You may archive your Blackboard (Bb)Vista class (create a backup) and save the archive to your computer to ensure that you have a copy for future use, or in the remote chance of a serious Bb Vista outage or data loss. We recommend that you archive your course before the beginning of the term (once you have completed designing it), and again at the end of the term (once all changes have been made).
Please understand that there is no guarantee that the course backup can be restored in the future due to updated versions or a new course management system. You should always maintain a copy of the original content (files, exam and assignment questions, and other supporting materials) on your computer.
Create an Archive
Go to your class in Bb Vista (http://vista.nau.edu):
From the Build or Teach tab in your Bb Vista course select Manage Course.
Select Backup.s
You will see any previous backups you have created. To create a new archive, select Back Up Course.
Your backup will begin; the amount of time it will take depends on the amount of content and data in the course. Select OK.
When the backup is complete, it will be saved within the Bb Vista course, but we also recommend that you save it as a file on your own computer. This is a two-step process: first, you must save it as a file, then you must download it to your computer.
To save the backup as a file, use the ActionLink of the backup and select Save as File.
You will then be asked to choose where to save the file. You may save it in either My Files or Class Files. The default file name will include the full course title, as well as the date and time the backup was created. You may change this filename if you wish, but be sure to leave the file extension .bak at the end. You may also choose whether or not to include tracking data. We do not recommend you do this, as it will significantly increase the file size, and is not useful for archiving purposes. If you do not wish to include tracking data, uncheck the Tracking data checkbox.
Once the Save as File action is complete, you should download the file to your computer. From the Build tab in your course, choose File Manager.
In the File Manager, navigate to the location where you saved the backup file (My Files or Class Files). You will see the backup file that you created. Use the file’s ActionLink and select Download.
If prompted whether to Open or Save the file, choose Save to Disk. If prompted, decide where on your computer to save the file, and select Save or OK.
After downloading the archive, you may even want to copy the file to another computer or save it on a CD to add even more protection. You may then delete the file from your Bb Vista File Manager if you wish (the online backup will still be available from Manage Course > Backup).
