Required to run - newbie here!

Hi!

Usually this is best done with a LMS or a service like Articulate Online. 

I'm trying to remember if someone has gotten this to work with a third-party database . . .

Although I'm not one, most people on here use an LMS. Some of them will certainly chime in and explain how you can store and report data in an LMS environment.

Regarding more conventional database storeage, no, there is no real I/O component built in to Storyline. Some data may be held in a cookie on the user's computer, and will be accessible in multiple sessions IF the user clicks "Yes" to the the resume prompt at startup. If you turn that prompt off (as I usually do), then no, no session data whatsoever is stored anywhere.

Having said all that, you could write some JavaScript procedures that handled database I/O for you. Unfortunately, the iPad Mobile Player app does not interpret JS at this time.

Yes, you can implement your Storyline project to any conventional host. There are some MIME settings that are required, but no SQL access or other extensions are required.

You might want to visit www.StorylineAuthors.com. A number of former beta testers banded together to create a Library of SL articles there. Good stuff.

LMS?

Learning Management System. Articulate offers one in their Articulate Online service.

In brief, a typical LMS will allow you to:

1. manage user data, e.g. add/edit/remove users with/without custom fields (name, email, password, dept, location, etc)
2. manage course enrolments, e.g. allocate specific courses to specific learners, allow learners to request access as opposed to enrolling instantly, etc
3. handle email alerts/notifications internally, e.g. send reminder emails etc
4. track user activity, e.g. date of first access, date of last access, number of accesses, pre-score (if any), post-score (if any), total time spent, pass/fail, completion/non-completion etc
5. and lots more, e.g. custom reports, customised branding, adding of other resources ...
6. do all this online, i.e. as an extension of your website, e.g. www.yourcompany.com/elearning

If you want to manage what your learners have access to and subsequently report on their activity, then an LMS is (usually) the best way forward.  And they don't have to be expensive.

I've known people look to save money by building their own methods of capturing user data (usually at login) but they've rarely been happy with it unless they need minimal information.  

There's a special place in heaven for folks who build their own LMS's.

And there's an even more special place in heaven for those who have to manage or administer a LMS, where it be homegrown or from a vendor like Saba, CornerStone, Plateau, etc.