Centre for Open Learning Moves to Cloud Solution

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The University’s Information Services (IS) recently supported the Centre for Open Learning (COL) with transitioning their software from local servers to the CLASS cloud solution.

The COL is home to Short Courses, English Language Education, International Foundation Programme, Summer School, Winter School and Access programme at the University of Edinburgh. The COL utilises the third-party CLASS product to manage many programmes such as English language placements, application processing and payments.

To keep up to date with future releases of the CLASS product the IS team helped migrate the current CLASS installation to the CLASS Cloud solution. This move is the first step in the preferred transition process to CLASS Web, which is a Software as a Service (SaaS) hosted product.

This process involved working with CLASS to identify and complete migration prerequisites, coordinating with COL Technology Support for desktop and environment preparation and running user acceptance testing of the cloud environment.

Further, the project confronted challenges presented from working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was put on hold at the start of lockdown until users returned to the office. As it became clear that this would not be possible the project was restarted and successfully migrated despite the extra challenges of working from home.  

With the move from Windows Server 2008 to the CLASS Cloud the COL software is now operating on supported infrastructure, better prepared for an upgrade to the CLASS Web SaaS solution, and receiving better ongoing application support. The current functionality, response times and service availability continue to operate without disruption.