BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

by Ralf Krause -
Number of replies: 8
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Hi,

I tried to update Moodle 3.11.6+ with the latest version of mod_bigbluebutton up to Moodle 4.0. Updating the database stopped at the plugin mod_BigBlueButton with a red exception. The bigbluebuttonbn table bigbluebuttonbn_recordings does not contain recording. 

My solution for this issue was to deinstall BigBlueButton from the plugin page ../admin/plugins.php. But with this solution I lost all my BigBlueButton instances from different Moodle cources. 

Is there another idea for a netter solution? Is this an error in all updated Moodle Platform?

Best regards, Ralf

Average of ratings: Useful (2)
In reply to Ralf Krause

Re: BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

by Brian Schmidt -
We're watching this topic as well, since we've been using BBB for several years via the plugin. My assumption is that the plugin would go, if it's integrated with core, but what does that mean then for all of our customized language settings, defaults, recordings, etc. Until we know more, we won't be able to upgrade our 3.11.x to 4.0 either.
Average of ratings: Useful (1)
In reply to Ralf Krause

Re: BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

by Dashamir Hoxha -
Based on the instructions here: https://docs.moodle.org/400/en/Upgrading#Check_for_plugin_updates

> If an out-of-date plugin causes your upgrade to fail, you can usually delete the plugin code rather than uninstalling it from within Moodle so that the data associated with it is not deleted.

I removed the directory mod/bigbluebuttonbn. Then the upgrade was completed without errors. Of course the BBB classes were lost, but this was not a big problem for me.
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In reply to Dashamir Hoxha

Re: BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

by Brian Schmidt -
I have a ticket opened with Blindside Networks (our BBB provider), asking for guidance on how to proceed. Since we've been using BBB for several years, and have many hours of recordings, we need to still have those resources available after upgrading Moodle. I'm hoping there will be some way to link the activities. Otherwise, this presents a large problem for us.
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In reply to Brian Schmidt

Re: BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

by Davor Budimir -
Hi Brian, did you receive a response from Blindside regarding this issue? What do they say how to proceed?
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In reply to Davor Budimir

Re: BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

by Brian Schmidt -
So far, I haven't received any additional info. The initial response from support was that they will get back to us on it. That was on April 29. When checking in with our account rep last week, I mentioned it and he said that support would be in touch with us soon. I am still awaiting the response. I would've assumed that there would be a migration path established from the beginning, since it's not like this is an outlier situation. But now I'm wondering if that's not the case. Pure speculation on my part, though.
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In reply to Brian Schmidt

Re: BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

by Ralf Krause -
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The problem is still a problem. I can't update any platform from Moodle 3.11.8 with the install BigBlueButton plugin 2.4.7 (2019101014). I get the same error message for mod_bigbluebuttonbn
Field "recording" does not exist in table "bigbluebuttonbn_recordings". Yes, it's a blocker.

When you uninstall the third party plugin mod_bigbluebuttonbn in Moodle 3.11.8 your upgrade to Moodle 4.0.2 runs fine. But when you uninstall the plugin then all instances of BigBlueButton and all recordings are lost. It's not a good idea to do this in a learning platform with a lot of teachers and students who were using a lot of BigBlueButton conferences and recordings. They don't want to loose everything.

I opened an issue https://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-75199 and I hope to get a solution.
Average of ratings: Useful (4)
In reply to Ralf Krause

Re: BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

by Brian Schmidt -
Thanks for the info, Ralf - I am following that issue you've created now as well. We have not yet migrated to 4.0.x, since we have another add-in that has yet to be updated that we're waiting on as well.
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In reply to Ralf Krause

Ri: BigBlueButton is a blocker for update to 4.0

by Sergio Rabellino -
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Are you sure about the text of the error message?
I can't find such error in the code. Which version of bigbluebuttonbn is installed in your moodle 3.11.x ? This can be useful to understand which jump is needed from your installation to Moodle4.

Anyway, removing the third-party plugin code, is enough to get you moodle upgraded, but bigbluebutton in Moodle 4 is not a third party plugin anymore, so I think that removing it is not a good solution.

Obviously, removing (not uninstalling) a module code, do not erase the corresponding content, if you move back the module code, the specific upgrade will be executed again, but usually without disrupting anything else (if the plugin/module is not a theme one...)

HTH
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