Set up the integration between Learn365 and SharePoint

This article describes the specifics of the SharePoint integration, the process of integrating Learn365 with SharePoint, and its possible errors.

SharePoint integration vs no integration: what’s the difference? 

There are several differences in how admins and learners interact with Learn365, depending on whether the integration with SharePoint is enabled. Particularly, you can find the differences in:

• Course catalogs and training
• Asset storage
• Learners’ user experience

Course catalogs and training

Domain names and URLs of course catalogs and training differ depending on whether the SharePoint integration is enabled. Without the integration, course catalogs and training are hosted under your Learn365 tenant domain name. After the integration is enabled, they are hosted under your SharePoint Online domain. For example:

• Course catalog URL:
  • With SharePoint integration: https://test.sharepoint.com/sites/CatalogName
  • Without SharePoint integration: https://test.365.systems/tenant/{{TenantID}}/env/{{EnvironmentID}}/global/pages/Home#/course-catalog/{{CatalogID}}
• Training URL:
  • With SharePoint integration: https://test.sharepoint.com/sites/CatalogName/SitePages/CourseName.aspx
  • Without SharePoint integration: https://test.365.systems/tenant/{{TenantID}}/env/{{EnvironmentID}}/global/pages/Home#/course-catalog/{{CatalogID}}/course/{{CourseID}}

When creating a course catalog with the SharePoint integration enabled, the catalog template is based on the SharePoint site template (communication site or team site). You can also base a new catalog on the SharePoint site that already exists in your organization.

When creating a course catalog without the SharePoint integration, you can set its time zone in the Time Zone field. If the SharePoint integration is enabled, the course catalog time zone matches the time zone set in SharePoint.

For more information about course catalogs, see this article.

Asset storage

After setting up the integration, you can store the assets in either Microsoft SharePoint storage or the Azure Blob Storage. Without the integration, you can store the assets in the Azure Blob Storage only.

By assets, we mean any documents, videos, or images uploaded in the Learn365 Admin Center via the rich text editor, for example, in training or learning module descriptions, or learning module documents uploaded via the learning module editor > Document library > Upload Document.

Additionally, enabling the SharePoint integration allows you to use the Microsoft 365 assets option in the learning module editor.

When copying courses from a catalog hosted in SharePoint to the catalog hosted under your tenant domain, only assets stored in Azure Blob Storage are copied. The assets stored in SharePoint are not copied in this case.

Learners’ user experience

While learners can access the same functionality whether or not the SharePoint integration is enabled, their user experience during the learning process is slightly different, as shown in the following images screenshots.

Learners' view when SharePoint integration is disabled

Learners' view when SharePoint integration is enabled

Prerequisites

SharePoint environment

The integration requires Microsoft 365 with SharePoint Online installed.

App Catalog

An App Catalog site must be created within SharePoint before setting up the integration. App Catalog is a tenant-level SharePoint site used to manage and deploy custom applications across SharePoint Online. 
If the App Catalog doesn't already exist, it is automatically created when a Microsoft 365 global admin or SharePoint admin opens the Apps page in the SharePoint admin center. For more information, see this Microsoft article. 

At least 20 minutes should pass between creating an App Catalog and setting up the integration between Learn365 and SharePoint.

Roles and permissions

To integrate Learn365 with SharePoint, you must be a Microsoft 365 global admin for the Microsoft 365 tenant with which you’re integrating Learn365. You must have at least the “Owners” permission to the App Catalog, and at least the “Read” permission to the SharePoint root site collection.

Integrate Learn365 with SharePoint

Required role: Microsoft 365 global admin.

1. Go to the Learn365 Admin Center > All catalogs > Global settings > LMS configuration > Microsoft 365 integrations > select Connect on the SharePoint tile.

2. Sign in to your Microsoft account and accept the Zensai permissions.

When the integration is enabled, the green Connected status is displayed on the SharePoint tile.

In case of errors, red error text is displayed. Find more information about possible errors in the Possible Errors section.

Possible Errors

If the Microsoft 365 tenant doesn't have an App Catalog, or the App Catalog was created in the last 20 minutes, the verification will fail.

Verification will also fail if the account you're using to set up the integration doesn't have sufficient permissions for the SharePoint App Catalog. In this case, you'll see the following message: "The SharePoint App Catalog is not available. Please ensure that you have at least "Owner" permissions."

To resolve a verification issue, you'll need to either:

• Create a SharePoint App Catalog and wait 20 minutes for it to be available, or
• Find the App Catalog site in the list of active SharePoint sites and grant at least "Owner" permissions to the account you're using to run the installation.

For more information about possible errors during setting up the SharePoint integration, see this article.