.’s web site, http://www.elluminate.com/support.

Further Questions Return to top of page

If you want to use Elluminate Live! or you have further questions, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 4-HELP (4-4357) or its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu.

 

Elluminate Participant Reference Guide


Last updated: 01/09/2009