Technical FAQs

Click on the question that best suits your needs.

  1. What do I need to do to set up my school labs to participate in the KCA testing?
  2. How do I know if I need to install LCS or not?
  3. What are the system requirements to install the KCA software?
  4. How do I install the KCA software on my computers?
  5. Do I need administrative privileges on my computers to install the KCA software?
  6. Where is the default location of the installed KCA software application?
  7. Where is the default location of the shortcuts for the application?
  8. Once installed, how do I run the KCA software?
  9. What is the Preferences program?
  10. Where do I find, and how do I run, the Preferences program?
  11. Does KCA support proxy servers and proxy server authentication?
  12. What are the "Troubleshoot" and "Log File" panels in the Preferences Program?
  13. Does KCA support secure Internet communication?
  14. What port needs to be open for the KCA software to work properly?
  15. When the KCA application is opened, a new update is being deployed but it always fails. Why?
  16. How can I get the KCA software updates?
  17. Can I use Window Installer-based patches to deploy KCA updates?
  18. Why am I receiving error messages while students are testing?
  19. What are the url(s) for the servers that KCA connects to?
  20. Will students, staff, and technical people have access to the Preferences program on all machines?
  21. Are configuration changes for the KCA associated with the machine or user?
  22. Are popup blockers an issue?
  23. Can we use Novell Zen Works to push the system out to the client?
  24. Can the testing module be pushed out with Group Policy?
  25. Would I be able to install the testing module on a network share, and then access it through all the computers on the network?
  26. Will current and future versions of KCA be compatible with my web browser?

LCS FAQs:

  1. What is the KCA Local Caching Server (KCA LCS)?
  2. What are the benefits of using LCS?
  3. Can I move the KCA LCS application to a different system in my school?
  4. What happens to the test data and student responses in the event of a crash of the system running KCA LCS?
  5. Will LCS run in a virtual environment?
  6. Will I need to perform backups using LCS?
  7. How many workstations can be connected to LCS? Can LCS be clustered?
  8. How often does the LCS send data to the central site?
  9. Are individual responses sent or is the whole test sent with LCS?
  10. Are responses flushed from the local server?
  11. If the LCS loses power, will students have to begin the test over?
  12. If LCS is added, but the LCS is unavailable what happens?
  13. If client machines are already set up with the KCA software, can I add the LCS?
  14. Does LCS know its user limitation, and will it then default over to another LCS?
  15. Does the monitoring graph in LCS include practice tests?
  16. Is it possible to authenticate to the LCS level?
  17. Does the LCS have to have a routable IP or be NATd to a routable IP for uploads/downloads?
  18. Should LCS be a dedicated server?
  19. Are the log files stored on the individual testing computer, or are they logged to the LCS?
  20. Is LCS a standard proxy server?
  21. Can you also test LCS with the practice tests?
  22. Can LCS be used for offline testing?
  23. What happens to the data if there is an interruption in Internet service?
  24. If the Internet provider goes offline, will the caching server still work until it is back up?
  25. Can you use one LCS for several schools? Is T-1 sufficient?
  26. What OS versions are supported for the Local Caching Server?
  27. Do I need the server edition of the OS be used (i.e 2000 pro/XP pro) for the LCS?

Answers:

  1. What do I need to do to set up my school labs to participate in KCA testing?

    There are two ways to configure your computer labs to participate in KCA testing:

    Case 1, figure 1: KCA testing on-line. This is the easiest way to configure your lab to be ready for KCA testing. In this case, all you need to do is install the KCA test delivery software on each of the computers to be used for KCA testing. The rest of the FAQs will give you more information on the system requirements and how to configure the software to work properly.

    Case 2, figure 2: KCA testing with Local Caching Server (LCS). In this scenario, you will need to install the KCA test delivery engine on each computer to be used for KCA testing (as indicated in case 1), and you will also need to install the LCS software on one of your school computers. In this scenario, each KCA end client will need to be configured to work with the LCS. See section on the Local Caching Server below to learn how to configure your lab to use the LCS.

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  2. How do I know if I need to install LCS or not?

    For many schools, the simple set up without the LCS works fine. But for some schools that have limited bandwidth and need to test a large number of students simultaneously, the LCS might be a good idea. For instance, our experience shows that a school with a T1 connection should be able to test up to 150 students simultaneously without a LCS.

    If you are not sure if you need to install the LCS, you can set up your lab without the LCS, and if your students experience some long delays while loading their tests, you can then install the LCS and configure the end clients to work with the LCS.

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  3. What are the system requirements to install the KCA software?

    Refer to system requirements.

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  4. How do I install the KCA software on my computers?

    Go to the Download Center, download the KCA software, and follow the installation instructions.

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  5. Do I need administrative privileges on my computers to install the KCA software?

    Yes. To install the KCA software on computers that support multiple users, you need to login to your computers as a user that has privileges to install new software.

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  6. Where is the default location of the installed KCA software application?

    For Windows, the default location of the installation is C:\ProgramFiles\KCA\. For Macs, the default location of the installation is the folder \Applications\KCA\.

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  7. Where is the default location of the shortcuts for the application?

    For Windows, the default location of shortcuts is Start->Programs->KCA. Another shortcut is also placed on the desktop. For MAC users, a shortcut to the application is placed on the desktop. A shortcut will also be placed in the folder \Applications\KCA\.

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  8. Once installed, how do I run the KCA software?

    In Windows, click the KCA shortcut on your desktop or use the KCA shortcut on Start->Programs->KCA on the start menu. On MAC systems, click on the KCA shortcut on the desktop or in the folder \Applications\KCA. Note that technical staff may decide to create shortcuts in different locations, in which case you need to instruct your students where to find the shortcuts in order to launch the KCA application.

    On Windows 7 and Vista you will need to launch the KCA software as the Administrator the first time after installation to ensure proper functionality of the software.

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  9. What is the Preferences program?

    The Preferences program is an application included in the installation of the KCA software. This program can be used by technical staff in your school to configure features such as the speech feature, Local Caching Server, automatic updates, proxy servers, and the use of SSL, and to troubleshoot KCA problems with installation and testing.

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  10. Where do I find, and how do I run, the Preferences program?

    For Windows users go, to Start->Programs->KansasAssessment-> Preferences. On MAC systems, go to the Preferences program located in the folder \Applications\KansasAssessment.

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  11. Does KCA support proxy servers and proxy server authentication?

    Yes. The use of proxy servers and proxy server authentication is supported by the KCA software. KCA tries to automatically detect and use the proxy setting configured on your computer. In Windows systems the proxy settings are retrieved from the Windows registry: HKEY.CURRENT_USER\\Software\ \Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\\ProxyEnable and ProxyServer. If these values are not set, you will need to manually set the proxy setting using the "Preferences" program. In Mac OSX systems, the proxy settings are retrieved from the Network manager. In most cases, you will not need to worry about proxy settings, but if you need to manually edit them, follow these steps:

    1. Locate and open the Preferences program.
    2. In the Proxy Tab check the "HTTP Proxy" box and fill in the http proxy host and proxy port (contact your system administrators to obtain this information).
    3. If you use a different proxy server for SSL communication, select the "Secure Proxy (HTTPS)" box and fill in the corresponding proxy host and proxy port (contact your system administrators to obtain this information).
    4. Click Apply or Ok.

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  12. What are the "Troubleshoot" and "Log File" panels in the Preferences Program?

    The Troubleshoot panel helps you find problems with the KCA software. There are five different tests that are run to verify if your system is ready for KCA testing. The following are the tests available and possible actions to take in case of the test failure:

    1. Writing to Local File System: KCA application writes log messages to a file in the local file system: user_home\.kca\cal-kca.log, (for instance for Windows, this is C:\Documents and Settings\user\.kca\cal-kca.log). This tests whether there are sufficient permissions for writing to this file. The failure of this test is not critical since KCA will still run, but messages will not be logged into the log file.
    2. DNS Tests:
      • Domain Name Lookup: This tests whether there are any problems with KCA software locating your DNS server.
      • KCA Domain Name Lookup: This tests whether your computer can reach the KCA central data servers by their domain name.
      • The passing of the above tests is critical for the correct operation of the KCA application. A failure indicates that there is a problem with the DNS servers at the schools and/or at the KCA servers. If you determine that this situation is not a local DNS problem, you will need to contact us.
    3. Connectivity Tests:
      • General Internet Connectivity: This tests whether the schools are able to connect to the Internet, which is essential for connecting to KCA central data center.
      • KCA Internet Connectivity: This tests whether your computer is able to connect to KCA servers.
      • The passing of the above tests is critical for KCA to operate properly.

    The Log Panel displays the contents of the KCA log file (user_home\.kca\cal-kca.log). This file can be useful when troubleshooting the application. The panel displays the last 500 lines of the log file.

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  13. Does KCA support secure Internet communication?

    Yes. KCA supports secure SSL communication. To set up computers to use SSL communication, follow these steps:

    1. Run the Preferences program as indicated previously.
    2. Select the Secure Connection tab.
    3. Check the Enable Secure Connection check box.
    4. Click Apply or Ok.
    5. Also make sure that your school network allows outgoing SSL communication on Port 443, and that your proxy server (if used) supports SSL communication.

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  14. What port needs to be open for the KCA software to work properly?

    You need to allow outgoing communication on port 80, and if you set up KCA to use SSL communication you will also need to allow outgoing communication on port 443.

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  15. When the KCA application is opened, a new update is being deployed but it always fails. Why?

    You see this problem if the current user of the computer does not have privileges to update the software.

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  16. How can I get the KCA software updates?

    KCA has an automatic update feature that checks for updates every time KCA is launched. If an update is available, it will be automatically downloaded and deployed onto your computers. However, if your computers support multiple users (Windows NT, 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, Windows 7, MAC OS X), in order for the updates to be successfully deployed, the systems must be logged in by a user with privileges to write to the folder where the KCA software was installed (refer to question 7). The default installation of KCA sets permissions so that any user of the computer can automatically download and deploy available updates by simply running the KCA application.

    It is important to mention that these default permission settings will also grant permissions to any user to delete or modify the KCA application. However, you can manually restrict the permissions of the KCA installation folder, but in order to get KCA updates when they become available, you will need to have a user with administrative privileges run the KCA application. There could also be systems or situations in which the default permission settings fail, which would restrict users without administrative privileges from getting the available updates. In this case, you have three options:

    1. Manually change permission to the KCA installation folder so that all users have permissions to download and deploy the available updates.
    2. When updates are available, have a user with administrative privileges launch the KCA application so updates are automatically deployed.
    3. Windows users can use Window Installer-based patches to automatically deploy updates using Software Installation and Active Directory Group Policy. See next question for more information..

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  17. Can I use Window Installer-based patches to deploy KCA updates?

    Yes. You also have the option of using patches for Windows Installer technology to deploy the KCA updates. When new updates are made available, a Windows Installer Patch for the update will also be made available at the Download Center. You will need to download and run the patch in your computer for the update to be deployed. Learn more about Windows Installer.

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  18. Why am I receiving error messages while students are testing?

    "Unable to connect to the central server. Please check your Internet connection. Contact your teacher or test administrator."

    "Your internet connection has been lost. Contact your teacher or test administrator to reactivate your password for this part of the test."

    "A system error has occurred. Contact your teacher or test administrator."

    "A system error has occurred. Contact your teacher or test administrator to reactivate your password for this part of the test."

    If you see one of these error messages, first check to be sure you have a proper Internet connection. If your connection is good, open your browser and test the communication to the KCA data center. If you can get to this page you can communcate with the KCA data center, then try to run KCA again and take a practice test. If you still get the same results, open the KCA Preferences program to check if the KCA proxy settings are set correctly. You can also use the Debug Panel in the Preferences program to assist you with troubleshooting the problem.

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  19. What are the url(s) for the servers that KCA connects to?

    These are the URLs that the KCA software needs to connect to:

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  20. Will students, staff, and technical people have access to the Preferences program on all machines?

    Yes. If you do not want your students/teachers to have access to the Preferences program, you can delete the shortcut to the Preferences from the programs menu. KCA also makes Transforms available that you can use with your MSI installers to customize your installation and remove the shortcut to the Preferences from the programs menu. The "Downloads" link on our main website has more information on the transforms available.

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  21. Are configuration changes for the KCA associated with the machine or user?

    Configuration is associated with the machine. The log file is associated with a specific user.

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  22. Are popup blockers an issue?

    Because KCA is a desktop application, popup blockers are not an issue.

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  23. Can we use Novell Zen Works or other software patch management systems to push the system out to the client?

    Yes. Any software patch management system that can use MSI packages can make use of KCA MSI installers to "push" installation to Windows systems, similar to the use of Active Directory and the use of Group Policy in Windows.

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  24. Can the testing module be pushed out with Group Policy?

    Yes. We provide MSI installers that can be used with Group Policy.

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  25. Would I be able to install the testing module on a network share, and then access it through all the computers on the network?

    Yes, as long as all computers have access to the shared folder.

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  26. Will current and future versions of KCA be compatible with my web browser?

    The LCS and KCA applications are native applications; they do not require IE or any other browser. The student tutorials run in a browser and there are no apparent issues with IE7 displaying the tutorials as intended.

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LCS FAQs:

  1. What is the KCA Local Caching Server (KCA LCS)?

    KCA Local Caching Server (KCA LCS) is a system that increases the testing capacity of schools by optimizing the use of the external Internet bandwidth available to the school during KCA testing.

    To start using the KCA Local Caching server, you must first install the KCA LCS software on a local school server and configure each of the KCA end clients to use the caching server. Learn more and download LCS here.

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  2. What are the benefits of using LCS?

    LCS enables efficient utilization of local school bandwidth by caching KCA test data locally.

    It also allows students to continue testing by caching their responses locally in case of any connectivity issues to KCA central servers.

    For information on whether the LCS will benefit your school, please click here.

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  3. Can I move the KCA LCS application to a different system in my school?

    Yes. Follow the steps below to move the KCA LCS to a different system

    1. Check that there are no students taking the tests using the LCS.
    2. Stop the LCS in your old system.
    3. Install the LCS in the new system.
    4. In your old system, the test data and student responses are stored in the LCS_Installation_folder / data. Copy all the contents from data folder in your old system into data folder in your new system.
    5. In your old system all the configuration files are stored in the LCS_Installation_folder / conf.
    6. Copy all the contents from conf folder in your old system into conf folder in your new system.
    7. Reconfigure the KCA testing engine to use the LCS installed in the new system.

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  4. What happens to the test data and student responses in the event of a crash of the system running KCA LCS?

    KCA LCS stores the test data and student responses in a database on the hard disk to prevent any data loss in the event of a system crash or failure. If you want to move KCA LCS to a different server follow the same instructions given above to move the KCA LCS application to a new system.

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  5. Will LCS run in a virtual environment?

    As long as the minimum system requirements are met and the clients can find the LCS through http(s) protocols, then LCS will run in a virtual environment.

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  6. Will I need to perform backups using LCS?

    No.

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  7. How many workstations can be connected to LCS? Can LCS be clustered?

    One LCS can support 1,000 simultaneous users with 1GB of RAM. If more users need to be supported you can have more than one LCS in your district.

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  8. How often does the LCS send data to the central site?

    Uploads of students' responses are done periodically during the testing sessions. (every few minutes)

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  9. Are individual responses sent or is the whole test sent with LCS?

    Student responses are clustered and transmitted in groups from the LCS to the central servers.

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  10. Are responses flushed from the local server?

    Yes, at the end of the day.

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  11. If the LCS loses power, will students have to begin the test over?

    No. Student responses are constantly saved to the LCS; if the LCS server loses power, the system will need to be restarted, and students will need to login again for their previous responses to be loaded from the LCS. Keep in mind that the student will need to retake the test from a computer that is configured to use the same LCS where his/her previous responses were saved.

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  12. If LCS is added, but the LCS is unavailable what happens?

    The client bypasses the LCS, and testing is done as if LCS was not in use. Keep in mind that if the LCS fails while students are taking a test, those students will not be able to continue the test until the LCS is repaired.

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  13. If client machines are already set up with the KCA software, can I add the LCS?

    Yes. All you need to do is configure the client KCA software to use the newly installed LCS.

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  14. Does LCS know its user limitation, and will it then default over to another LCS?

    No. All the clients configured to use a particular LCS will go to that LCS. The LCS does not have ability to redirect users to other LCSs.

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  15. Does the monitoring graph in LCS include practice tests?

    Yes. The current version of LCS does monitor practice tests.

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  16. Is it possible to authenticate to the LCS level?

    No. With the current system the student login information is validated in the central server; therefore, the LCS needs to always have access to the Internet.

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  17. Does the LCS have to have a routable IP or be NATd to a routable IP for uploads/downloads?

    Neither the KCA system nor the LCS needs to have a public IP. The only requirement is that KCA clients are able to find the LCS through internal or public IP, and that the LCS is able to communicate to the KCA central data center via http(s).

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  18. Should LCS be a dedicated server?

    Not necessarily. As long as you have 512 MB of RAM available to the LCS, you can use excess of resources for other services.

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  19. Are the log files stored on the individual testing computer, or are they logged to the LCS?

    Both. The KCA test delivery engine and LCS use their own log file. Each workstation where KCA is installed has a log file located at user_home\.kca\cete-kca.log. The server where LCS is installed has a log file located at LCS_HOME\logs\lcs.log.

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  20. Is LCS a standard proxy server?

    No. LCS is a customized caching server application developed to work exclusively with the KCA test delivery engine.

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  21. Can you also test LCS with the practice tests?

    Yes.

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  22. Can LCS be used for offline testing?

    No. LCS requires Internet connectivity to authenticate students during the login process, and it also periodically saves students' responses to the KCA data center.

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  23. What happens to the data if there is an interruption in Internet service?

    If you are using LCS, data is stored in LCS. You have a 90 minute window to log in again, and the student will start where he or she was when the connection was interrupted. After 90 minutes, the administrator can "reactivate" students and they can login again.

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  24. If the Internet provider goes offline, will the caching server still work until it is back up?

    Yes. All students currently taking a test will be able to continue and end the test and their responses will be stored in the LCS. New students will need to wait until connectivity is restored to be able to login to start their test.

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  25. Can you use one LCS for several schools? Is T-1 sufficient?

    Yes, as long as the computers in all the schools are configured to work with that LCS.

    If more than 1,000 simultaneous users are to be tested, you might want to set up more than one LCS.

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  26. What OS versions are supported for the Local Caching Server?

    Windows 2000/NT/XP/2003/Vista/7, Mac OSX 10.3.9-10.6.2, and Linux.

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  27. Do I need the server edition of the OS be used (i.e 2000 pro/XP pro) for the LCS?

    No. You can even use a desktop or laptop that satisfies the minimum system requirements.

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