This document describes
the current system requirements for the DRC INSIGHT Online Learning System,
including student-testing devices and Central Office Services (COS) Service Devices.
These requirements cover the following items:
|
o Hardware devices o Accessories and peripherals o Operating systems and levels |
o Processor, disk space, and memory o Screen size and resolution o Certain testing accommodations |
DRC aggressively seeks out, validates, and adopts new
technology to offer the best testing solutions to our customers while keeping
pace with constantly changing and evolving technology standards. In general,
DRC software applications offer Best Effort Support of new versions of a
supported operating system within one month of public availability of the new
version and Full Support within three months of public availability of the new
version, or by the next release date of the DRC application, whichever duration
is greater.
Current Update: June 27, 2019
Next Update: October 2019
DRC INSIGHT Supported System Requirements
UPDATE:
Support Starting and Ending
DRC INSIGHT Testing Device Requirements
Additional DRC INSIGHT Device Specifications
DRC COS Service Device Requirements
DRC INSIGHT Network Requirements
DRC INSIGHT Software: Supported Operating System Levels
and Support Timeline
Chrome
OS Support and Chrome Devices
The following is a quick
overview of upcoming changes to the hardware and software supported for DRC
INSIGHT and COS Service Devices. For details, see the appropriate section of
this document.
IMPORTANT: Testing Site Manager (TSM)
Downloads Ended in May and TSM Support Ends by the End of August
As of May 2019, TSM
software downloads were removed from the DRC INSIGHT Portal. In addition, all
support for the TSM software ends by the end of August 2019. All sites that
plan to test by or after the summer of 2019 should be installing and
configuring the Central Office Services (COS) software and replacing TSMs
with COS Service Devices. Note that a Service Device can support more testers
than a TSM device can, so fewer COS Service Devices are required for testing. IMPORTANT: Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008
Support Is Extended Through the 2019–2020 Testing Season
Microsoft ended mainstream
support for Windows 7 in January of 2015 and switched to extended support. In
January of 2020, Microsoft is planning to end extended support for Windows 7,
as well as support for Windows Server 2008. DRC will continue to
support both Windows 7 software and Windows Server 2008 software throughout
the 2019–2020 school year. |
|
Device Support BeginningDRC does not list specific
supported devices for Windows and Chrome OS. DRC will support devices
(including touch‑screen devices) that meet the minimum system
requirements. |
Device Support Ending or EndedPlease
note that with the addition of iOS 12 and iPadOS as supported OS levels, the minimum level
of memory required for iPads used as testing devices has been increased to 2 GB RAM (see DRC INSIGHT Testing Device Requirements). |
Software Support BeginningiPadOS (anticipated fall of 2019) On June 3, 2019, at their Worldwide
Developers Conference, Apple announced the launch of their new operating
system, iPadOS. Apple plans to have this operating
system, designed specifically for iPads, available in the fall of 2019.
Although Apple did not provide details during the conference, it is expected
that the first release of iPadOS will have most of
the features of iOS 12. In the future, the current iOS operating system will
be dedicated to iPhones and iPods. In the interim, DRC will work actively with
Apple to determine any impacts iPadOS may have on
the DRC INSIGHT Secure App for the iPad, as well as which iPad models iPadOS will support and how DRC will handle this change.
We will provide more detailed information as soon as it is available. |
Software Support Ending
Mac OS X 10.11 (July 2019) Ubuntu 14.04 (July 2019) iOS 11.x (July 2019) |
Throughout this document, the Minimum level of requirements represents a low compliance threshold. DRC advises using the Recommended level or above. The Recommended level is required for testing with accommodations such as Human Voice Audio (HVA), Text-To-Speech (TTS), and Video Sign Language (VSL).
Typically, when a
hardware vendor, such as Dell or Lenovo, discontinues a hardware device, the
software vendor that provides the operating system support for that device
continues supporting the device for a period of time. Therefore, for any device
that DRC adds to its fully supported device list, DRC will continue to support
the device until the software vendor officially discontinues support for the
device.
DRC’s approach is to
test and certify our software on the devices most commonly used in the
classroom. As a result of its testing, DRC groups devices into the three categories
described in the table below.
|
Device
Category |
Description |
|
Fully Supported |
DRC has evaluated and
tested the device. It is suitable for testing with DRC INSIGHT and COS Service
Devices.* |
|
Not Suitable for Online Testing |
DRC has evaluated and
tested the device. For various reasons, it is unacceptable for testing with
DRC INSIGHT and/or COS Service Devices. |
|
Other |
Any device that does not
fit into the other categories falls into this category. DRC has neither
evaluated nor tested the device—it may or may not be suitable for testing
with DRC INSIGHT and/or COS Service Devices. Device manufacturers use
different methods to implement touch-enabled screens for their devices, with
the technology evolving over time. DRC typically tests DRC INSIGHT with touch
devices made by the most common manufacturers for educational settings.
Generally speaking, DRC INSIGHT will operate effectively on similar
touch-screen models and DRC will provide best effort support for these models. |
|
*Certain devices, such as iPad devices or
Chrome devices, can be used for DRC INSIGHT, but not for COS Service Devices. |
|
The table below indicates
the current DRC INSIGHT testing device requirements, as well as the testing devices
that DRC fully supports and the devices that are known to be unsuitable for
online testing.
|
Fully Supported Devices |
Processor |
Available Memory |
Unused Disk Space |
Screen Size |
Resolution |
|
Windows Both touch‑screen
and non‑touch‑screen devices that meet the requirements in this
table |
Minimum Intel
4th Generation Core i3 4005U (or equivalent) Intel
5th Generation Celeron N3050 (or equivalent) Recommended Intel
6th generation product family or greater (or equivalent) |
Minimum 2 GB RAM Recommended 4 GB RAM |
Minimum 10 GB Recommended 20 GB or
more |
Minimum 9.5” |
Minimum 1024 x
768 |
|
Mac (OS X and macOS) and Linux Non‑touch‑screen
devices only |
|||||
|
Chrome OS Both touch‑screen
and non‑touch‑screen devices that meet the requirements in this
table |
Minimum Intel 4th Generation Celeron 2955U (or equivalent) Recommended Intel
6th generation product family or greater (or equivalent) |
Minimum 2 GB RAM
or more Recommended 4 GB RAM
or more |
NA–See
the Important Notes that follow
the table. |
||
|
Apple iOS iPad 2017 iPad 2018 iPad Air devices iPad Pro Devices: 9.7”, 10.5”,
and 12.9” Note: iPad
mini devices are not
supported. |
NA |
Minimum 2 GB RAM
or more See the Important Notes that follow the table. |
NA–See
the Important Notes that follow
the table. |
Minimum 9.7” or
greater |
CloudReady from Neverware is a reduced-feature operating system, built on the same technology as Chrome OS, that runs on hardware with limited resources. DRC and Neverware have tested CloudReady and have confirmed that it meets the requirements for testing. Sites will need to partner with Neverware for this solution.
Neverware and DRC offer full support for CloudReady for testing with DRC INSIGHT on testing devices that meet the DRC Chrome OS system requirements (see DRC INSIGHT Testing Device Requirements for details). Sites using CloudReady will follow the Chrome OS installation instructions and the Chrome OS system requirements.
Because
tablet/Netbook/Chromebook devices are not easily configurable for memory and
storage (disk space) upgrades, DRC recommends that these devices be streamlined
for the DRC INSIGHT App when used for testing.
To achieve this
goal, all applications and features that are unnecessary for testing should be
removed, turned off, or disabled to ensure that the maximum amount of device
memory is available for testing. This includes services such as Bluetooth
(unless a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse is needed), GPS, and power saving modes
that reduce performance to maximize battery life. DRC also recommends rebooting
these devices before testing. These activities help free available memory.
Devices that lack sufficient memory during testing may experience issues.
Intelligent
personal assistant (IPA) software, such as Siri for iOS and macOS, or Cortana
for Windows 10, should be disabled during testing for the appropriate devices.
In some cases, this functionality can be disabled automatically using administrator
controls such as Mobile Device Management (MDM) software. If IPA software is
not disabled, the testing site is responsible for ensuring the security and
integrity of the test by actively monitoring that students are not using this
capability during the test.
Operating
system vendors such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple are moving to a model where
operating system updates occur automatically in the background. Update
processes running in the background on testing devices consume CPU and memory
and can affect the testing experience—audio playback may be choppy and Speaking
test responses may be distorted. To avoid this situation, verify that no
background processes are running on testing devices during testing. Also, if a
testing device is set to accept operating system updates automatically, verify
that it has the most current DRC‑supported version of the operating
system before the test session
starts.
|
Supported Accessories |
|
|
o
Mouse o
English language
keyboard (internal and external, wired and wireless) o
Touchpad o
Headphones o
Microphone |
o
Earphones o
Earbuds o
Stylus for touch
devices o
Other input
devices as supported for accommodations (determined in conjunction with each
state department of education) |
|
The
input device must allow students to select and deselect; drag items;
highlight text, objects, and areas; enter letters, numbers, and symbols; use
the Shift, Tab, Return, Delete, and Backspace keys. |
|
|
Other |
|
|
Smart
Board interfaces are not supported. |
|
|
Internet Connectivity |
|
|
Devices
must be able to connect to the Internet using wired or wireless networks. |
|
|
The
maximum number of devices a Wireless Access Point (WAP) can support varies
depending on the manufacturer and model of the WAP device being used for
testing. DRC recommends never exceeding 80% of the maximum capacity of the
WAP specified by the manufacturer. For example, for a WAP device with a
maximum capacity of 20 concurrently connected devices, DRC recommends that no
more than 16 devices be connected concurrently. If the number of concurrently
connected devices is expected to exceed this threshold, additional WAPs
should be implemented. Note that all other networking hardware must be able
to accommodate the maximum number of devices that could potentially be
connected to the wireless network concurrently. If you
plan to test using a wireless network, complete a wireless site survey to
ensure that there is sufficient wireless coverage in testing areas. This
survey should address coverage and verify that students can take the test in
the same area of the building at one time (device density). The survey should
account for Internet bandwidth and other traffic in the building at the time
of testing, including LAN (wireless and wired) traffic and WAN traffic. |
|
|
Power Supply |
|
|
Minimum For
battery devices, a fully charged battery with a two‑hour life. |
Recommended A device
connected to a plugged-in power supply. |
|
Accommodations |
|
|
A COS Service
Device is required for HVA, TTS, and VSL, which have increased memory and
disk space requirements (see DRC
COS Service Device Requirements). |
|
The table on the following page describes the
processor, available memory (RAM), and available disk space requirements for a COS
Service Device (available in 64‑bit only—COS Service Device software is
not available for 32-bit operating systems) based on the number of concurrent testers.
The Recommended level is required for testing with accommodations such as
HVA, TTS, and VSL because of the size of media files. The 64-bit COS Service
Device software works with non‑touch Windows desktop and laptop devices,
non‑touch Mac (OS X and macOS) desktop and laptop devices, and Linux
desktop and laptop devices.
The DRC COS Service
Device software requirements are generally the same as the DRC INSIGHT software
requirements with the exceptions listed below:
·
The COS
Service Device software cannot be installed
on an iOS or Chrome device.
Note: Both iOS and Chrome testing devices with the secure DRC INSIGHT software installed on
them can be associated with any COS Service Device regardless of the operating
system the COS Service Device is running. For example, an iPad or Chromebook
testing device can connect to a Windows COS Service Device for testing. The
same is true for Windows, macOS, and Linux testing devices—these devices can
connect to any COS Service Device for Content Hosting.
·
The COS Service Device software should not be installed on mobile or
touch‑screen devices.
·
The COS Service Device should be connected to the network through a wired connection.
|
Supported OS/Devices |
Number of Concurrent Testers |
Processor |
Available Memory |
Available Disk Space |
|
64-bit Windows |
Up to 450 |
Minimum Dual-core i3 at 2.4
GHz or equivalent Recommended Dual-core i5 at 2.4
GHz or equivalent |
Minimum 2 GB RAM Recommended
and Media Accommodations 4 GB RAM |
Minimum 10 GB Recommended and Media Accommodations 20 GB or more |
|
Up to 900 |
Recommended 2x dual-core i5 at 2.4
GHz or equivalent |
|||
|
Over
900 |
Recommended 4x dual-core i5 at 2.4 GHz
or equivalent |
Recommended
and Media Accommodations 8 GB RAM |
||
|
64-bit macOS |
Up to 400 |
Minimum Dual-core i3 at 2.4
GHz or equivalent Recommended Dual-core i5 at 2.4
GHz or equivalent |
Minimum 2 GB RAM Recommended
and Media Accommodations 4 GB RAM |
Minimum 10 GB Recommended and Media Accommodations 20 GB or more |
|
Up to 900 |
Recommended 2x dual-core i5 at 2.4
GHz or equivalent |
Recommended
and Media Accommodations 16 GB RAM |
||
|
64-bit Linux |
Up to 450 |
Minimum Dual-core i3 at 2.4
GHz or equivalent Recommended Dual-core i5 at 2.4
GHz or equivalent |
Recommended
and Media Accommodations 7.5 GB RAM
for 14.04 3.6 GB RAM
for 16.04 |
Minimum 10 GB Recommended and Media Accommodations 20 GB or more |
|
Up to 600 |
Recommended 2x dual-core i5 at 2.4
GHz or equivalent |
The table below describes
the available LAN bandwidth requirements for a COS Service Device based on the
number of concurrent testers.
|
Number of Concurrent Testers |
Minimum Available LAN Bandwidth |
|
Up to 50 |
50 Mbps |
|
Up to 150 |
100 Mbps |
|
Up
to 300 |
200 Mbps |
|
Up to 500 |
400 Mbps |
|
Up to 600 |
500 Mbps |
|
Up to 750 |
600 Mbps |
|
Up to 900 |
800 Mbps |
Notes:
·
Shared bandwidth includes the LAN, WAN, and Internet
Service Provider (ISP) bandwidth. Each of
these bandwidths should meet or exceed the minimum bandwidth listed.
·
Shared bandwidth does not include the minimum bandwidth from the testing
device to the network because that bandwidth is shared by other testing
devices. The minimum bandwidth from the testing device to the network is about 3-5
Mbps.
DRC Software Support PolicyWhen a software
vendor, such as Microsoft or Apple, ends support for an operating system (or
level), they discontinue free security updates for that software. This can
present large and immediate security and support risks to the software’s
users. As a result, DRC strongly recommends that all clients affected by the
end of support process begin the transition as soon as possible to allow
sufficient time for the process. Support Timeline
To accomplish the
dual goals of minimizing security risks to DRC clients while making necessary
software changes, DRC has established a multi‑phase support timeline
for the transition from an unsupported operating system or level to a
supported operating system or level. Note: DRC assumes no responsibility or liability for software transition
processes at testing sites. Phases 1 and 3: Best Effort SupportThe DRC Support
team will help troubleshoot issues reported concerning the operating system
or level and DRC software applications as best we can, but DRC cannot
guarantee a resolution. If a problem is
uncovered, DRC Support will report the issue to DRC Development. Again, we
cannot guarantee a fix, software update, or resolution timeline for software
fixes or updates. If DRC determines that an issue is related to a client’s
network, hardware, or third‑party software, the client must obtain
support directly from the software vendor or the hardware manufacturer. |
Best Effort Support occurs at both ends of
the software lifecycle. o
Phase 1: After DRC software testing begins
and before the software is fully supported by DRC. DRC offers Best Effort Support for any new
version of a supported operating system (OS) product within 30 days of public
availability of the OS product version, or by the next planned common or
client-specific release date of the DRC application, whichever duration is
greater. o
Phase 3: After the software is no longer
supported by the vendor and before the end of DRC support. Once the OS product version has reached the
end of vendor support, DRC offers Best Effort Support until the next planned
common or client-specific release date of the DRC application, at which point
it is restricted from use unless DRC chooses to extend support. Phase 2: Fully SupportedWhen an OS product
is on the DRC supported product list, DRC performs application testing for
all major versions of the product publicly supported by the product vendor
and for all minor versions of the product when DRC deems testing is
necessary. Any new version of a supported OS product will be Fully Supported
by all DRC applications within 90 days of public availability of the version
of the OS product, or by the next planned common or client-specific release
date of the DRC application, whichever duration is greater. Phase 4: End of SupportThe next release
of DRC software applications will not work with the unsupported operating
system or level. It is restricted from use. The table that follows indicates the
current supported operating system levels for DRC INSIGHT. It also provides a
timeline for changes in terms of the various support phases. |
|
Level |
Incoming/Current |
Outgoing/Ending |
|||
|
Phase 1: Best Effort Support |
Phase 2: Fully Supported (1) |
Phase 3: Best Effort Support |
Phase 4: End of Support (2) |
||
|
Windows |
Windows 7, SP1 |
|
X |
|
|
|
Windows 8.1 |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Windows 10 Semi‑Annual
Channel servicing options (3)(4) |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Windows 10 in S
mode |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Windows Server 2008, R2 SP1 |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Windows Server
2012 |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Windows Server
2012, R2 |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Windows Server
2016 |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Windows Server
2019 |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Mac (OS X and macOS) Note: Mac
server software is not supported. |
OS X 10.11 |
|
|
|
X |
|
macOS 10.12 |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
macOS 10.13 |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
macOS 10.14 |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Linux Note: Linux
server software is not supported. |
Ubuntu 14.04,
LTS version, with 64‑bit Gnome 3.4, Unity Shell |
|
|
|
X |
|
Ubuntu 16.04,
LTS version, with 64‑bit Gnome 3.4, Unity Shell |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Ubuntu 18.04,
LTS version with Gnome Shell |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
iOS (5) |
11.x latest
version |
|
|
|
X |
|
12.x latest
version |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
iPadOS |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Chrome (6) |
Chrome OS recent
stable channel |
|
X |
(7) |
|
|
Note:
See the following page for details regarding the numbered table notes. |
|||||
Table Notes
(1) DRC recommends
using operating system levels that are Fully Supported. (2) When End of Support occurs during a
typical testing cycle, DRC will continue to provide Best Effort Support until
the testing cycle ends. DRC recommends that sites upgrade to a fully supported
level before the testing cycle begins. (3) DRC fully supports the most
recent version of Windows 10 available for the Semi‑Annual Channel
servicing options within 90 days of public availability of the new version.
DRC will offer Best Effort support for previous versions of Windows 10
available for the Semi‑Annual Channel servicing options that Microsoft
maintains support for with servicing updates. For details, see the Microsoft
Windows 10 version support website and https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet. (4)
DRC currently supports the Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of
Windows 10. (5) See iOS Releases and DRC Support on the
following page. (6) See Chrome OS Support and Chrome Devices on the
following page. (7) DRC offers
Best Effort Support for unmanaged Chrome devices (the DRC INSIGHT Secure Chrome
App was manually installed) that meet the system device and supported operating
system requirements. |
|||||
The iOS release strategy provides both major and
minor release versions.
·
Major release
versions are indicated by the number to the left of the decimal point. For
example, release 11.x and release 12.x are major release versions.
·
Minor release
versions are indicated by the number to the right of the decimal point. For
example, release 11.1 and release 11.2 are minor release versions of major
release version 11.
DRC supports both types of release versions.
·
DRC provides Full Support for the most recent major release version of iOS within 90
days of public availability of the new version. During the 90 days of
testing/verification, DRC provides Best Effort Support of the new major release
version.
·
DRC provides Best Effort Support for minor release versions of iOS as soon
as they are made available to the public and will fully support these versions
as soon as DRC completes testing/verification. DRC will attempt to fully
support minor release versions within 30 days of their release.
Note: DRC offers Best Effort Support for any previous versions of iOS for
which Apple maintains support.
·
DRC offers the following levels of support for Chrome OS for the 2019–2020
testing season:
o
Full Support for the current stable channel level.
o
Best Effort Support for stable channel levels between level 74 and the current stable
channel level.
Note: DRC also offers Best Effort
Support for unmanaged Chrome devices (the DRC INSIGHT Secure Chrome App was
manually installed) that meet the system device and supported operating system
requirements.
o
End of Support (no support) for stable channel levels below 74.
·
IMPORTANT: End of Automatic
Update Support for Older Chrome Devices
Each Google Chrome
device has an Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date. Before reaching this date, the
device receives new software updates from Google automatically. As Google’s Auto
Update policy for Chrome OS devices states, Chrome devices receive automatic updates regularly that enhance both the
device itself and the software on the device. …However, end-to-end updates for
all our devices to ensure the highest levels of security requires dependencies
on many third-party hardware and software providers so we cannot indefinitely
ensure that older Chrome devices will receive updates to enable new OS and
browser features.
Many districts
and sites receive operating system updates automatically for their Chrome devices,
and older devices may be approaching their AUE date. When a device reaches its AUE date, Google considers the device
obsolete, software updates from Google are no longer guaranteed, the device may
not receive necessary security and functionality upgrades, and Google suspends
the ability to manage it using the Google Management Console.
Therefore, DRC recommends replacing any Chrome devices that
have reached or will reach their AUE date within the 2018‑2019 school
year.
To determine
the AUE date for a specific Chrome device, use the following link to Google’s Auto
Update policy and the list of Chrome devices with their AUE dates: https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366.
The following are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft
Microsoft Edge
Windows
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 10
Windows 10 in S mode
The following are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Apple Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries:
Apple
iOS*
iPad
Macintosh
Mac
OS X and macOS
Safari
*iOS is a trademark or
registered trademark of Cisco in the United States and other countries and is
used under license.
The following are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Google Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries:
Chrome
Chrome OS
Chromebook
Google Play
Firefox is a trademark or
registered trademark of Mozilla Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries.
Linux is a registered
trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Ubuntu and Canonical are
registered trademarks of Canonical Ltd.
Gnome is a trademark of the
Gnome Foundation.
