Informer SIS Import Setup

In this article, we’ll set up SFTP exports from the Informer SIS, to be sent to IntelliBoard via secure SFTP connection. This will require administrator access to Informer to complete.

Note: This supports the implementation of notifications through minors in association with the Leon’s Law and the North Carolina Community College System.

1. SSH key generation

2. Gathering Access Info

3. Informer Configuration

   1. Informer 5

   2. Informer 4 with SFTP

   3. Informer 4 with Script

   4. Informer 4 with FileZilla

IntelliBoard uses an SSH key for authentication and data security. RSA encryption verifies the user while encrypting data during the transfer. As an analogy, think of this process as creating a lock and a key. You will keep the “key” and send the “lock” to IntelliBoard to use on a special “file locker” that only your key will open.

This guide walks through generating a key in Windows, for instructions on creating SSH key pairs in MacOS you can follow steps 1 and 2 in this guide.

Open

1. Open Windows PowerShell

   1. Press the Windows key + S, type PowerShell, and open the app.

2. Check to make sure you are in your “home directory.” Use the command:
   cd
   This should show your own home directory, e.g. c:\Users\<YourUserName>
   If not, you may need to switch to the drive with your user directory, e.g.
   c:

3. Run the following command:
   
   

   ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

    

4. By default, the keys are saved to C:\Users\<YourUsername>\.ssh\id_rsa

   1. To save in the default location, press enter when prompted to
      “Enter file in which to save the key”

   2. Otherwise, choose where to save the files and continue
      
      Note: Two files will be generated when the command is run. One is your private key, one is the public key.

5. Enter a passphrase twice. Note: the passphrase will not display as you type. Remember this phrase, you’ll need it later!

Open

1. You should see a screen similar to the above when the keys are generated. To verify them, type:
   
   

   cd $HOME\.ssh

2. Then, type:
   
   

   dir

3. This will display where the files are saved, with their full extensions:
   
   

   Open

   

    

4. View the public key to copy it. Type:
   
   

   cat id_rsa.pub

4. The output begins with “ssh-rsa.” Copy the entire text as indicated below. This will be sent to Intelliboard.

Open

1. Open your Applications folder on the Mac

2. Within the Applications folder, open the Utilities folder

3. Launch the “Terminal” application. This will display as a black box that accepts typed commands.

4. Run the following command:

   ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

5. By default, the keys are saved to /Users/<YourUsername>/.ssh/id_rsa

6. To save in the default location, press enter when prompted to
   “Enter file in which to save the key”

7. Otherwise, choose where to save the files and continue

   Note: Two files will be generated when the command is run. One is your private key, one is the public key.

8. Enter a passphrase twice. Note: the passphrase will not display as you type. Remember this phrase, you’ll need it later!

Verify the keys:

9. You should see a screen similar to the above when the keys are generated. To verify them, type:

   cd $HOME/.ssh

10. Then, type:

    ls

11. This will display where the files are saved, with their full extensions:

     

4. View the public key to copy it. Type:

   cat id_rsa.pub

Occasionally the cat command does not work. In that case, please try using more instead, i.e.
more id_rsa.pub

4. The output begins with “ssh-rsa.” Copy the entire text as indicated below. This will be sent to Intelliboard.

Next, you’ll need to gather some information to submit to IntelliBoard as part of the SFTP connection request.

1. IntelliBoard Account ID: this just needs to be a unique identifier. If you don’t know your account number, just use the primary web address of your institution (not the address of the LMS!)

2. IntelliBoard Connection ID: This is the web address of your LMS

3. Username: Choose a username that’s unique to this service. It does not need to match any other username from IntelliBoard, your LMS, or Informer.

4. Informer Version: check the version of Informer you’re using to extract SIS data

5. Public Key: copied from the previous step

6. Course Question: Are all courses (Curriculum, Continuing Education, and Basic Skills, etc.) inside the LMS? Yes or No; If no, please provide a brief summary of the courses that are not inside your LMS.

Once you have all this together, email helpdesk@intelliboard.net or enter a service ticket directly via https://intelliboard.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portals

You should receive a response within several business days to proceed with configuration.

After you get a response from helpdesk to proceed, you will need to configure Informer to send information to the SFTP drop.

Depending on the version of Informer you’re using, the configuration steps will change. Ensure you are following the correct instructions for your version. There are several areas you will need to fill in:

Protocol: this is the standard Informer will use to communicate with IntelliBoard. SFTP, or Secure File Transfer Protocol, is an industry standard for transferring files.

Host: this is the location the file will be sent to, and is provided by IntelliBoard in this case.

Port: We use port 22222 to improve performance and for added security beyond the standard ports.

Remote Directory: This denotes the folder location where exported data will be sent. IntelliBoard automatically parses incoming data based on client, so leave this as a forward slash “/”

Username: SFTP requires a username to connect. This is the username you provided to IntelliBoard Helpdesk during the previous step.

Concurrency: the number of simultaneous data packet transmissions allowed.

Authentication Method: These control the standard by which a user’s access is authenticated, which due to the sensitive nature of SIS data, requires a stronger standard than a simple password. RSA encryption both verifies the user and encrypts data during transmission.

Passphrase: This is the private key portion of your SSH pair.

• Protocol: SFTP

• Host: sftp-us.intelliboard.net

• Port: 22222

• Remote Directory: /

• Username: your username from the previous step

• Concurrency: 1

• Authentication Method: Raw Key Text

• Passphrase: paste the text from your id_rsa file here. Include the entire text, starting with “-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----” through “-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----”

If you entered the above correctly, a window should appear with a series of green checkmarks confirming the connection was tested and works.

When this is complete, send a confirmation to helpdesk@intelliboard.net so we can complete internal configuration steps, and advise on any further actions.

The SFTP plugin is a paid add-on for Informer. If you have this plugin, navigate to the report export tab, and enter \sftp-us.intelliboard.net/ in the Output File or Folder field. Use .csv as the export format, with List One Value Per Row under multivalues.

If you do not have the SFTP plugin for Informer 4, don’t worry! A script can be created to send the data to Intelliboard.

1. Ensure OpenSSH is installed. You can check this in Settings>Apps>Optional Features>OpenSSH Client

2. Via Informer’s console, enter the following:

   1. Start-Service ssh-agent

   2. ssh-add $HOME\.ssh\id_rsa

3. Next, test the connection:

   1. ssh -T sftp-us.intelliboard.net

   2. port: 22222

   3. user: <your username>

Troubleshooting:

• If the connection fails, verify the public key is correctly added via the console.

• Ensure the SSH agent is running. You can check this by typing Get-Servce ssa-agent in the console.

If you do not have the plugin or cannot configure the script, you can use a 3rd party SFTP app to manually upload the data. While these instructions are specifically for FileZilla, they may be extended to the SFTP app of your choice.

1. Enter the necessary connection details:

   1. Server Address: sftp-us.intelliboard.net

   2. Port: 22222

   3. User ID: Username sent to helpdesk

2. In the Edit menu, go to Settings>Connection>SFTP and add your private key file.

3. In Site Manager, select Interactive Logon Type

4. You will need your passphrase whenever you connect to the server.