Why Would A LTI Provider Need a Developer Key?

[themidiman]

I might need to post this in multiple places, but our institution is looking at an integration with Cisco WebEx using what Cisco calls the Education Connector. This is their LTI setup page: https://lti.educonnector.io/#/form. If you select Canvas as the preferred LMS to integrate it asks for a Developer ID and Developer Key which I know we can generate using these instructions.

So my question is two-fold:

1. Is there anyone else out there using this tool (Cisco WebEx Education Connector)?
2. Why would an LTI provider need the Canvas Admin to provide a Developer ID and Developer Key instead of the LTI provider giving us an LTI key and shared secret like many other of our integrations with LTI providers out there? In other words is there some level of trust that Instructure hasn't gained from certain vendors or vendor products?

[Stef_retired]

JEFHQ12951‌, if you're wanting to broaden the exposure of this question to other groups and places, please use the "Share" button at the upper right to share it out to any other groups of which you're a member. Not only is that easier, but it will also allow all of the responses to appear in a single thread right here. Creating the same content in multiple places opens up the risk of having simultaneous, possibly duplicative conversations ensuing in parallel. Thanks!

[themidiman]

Thanks, Stefanie.

[RobDitto]

JEFHQ12951, I think it's more that certain tools' design calls for more trust (more than just that afforded by LTI key/secret) from the buying institutional customer. 

Instructure's Deactivated user‌ has two blog posts here in the community which I've found tremendously helpful for understanding these issues:

• Administrative guidelines for issuing Canvas Developer Keys
• Administrative guidelines for managing inherited Developer Keys

Quoting a sentence from the first one:

Many integrations require Canvas API access to function correctly, and developer keys are currently the most secure way to allow integrations to access the API.

As an admin, I'm able to revoke a Developer Key for any reason with a single click.

[themidiman]

Thanks Rob,

I suppose part of my question is for the Cisco people. We have textbook publishers that seem to already have a more trusted relationship than a rather large company like Cisco. They (textbook publishers and the like) seem to already have a more trusted relationship as a registered partner for Instructure. It would seem that this particular application they've developed is not as far long as some of the other ones they've had for WebEx such as this one.

For anyone who is reading this and has the same question, I found some additional information on this API docs page under the heading "What management features are available?"

[axelsena · Accepted solution]

We are using the Cisco Education Connector.

Typically from what i've seen is when the integration needs more information than what is provided by the LTI - that's usually where the developer key comes in so they can utilize the API.  Since the Cisco Education Connector has deeper integration with the gradebook and such - that's likely the case.

[themidiman]

Thank you,  @axelsena  ! 

I've created Developer Keys before when we implemented a self-hosted version of UDOIT, so I know a bit about the process. Do you mind sharing with me off-list what you used for the fields in your developer key generation? 

[axelsena]

When Cisco first introduced it, they sure didn't do a good job of providing that info.  It looks like they have it available here now:

https://help.webex.com/en-us/n77zrcq/Install-the-Cisco-Webex-Education-Connector-in-Your-Learning-Ma... 

That should do the trick!

[themidiman]

Thank you kindly, sir! This is most helpful!

[JustinBrooksby]

Thanks for the link.  I am able to generate a developer key but I don't know what the Developer ID is.  Any ideas? 

[themidiman]

According to the documentation, the developer id is generated along with the key. It shows up in the Developer Key listing above the 'Show Key' button. See here:

[JustinBrooksby]

Thanks i will try that. I see that but there is no label on it so thanks for identifying that as the developer id.

[JustinBrooksby]

Okay this was all very helpful.  Once you generate a developer key Cisco automaticaly gives you a consumer key, shared secret and registration url.  You can then use this to set up the LTI.