Simexams.com CBT Enterprise Software Configuration

Brief: CBT Enterprise software enables you to run the server side software from your own web server. This enables complete control on your content, and branding. This article explains briefly the tasks involved in configuring and running CBT Enterprise software using your own web server.

Basically, the tasks involve both server side configuration and client side configuration. The server side component should be running LAMP or WAMP environment and the client computer used by authors should be running Windows 7 or 10. The following sections describe detailed instructions on how to install and configure various software components.

I. Server Side Component:

The Enterprise edition of the CBT software includes installing and configuring server side component. The server is preferably a web server accessible over the Internet in LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) environment. Make sure before going ahead with the CBT scripts that your PHP script on the web server is working properly, and MySQL is installed and accessible using PHP. Web Server requirements:

  • LAMP server environment (Linux, Apache,
  • PHP 7.4 or greater
  • MySQL 5.6 or MariaDB 10.1 or greater
  • Accessibility over the public Internet or Intranet (for use within org network)

II. Client Side Component:

Local system (Client computer) requirements: Any Windows 7 or 10 computer may be used to access the web server remotely and install downloaded CBT server side scripts. You need an FTP software such as FileZilla to upload the files to the web server from your client computer. You also need to have login and password handy to login to the web server using FTP. Web server control panel such as C-panel/PHPMyAdmin will be useful in confi9uring the web server database, but not essential. Further, you need to install the CBT software on the client computer and configure server path, login and password for accessing the server from client computer. This has been explained in Section II of this page.

Section I: (Server side)

Assuming that the web server is installed with PHP and MySQL, you need to upload the files, and create necessary database and tables for the software to work. Below are the steps to setup server side database. We have used C-panel server in LAMP environment in the examples that followed.

Step 1: Download and Extract
When you have purchased CBT Enterprise edition you will receive a link to author.zip file, Download the zip file to your Windows client computer and unzip it to a folder, say “author” on your computer.

Step 2: Create the Database and a User
Create a MySQL database (say “laas” ) for SimExams CBT on your Web Server, Also, create a MySQL database user by name “laas” and set all privileges for accessing and modifying it. Set password “laas@123” (Change it later after installation is found to be working alright).

Step 3 : Update config file with your server details.
Now, go back to the “author” folder that you have unzipped (on Windows computer) in step 1 and find file named “config.inc”

Enter the information of your server in the file, config.inc. Please make sure you update ONLY the values with in “”.
• MYSQL_DATABASE_NAME : The name of the database you created for SimExam CBT in Step 2, (laas).
• MYSQL_DATABASE_USERNAME : The username you created for SimExams CBT in Step 2, (laas).
• MYSQL_DATABASE_PASSWORD : The password you chose for the username in Step 2. (laas@123)
• localhost : The hostname you determined in Step 2 (usually “localhost” or 127.0.01). This is usually provided by the hosting provider.

Step 4: Upload files to server.
Now you can use FTP Client (like filezilla) to upload “author” folder to your server. Before, upload, create a folder by name “laas” in the home folder (Usually, public_html or html), and change the destination folder to “public_html/laas”.

Note: Default web folder in LAMP environment with C-panel is public_html or html. If you are using any other server control panel, please check with your hosting provider for path to home folder.

Ensure that the permissions are set to Read and Execute for all files in the folder.

Hint: You need to have an FTP client such as FileZilla installed on your Windows computer to upload the files to “public_html/laas” directory. Also, know how to use an FTP client to upload files. Set folder permission to 755

Section II (Client side)

Step 1: Download and install CBT Software.

Download the CBT software from the website and install the same on Windows 7/ Windows 10 computer. Please make sure that you are able to run the demo version. Activate the software using online using program interface.

Software download URL: https://www.simexams.com/products/computer-based-test-software.htm

Note: Select “Enterprise Edition” tab in the products pane. You need to provide valid email for downloading the software.

Step 2: Enter configuration details in SimExam CBT.
Now, that you have downloaded and installed SimExam CBT software on your Windows computer. Start the Author module using “Login As Author” button in the Windows computer.

Author module starts with login screen as shown below and it provides a “Configure” button.

To configure the database click on “Configure Database” button. You will be provided with a form as shown
below:

Following details are required to be entered.

  • Server URL : This is the location where you have uploaded the unziped simexams server side package (../public_html/laas/).
  • Database Name : This is the name of the MySQl database you have created on your server (laas).
  • User Name : This is the MySQL (or MariaDB) user who has all privileges for accessing and modifying the database (laas).
  • Password : MySQL (or MariaDB) user account password (laas@123).
  • Database Host : You should be able to get this information from your web host if “localhost” does not work.

Fill in the details and click on Submit button to complete the configuration. Once this configuration is done all the data you entered in CBT Author software will be stored on your own server.

Now, you are ready to use the server to create and deliver your own exams. For any help, please email us at cs @ swregn.com

Note: Usually the server appends username, such as “joe” to the db name. for example, joe_laas would be the db name. Check in the control panel for any extension that is automatically added to the db name, and dB user name.