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Configuring LTI Integration in Canvas

Abstract

This guide will show you how to connect Canvas to the Cyber Range as a Canvas administrator and as a Cyber Range Organization Admin.

Overview

Connecting to Canvas will allow your students to use the Cyber Range without leaving their Canvas window. When connected, all of your students in Canvas will be imported into the Cyber Range.

The Cyber Range uses LTI 1.3 to integrate into this service so any Learning Management System, such as Blackboard, that supports this standard should be compatible with the Cyber Range.

There are three sequential steps required to complete this integration and each will require a specific permission level:

  1. Setting up Canvas requires the Canvas administrator role.
  2. Setting up the Cyber Range requires the Cyber Range Organization Admin role.
  3. Linking Canvas to the Cyber Range requires the Canvas Teacher and Cyber Range Instructor roles.

1. Setting up Canvas

This section will require administrator permissions in Canvas to complete. For additional details on LTI 1.3 integration, please visit Instructure's documentation on configuring LTI 1.3.

Create a new LTI key

  1. Log into your administrator account in Canvas and navigate to Admin > Site Admin > Developer Keys
  2. On this page, click on "+ Developer Key" on the right side and select "+ LTI Key" To add an LTI key, you will need to be in the Account tab of the Developer Keys page.

  3. This will open a menu where you can configure the new LTI key. You can name it something memorable (i.e. Cyber Range) and enter the following information: You can choose any Title or Description for the LTI key. In this demo, we use Cyber Range for the title and The Cyber Range Tool as the description.

    • Redirect URIs: https://api.uscyberrange.org/integrations/lti/1.3/redirect
    • Target Link URI: https://api.uscyberrange.org
    • OpenID Connect Initial URI: https://api.uscyberrange.org/integrations/lti/1.3/initiation
    • JWK Method: Public JWK URL
    • Public JWK URL: https://api.uscyberrange.org/security/jwks
    • LTI Advantage Services: In the list of options, enable "Can retrieve user data associated with the context the tool is installed in." This will allow users to be synced between Canvas and the Cyber Range. "Can retrieve user data associated with the context the tool is installed in." is the fifth option in the list of LTI advantage toggles.
    • Additional Settings: In the list of fields, setting the "Privacy Level" to Public will display the Canvas users' names and emails in the Cyber Range. Setting the "Privacy Level" to Private will assign randomly generated names (such as "Curious Penguin 13") to users to display in the Cyber Range instead.

    The "Privacy Level" setting is located below the "Custom Fields" textbox. The setting provides two options, PUBLIC or PRIVATE.

    Important

    For organizations with the Anonymous Users feature enabled, please be sure to set the privacy level setting to Private in your LTI configuration. Otherwise, the LTI integration will fail. This is designed to ensure user information is not shared.

    • Placements: If you wish to set up this tool across all of your Canvas courses, make sure to include the "Course Navigation" option under the Placements section. This will automatically make the Cyber Range application appear in your existing courses. If you wish to make customizations to navigation and placement within Canvas, please visit the Canvas Course Navigation Placement documentation for more information. The "Placements" section is located below the "Additional Settings" section.

Retrieve Client ID

  1. Ensure that your new LTI key is on the Admin > Site Admin > Developer Keys page. The State of the key should be set to ON if it is not already.
  2. In the Details column, a long number that represents the Client ID of that developer key will be displayed. Take note of this number, as it will be needed in the next step. In the Details column, a long number that represents the Client ID of that developer key will be displayed.

Add Cyber Range App to Canvas

  1. In the Canvas course that you want to add the Cyber Range app to, navigate to Settings > Apps
  2. Click on the "+ Apps" button
  3. Set the Configuration Type to "By Client ID" then paste your Development Key's Client ID into the second text box. Click Submit complete the App creation.

Retrieve Deployment ID

  1. Within the same Apps tab, click on the gear icon to the right of your new Cyber Range app.
  2. Select "Deployment Id" to view the Deployment ID.
  3. Take note of this deployment ID and save it for later. You will need this to connect the Cyber Range to Canvas.

2. Setting up the Cyber Range

This section will require organization admin permissions in the Cyber Range. You can configure this at the organization level, which will allow your instructors to sync their Canvas courses with the Cyber Range.

Navigate to Applications Page

  1. Log into your Cyber Range account and navigate to the Exercise Area.
  2. Click on the Organizations tab and select your organization
  3. Click on the "Manage Organization Applications" button The Manage Organization Applications button is positioned between the Subscription and Delete buttons.

Add the Application to your Cyber Range Organization

  1. Click the "Add an Organization Application" button denoted by a "+"
  2. In the "Type" dropdown box, select LTI 1.3
  3. Give the new application a memorable name (i.e. Canvas Integration)
  4. Fill out the rest of the form based on the information below: In the sample form canvas.your-school.edu is used as an example of a School Canvas Domain.
    • Issuer: For production instances of Canvas, this will always be https://canvas.instructure.com. For test or beta instances, it will be https://canvas.test.instructure.com or https://canvas.beta.instructure.com.
    • Client ID: Client ID retrieved from Canvas. Please visit the section above titled Retrieve Client ID for more information.
    • Key Set Url: https://[SCHOOL CANVAS DOMAIN]/api/lti/security/jwks
    • Access Token Url: https://[SCHOOL CANVAS DOMAIN]/login/oauth2/token
    • Authentication Url: https://[SCHOOL CANVAS DOMAIN]/api/lti/authorize_redirect
    • Deployment Ids: Deployment ID from Canvas. Please visit the section above titled Retrieve Deployment ID for more information.

    Note

    [SCHOOL CANVAS DOMAIN] refers to the domain name that your school uses for Canvas. It will likely take a form like this: canvas.your-school.edu.

3. Linking Canvas to the Cyber Range

Create a Course

If you don't already have a course in the Cyber Range, please create one now. Please visit the article titled Creating a Course for more information. Make sure that you are designated as the instructor of the course before trying to complete the connection.

Log into your Cyber Range Account in Canvas

  1. In your Canvas course, the app you created earlier should be displayed along the left navigation pane. Click on the app you created. Our sample app was called "Cyber Range".
  2. If the connection was successful, a prompt to login using the authentication provider of your choice should now be displayed. Choose the login option that corresponds to your Cyber Range instructor account. Your options for authentication are Google and Azure AD

Choose a Cyber Range Course for Integration

  1. After logging in, you will be presented with a drop-down box that includes all of your Cyber Range courses. Select the course you want to link.
  2. Click "CONFIRM" and wait for the courses to be linked. The "Course" dropdown box contains any courses you are an instructor for.
  3. Once it has finished the linking process, the Cyber Range UI will be integrated into your Canvas window. The entire Cyber Range UI will be embedded directly into the Canvas UI.

Unlinking an LTI Integration

In the case you accidentally link the wrong course in the Cyber Range to Canvas, please follow these steps below to unlink an LTI integration.

  1. First, begin by navigating to the Course that was linked to Canvas. Select the Manage Course Applications button located to the right of the Users button. The "Manage Course Applications" button is located towards the upper right corner of the Course page, in-between the Users button and Delete button.

  2. Now that you are in the Applications page, the LTI integration that is connecting the course to Canvas is shown. Select the cog wheel icon, where you will have the options to edit or delete your integration. In this case, you will select Delete. The cog wheel is located to the far left of the LTI integration.

  3. Once you have selected the option to delete the integration, you will be met with a confirmation message stating that applications cannot be restored. Check the box stating you understand, then select Delete. A confirmation message stating "I understand that deleted applications cannot be restored".

  4. The integration has now been successfully unlinked from Canvas. You can repeat the steps above to reconfigure your correct Cyber Range course in the section titled Linking Canvas to the Cyber Range.

Have a Question? Contact Support

We're here to help you. If you still have questions after reviewing the information above, please feel free to submit a ticket with our Support Team and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.