The Safe Exam Browser Server web application simplifies and centralizes the configuration of Safe Exam Browser clients for exams. It interacts with a learning management or exam system for setting up and conducting e-assessments with Safe Exam Browser. It also improves security by allowing to monitor connected Safe Exam Browser clients in real time during e-assessments.
What is Safe Exam Browser (SEB)?
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`Safe Exam Browser <https://safeexambrowser.org/>`_ (SEB) is an application to carry out e-assessments safely. The free-ware application is available for Windows, macOS and iOS. It turns any computer temporarily into a secure workstation. It controls access to resources like system functions, other websites and applications and prevents unauthorized resources being used during an exam. Safe Exam Browser can work with Open edX to control what a student can access during a Open edX quiz attempt. With the SEB Open edX plugin you activate the SEB support in Open edX and now only students using an approved version of SEB and the correct settings will be able to access the quiz in your Open edX course. The Safe Exam Browser is offered under a Mozilla Public License and supported by the `SEB Alliance <https://safeexambrowser.org/alliance/>`_.
What is Safe Exam Browser Server (SEB Server)?
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While the interaction with SEB is well known in Learning Management Systems (LMS) like `Open edX <https://open.edx.org/>`_,
`Moodle <https://moodle.org/>`_ etc. the SEB Server is an entirely new component to set up secured online exams.
SEB Server is a modern webservice with a REST API and a GUI service on top of it. SEB Server is written in Java and uses Docker for installation and setup.
SEB Server provides a range of basic functionalities:
- Accessing the Course/Exam-API of a linked LMS to import a courses or exams for managing with SEB Server
- Creation and administration of SEB Client Configurations that can be used to startup a SEB and that contains SEB Server connection information for a SEB Client
- Creation and administration of SEB Exam Configurations that can be bound to an imported Exam to automatically configure a SEB Client that connects to an exam that is managed by SEB Server
- Automated SEB restriction on LMS side if the specified type of LMS supports the SEB restriction API
- Monitoring and administration of SEB Client connections within a running exam
The image below shows a very simplified diagram that locates the SEB Server in a setup with a Learning Management System (LMS) and the
Safe Exam Browser (SEB). The SEB Server communicates with the LMS for managing and prepare exams as well as with the SEB Client to ensure
a more automated and secure setup for high-stake exams.
For a complete guide to install SEB Server please go to `SEB Server Installation Guide <https://seb-server-setup.readthedocs.io/en/latest/overview.html>`_
Getting started with SEB Server
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For a complete SEB Server user guide please go to `SEB Server User Guide <https://seb-server.readthedocs.io/en/latest/#>`_
The SEB Server is currently build and maintained by `ETH Zürich <https://ethz.ch/en.html>`_ and by the `Swiss MOOC Service <https://www.swissmooc.ch/>`_ that is founded by leading Swiss universities EPFL, ETH, SUPSI, USI and HES-SO. The Swiss MOOC Service was financially supported from 2018-2020 by the `Swissuniversities´ P5 program <https://www.swissuniversities.ch/themen/digitalisierung/p-5-wissenschaftliche-information>`_.
Pull requests are the best way to propose changes to the codebase. We use `Github Flow <https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/comparing-workflows/gitflow-workflow>`_. We actively welcome your pull requests:
In short, when you submit code changes, your submissions are understood to be under the same `Mozilla Public License <https://github.com/SafeExamBrowser/seb-server?tab=MPL-2.0-1-ov-file>`_ that covers the project. Feel free to contact the maintainers if that's a concern.
The `SEB Alliance <https://www.safeexambrowser.org/alliance/members.html>`_ is the body which sustains ongoing funding of the Safe Exam Browser open source project to continue its maintenance, development and support activities. ETH Zurich provides the infrastructure for the management and the software engineering of the SEB project and appoints an alliance manager who will provide administrative support to the SEB Alliance, and ensure the day-to-day running of the SEB Alliance. ETH Zurich leads the Alliance and offers different contribution levels to parties interested in the evolution of the SEB open source project.
More information about `joining <https://www.safeexambrowser.org/alliance/join.html>`_ the Alliance is available in our `benefits <https://www.safeexambrowser.org/alliance/benefits.html>`_ and `documents <https://www.safeexambrowser.org/alliance/documents.html>`_ section.
