Overview
In some respects, Banner v.9 is like a brand new environment. It has its own perks and presents its own new challenges.
To have the best Banner v.9 experience, OTS recommends the following:
- Use Google Chrome;
- Use Private Browsing;
- Run Separate Sessions In Windows, Not Tabs; and
- Close Your Browser.
Use Google Chrome
Banner 9 is compatible with many modern browsers (Internet Explorer, Edge, Firefox, etc.), but testing by Ellucian, the vendor, and other universities has shown that Banner 9 runs noticeably fastest when you are using Chrome.
Use Private Browsing
To lessen the chance of Banner 9 issues arising due to browser caching, i.e., by your browser tracking your browser history, you should run Banner 9 in private browsing, i.e., wherein your browser does not track your browsing history. In Chrome, this is referred to as an Incognito window.
If you are a Windows user, you can create a shortcut that will automatically load the Banner 9 website in a new Incognito window for you. Here's how you do it:
- Open a normal Google Chrome window (note: it must be a normal window; the below-listed steps will not work if you are in an Incognito window);
- Go to the Banner 9 website: access.iit.edu
- Open the Chrome Menu (it’s a little button at the top right of the screen, next to the address bar, and it has three vertical dots);
- In the Chrome menu, click More Tools and then click Create Shortcut;
- Uncheck the checkbox next to “Open as window;”
- Click Add;
- Go to your desktop;
- Find the new shortcut named "Banner 9 _ University of Oregon” and right-click it;
- Click Properties;
- Click inside the “Target” text box and at the end of what is already there, type a space and then “--incognito --new-window” (The full text of the text box will look something like this when you’re done: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --profile-directory=Default --app-id=ogjbmbfjcnappfacnmbehjekmpabopma --incognito --new-window); and
- Click OK.
To add this shortcut to your taskbar or Start Menu, you can right-click it again and then click Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu.
Run Separate Sessions in Windows, not Tabs
If you commonly have more than one active Banner 9 session in play at the same time, OTS and the vendor recommend that you run these sessions in separate Chrome windows. Running Banner 9 sessions in multiple tabs within the same window tends to cause odd behaviors, e.g., if one session times out while another is in use. Using the above-described Incognito shortcut will automatically open each Banner session in a new window for you.
Close Your Browser
It is essential that any time you will be finishing your work in a Banner 9 session for a while, you close the browser window for reasons of security and best practices. This is true even if you are using an Incognito window. At the very least, you should close your Banner browser window at the end of every workday for the same above-mentioned reasons.