My presentation to iMoot 2014 (similar to one I gave at MoodleMaharaMoot Leipzig 2014) about how we host Moodle at the Open University, UK.

1. Hosting Moodle at the OU
Tim Hunt, Leading Technical Developer
iMoot 2014

2. Outline
1. Moodle at the OU
2. Servers
3. Development
4. Configuration

3. 1. Moodle at the OU

4. We have lots of Moodles
• learn2 – the main VLE for module web sites
• learn4 – programme / qualification web sites
• learn1 – student resource websites
• learn3 – staff resource websites
• learn5 – The OpenScience Laboratory
• learn6 – online exams (pilot)
• OpenLearn – open courseware
• OpenLearn Works – collaborative open courseware

5. OU VLE

6. People
• Host systems (servers) team in IT
• Development team in IT
• Requirements/project management team in LTS
• Moodle administration team in LTS
• Academic and admin staff in faculties
• Associate lecturers (tutors)
• Students

7. Typical load
• 450 open web sites
• 150 000 student enrolments
• 50 roles
Each day
• 1 250 000 page-views
• 50 000 unique students
• 20 000 forum posts 6 500 000 total
• 2 000 quiz attempts 700 000 total

8. 2. Servers

9. Server architecture – main VLE

10. Test servers
For the VLE
• learn2
• learn2-acct
• learn2upg
• learn2lt
For most other systems
• learnN
• learnN-acct

11. Load testing
• Simulated load using JMeter
–Course page view
–Resource view
–Forum view
–Forum post
• 6 VMs used to generate the load
• Compare releases. Try not to get slower.
http://tjhunt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/load-testing-moodle-262-at-ou.html

12. Server monitoring

13. 3. Development

14. Release schedule
4 releases per year, March, June, September & December
June 2014
• 28th January: Development started
• 29th January: Moodle 2.6.1 code merged
• Early Feb: 211 add-ons tested for compatibility
• 12th March: Moodle 2.6.2 code merged
• 29th April: code freeze – September work starts
• 3rd June: release

15. Code management
• development branch ouvle based on v2.6.1
• features developed on topic branches wip1234
• stable branches OUVLE_419 for each release
Minor release:
• git merge v2.6.2
• cherry-pick security fixes to stable branch
http://tjhunt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/
moving-ou-moodle-code-to-moodle-261.html

16. Code management
• Major release:
git checkout -b helper_branch v2.6.1
git merge –s ours v2.5.4
git checkout ouvle
git merge –X patience helper_branch
then fix conflicts

17. Testing
• Two human testers
–test new features before merge
–regression testing before release
• We use PHPUnit http://docs.moodle.org/dev/PHPUnit
• Don’t use Behat yet http://docs.moodle.org/dev/Behat

18. 4. Moodle configuration

19. Configuration
• Memcached for sessions
• Turn of filtered text caching
–but custom glossary filter

20. Moodle configuration - MUC

21. Moodle configuration - MUC

22. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SS
9000J_(72ch)_@_The_Cutting_R
Recording_Studios,_NYC.jpg

23. mdl_log table
CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW mdl_log AS (
SELECT * FROM mdl_log_2014_02_12
UNION ALL
SELECT * FROM mdl_log_2014_02_05
UNION ALL
SELECT * FROM mdl_log_2014_01_01
);
CREATE OR REPLACE RULE mdl_log_delete AS ON DELETE TO mdl_log DO INSTEAD
NOTHING;
CREATE OR REPLACE RULE mdl_log_insert AS ON INSERT TO mdl_log DO INSTEAD
INSERT INTO mdl_log_2014_02_12
(time, userid, ip, course, module, cmid, action, url, info)
VALUES (new.time, new.userid, new.ip, new.course, new.module, new.cmid,
new.action, new.url, new.info);
https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=243531

24. Summary

25. Outline
1. Moodle at the OU
2. Servers
3. Development
4. Configuration
Questions please!
https://learn5.open.ac.uk/ – The OpenScience Laboratory
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/ – OpenLearn