Integrate BigBlueButton with Jenzabar

01

Choose the supported integration path

BigBlueButton lists Jenzabar among integrations, but the public listing is descriptive rather than an up-to-date implementation manual. Confirm the supported connector, Jenzabar product/release and LTI version with Jenzabar before exchanging credentials.

• Exact Jenzabar product, release and hosting model.
• Written confirmation of connector/LTI support.
• Non-production tenant and named vendor escalation path.

02

Prepare BigBlueButton and credentials

Use a production BigBlueButton endpoint with a trusted TLS certificate. Keep the API shared secret or LTI secret on the server side: it is equivalent to an application credential and must never be placed in browser code, a public repository or a screenshot.

1. 1

   Confirm the BigBlueButton server is healthy and that its public hostname resolves correctly.

2. 2

   Retrieve the API URL and shared secret with sudo bbb-conf --secret, or create a dedicated LTI key and secret where the integration uses LTI.

3. 3

   Record the platform version, connector version, owner and rollback point before making the change.

sudo bbb-conf --check
sudo bbb-conf --secret

03

Configure Jenzabar

Make the first connection in a staging course, workspace or tenant. Use a dedicated test teacher and test learner so role mapping can be observed rather than inferred from an administrator account.

1. 1

   Ask Jenzabar support to identify the supported external-tool registration workflow for your release.

2. 2

   If LTI is supported, deploy and independently test the BBB LTI endpoint.

3. 3

   Register a dedicated key/secret with the smallest available scope.

4. 4

   Place the tool in one pilot course or portal context and document every mapped role.

04

Run an end-to-end acceptance test

A green “connection successful” message proves only that one API request worked. The useful test follows the complete classroom lifecycle from creation through recording publication.

1. 1

   Test faculty, student, advisor and unaffiliated identities as applicable.

2. 2

   Verify room ownership and access after course rollover.

3. 3

   Exercise recording publication and retention.

4. 4

   Complete a vendor-supported upgrade rehearsal before broad deployment.

05

Common problems and practical fixes

Start with timestamps, browser developer tools and the logs on both sides. Repeatedly replacing secrets rarely fixes a hostname, TLS, role or callback problem and makes the evidence harder to follow.

• Do not copy instructions from a different Jenzabar product family.
• A marketplace listing is not proof of current version compatibility.
• Escalate launch-signature errors with sanitized timestamps and request parameters, never the secret.

06

Production hardening and upgrades

Restrict who can create rooms, define recording retention, test accessibility and document the integration owner. Pin or approve connector updates, subscribe to upstream releases and repeat the acceptance test after changes to the LMS, connector, BigBlueButton or reverse proxy.

• Do not expose the BigBlueButton shared secret to course authors or client-side JavaScript.
• Use least-privilege teacher roles and test guest, suspended and unenrolled users.
• Monitor API errors, failed joins, recording processing and disk growth.
• Keep a short rollback runbook: previous package, configuration backup and maintenance window.