Banner 7 Frequently Asked Questions

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Why must the University upgrade to Banner 7?
What are some of the new features of Banner 7?
What is the recommended web browser when using Banner 7?
What are the installation steps for Oracle's JInitiator Software?
Can I access Banner using other web browsers?
How do I install JInitiator manually?
I am unable to install JInitiator on my computer. What may be the problem?
How can I avoid my Banner session from disconnecting when I click on a hyperlink or email web link?
Can I change my screen setup so I don’t have to scroll in Banner 7 forms?
Can I access Banner 7 using a Mac?
Can I access Banner 7 using a Windows 98 computer?
There are two web browser sessions open when I run Banner 7. Are both sessions necessary?
How can I access Banner 7 documentation?
Can I change the color scheme in Banner to something I like better?
How can I enable ActiveX controls and plug-ins in Internet Explorer?

Why must the University upgrade to Banner 7?

When we licensed the Banner software from Sungard SCT, the University made a decision to keep pace with SCT as they upgraded their software. In making this decision, the University reaps the benefit of functional and technical enhancements introduced in the Banner product. Equally important, the University always uses a vendor-supported version of the Banner software.

What are some of the new features of Banner 7?

The following features are found in Banner 7:

Banner Runs in a Web Browser
Banner Version 7 is sometimes referred to as Internet Native Banner (INB) because it has been designed to run within a web browser. This change allows Banner to be accessed more conveniently from off-campus. In addition, it greatly simplifies desktop/laptop support issues.

New User Interface
The most noticeable change with Banner 7 is the new user interface. Features of the new user interface include:

• Enlarged the Banner forms window to 1024 x 768
• Improved alignment of screen elements
• Improved navigation
• Replaced the Options frame with Tabs for improved navigation and consistency with Luminis (i.e. MySJU)
• Made disabled text easier to read
• Enabled user-defined window colors
• Provided an option to create personal URL links
• Provided ability to broadcast messages to all Banner users
• Provided a new online help button

Support for Multiple Curricula
This enhancement allows the University to use multiple curricula for a person. In fact, Banner will now support unlimited majors, minors and concentrations for a student.

Improved Drop and Withdrawal Processing
The University can now control whether or not a student will be dropped from a connected course (e.g. linked course or co-requisite).

Standardization of Person Identification Forms
Person identification forms across all Banner modules have been standardized for consistent look and feel and, more importantly, for consistency in processing additions, deletions and changes.

Improved Integration with Banner
Sungard SCT has consolidated Banner programming logic and stored it in the database. This change allows software products from other vendors to work more easily with Banner. These application programming interfaces or APIs significant improve Banner integration with other software products.

Common Matching or Preventing the Duplicate Entry of Person Information
A new feature called Common Matching allows the University to create a set of shared rules within Banner to ensure that an entity (person or non-person) is truly new to the system before it is added to the database. This feature should reduce the number of duplicate person record entered into the database.

Restricted Access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
With Banner 7, the University now has the ability to more effectively restrict access to information about a person for whom he/she does not have a legitimate business need. In addition, the University can mask sensitive information while displaying other mission critical data for a person.

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It is recommended that you use Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) as your web browser when accessing Internet Native Banner. Follow these steps in the installation process:

1. To access Banner, log onto MySJU and click on the PROD link on the School Services page. If this is the first time you've attempted to access Banner, you will be prompted to install JInitiator

2. If you have installed a pop-up blocker on your web browser, you will need to permit the installation of the ActiveX Control before the JInitiator installation can begin.

3. Another browser window will open, and a security warning dialog box will be displayed. The box may look something like this and you will be asked if you want to install Oracle's JInitiator software.

4. Click Yes.

5. The browser window will be replaced with an installation screen and another dialog box will open that may look something like the screen below. You are asked to choose a destination location. Accept the default location and click Next.

6. The installation process will then begin.

7. When installation is complete, the following dialog box will appear.

8. Click OK.

9. The browser window will change slightly, a Java window will open (Oracle Developers Forms Runtime - Web), and the Banner logon dialog box will appear as pictured below.

10. Once JInitiator is installed, you may receive a security warning message asking if you want to grant access to Java. Click on the GRANT ALWAYS option. The screen may look something like this:

Clicking on the GRANT THIS SESSION option will continue to present you with the warning each time you log in to Banner, and DENY will prevent you from accessing the system.

*** NOTE: This dialog box shown above may appear in a separate web browser window, before you will be able to log into Banner, it may be necessary to go to this other browser window and grant access to Java.

*** NOTE: If you use another computer to access Banner, you may need to go through these steps again if JInitiator has not been installed by a previous user.

Finally if you encounter problems installing JInitiator or accessing Banner, contact the Information Technology Help Desk at 610-660-2920.

Can I access Banner using other web browsers?While Internet Explorer is the recommended browser to access Internet Native Banner, it is possible to use other browsers to access Banner.

Banner will work with FireFox 1.x or Netscape browsers. However, depending on the version of the browser, you may need to install the JInitiator plug-in manually (see steps below). Some browsers such as the latest version of Netscape will automatically install JInitiator after the user clicks on the installation confirmation message. A good indication that you need to manually install the plug-in is a blank or all grey screen or a screen with only a plug-in icon.

When the Jinitiator installation has completed do the following:

1. Copy the file NPJinit13118.dll from

C:\Program Files\Oracle\JInitiator 1.3.1.18\bin\

to

C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Firefox\plugins\ (if using Firefox)

or

C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape 6\Plugins\ (if using Netscape)

For all other browsers place the NPJinit13118.dll in the plug-in directory for your given browser.

2. Restart your browser.

In order to install JInitiator, you must be set up as the Administrator of your computer. To check if you are set up as an administrator, do the following:

1. Click the Start button (bottom left corner of screen).

2. Choose Control Panel.

3. Click on User Accounts.

4. When the User Accounts window opens, you will be able to verify if you are among the users with Administrator privileges.

5. If you do not have administrator privileges, contact the Information Technology Help Desk at 610-660-2920 for assistance.

If you have email and Banner open and you click on a web link in an email message, the "linked" web page will open in the Banner window and the connection to Banner will be lost. This issue will surface when clicking on any web link that opens in a separate window.

To avoid this issue with Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

1. Open new Internet Explorer session
2. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options and then click on Advanced tab.
3. Under the Browsing category, uncheck the Reuse Windows For Launching Shortcuts option.
4. Click Apply, then OK.

To change your screen resolution, follow these steps:

1. Right-click anywhere on your Windows desktop and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
2. In the Display Properties window, click on the Settings tab and make a note of the screen resolution (e.g., 1024 by 768 pixels).
3. Click on the Advanced button and make a note of the DPI (dots per inch) setting (e.g., 96 DPI).
4. Try different combinations of screen resolution and DPI until you find one that makes Banner forms legible while minimizing or eliminating the need for scrolling:
   • A recommended choice is to set the screen resolution to 1024 x 768 or higher and the DPI to 96.
     
   • Another choice is to set the screen resolution to 1280 x 1024 or higher and the DPI to 120.
     
   • Other combinations, with custom DPI settings between 96 and 120 and corresponding changes to screen resolution, may also produce acceptable results. To specify a custom setting, click on the Advanced button, then choose Custom settings... from the drop-down menu.

NOTE: Changing your screen resolution and/or DPI to accommodate Banner forms will affect the size of everything on your display. As a general rule, the lower the numbers for screen resolution and DPI, the larger the images and characters on your screen will appear. This makes everything on the display easier to read, but also increases the likelihood that you will need to scroll within Banner forms.

Yes. It is recommended that you use Internet Explorer as your web browser. When you access Banner for the first time using a Mac, you will need to install Oracle's JInitiator software in order to run Banner. Follow the JInitiator instructions listed above.

No. The minimum requirement for Banner 7 is Windows XP. If you have an older version of Windows, you will speak to your supervisor in order to upgrade your computer.

The other window is called the Oracle Developer Forms Runtime and this is the window where the Banner application runs. It is pictured below.

*** Important: If you close either window, the Banner application will be disconnected.

1. Go to the GUAUPRF form in Banner. The User Interface Color Settings section allows you to change colors for all sorts of things, such as the canvas (background), code/description prompts, scroll bar, etc.
2. Select the item with a color you wish to change, click on the User Value drop-down menu, and select a color from the color palette.
3. When you’ve looked at the color in the preview pane and are satisfied with your choice, click OK. This will change the User Value line to the color you selected.
4. To apply this color change to all of Banner, click on the Save button for the form. This will immediately apply your color choice to the current screen, and your color setting will be retained when you exit and log back into Banner.
   
   

Follow these steps to enable ActiveX controls and plug-ins in Internet Explorer:

1. Click on Tools > Internet Options in the title bar of IE.
   - The Internet options window will appear.
2. Select the Security tab by clicking on it.
3. Select the Internet zone icon at the top left by clicking on it.
4. Click the Custom Level button near the bottom right.
   - The Security settings window will appear.
5. Scroll down until you see the ActiveX controls and plug-ins section. The settings should be as follows:

• Download signed ActiveX controls - Prompt or Enable
• Download unsigned ActiveX controls - Disable
• Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe - Disable
• Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins - Enable
• Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting - Enable