60 XP machines to join the server, some questions.

[FFMG]

Hi,

I am 'managing' a school computer network with 60 computers dotted all
over the place, (I use the term managing loosely).
We have 30 computers in the computer lab for the students and 30
computers in various classrooms/offices.
All the machines are currently Windows XP pro, (we got 60 licenses
from Microsoft rather than a single volume license).

A technician is coming to install a server, (new machine and MS Server
2003), I am not sure about the version yet but I know it is at least
Windows 2003.

I am guessing that the technician will do some of the basic work but I
would also like to learn how to do some basic things myself.
Also as we are on a budget I would hate to call the technician out for
something I could probably do myself.

So I have some questions of the work I will probably need to do...

1- Once the server is installed, how do I make all 60 computers join
the domain without too much hicups?
Of course I don't mind going to each machine one by one if need be,
but I would not want the users to loose their current profiles, (the
teachers would riot if I did that). I would like to 'import' their
current profiles, is that possible?

2- Once this is done and they are all the the domain I would need to
separate each users between Teachers and Students groups. Students
would have very limited access and teachers a bit more.

3- And then I would then like to install/remove some applications that
have been installed on the machines.
- I would like to install an AV on all machines as well as windows
defender.
- Remove certain applications that might be on machines, (especially
p2p apps).

4- Can I then schedule cron jobs from the machines?
For example, defrag, virus checker and so on, force windows updates to
run, prevent the user from turning their firewall on/off.

I know I could ask the technician to do this for me, but I would like
to learn how it is done as I will probably have more than one app to
add/remove.

Are there any tutorials that could help?

In advance, Many thanks

F.

 

[Leythos]

Re: 60 XP machines to join the server, some questions.

In article <13489502-3964-403a-9c97-0ec59a1c6180
@e60g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>, spambucket@myoddweb.com says...
> Hi,
>
> I am 'managing' a school computer network with 60 computers dotted all
> over the place, (I use the term managing loosely).
> We have 30 computers in the computer lab for the students and 30
> computers in various classrooms/offices.
> All the machines are currently Windows XP pro, (we got 60 licenses
> from Microsoft rather than a single volume license).
>
> A technician is coming to install a server, (new machine and MS Server
> 2003), I am not sure about the version yet but I know it is at least
> Windows 2003.
>
> I am guessing that the technician will do some of the basic work but I
> would also like to learn how to do some basic things myself.
> Also as we are on a budget I would hate to call the technician out for
> something I could probably do myself.
>
> So I have some questions of the work I will probably need to do...
>
> 1- Once the server is installed, how do I make all 60 computers join
> the domain without too much hicups?
> Of course I don't mind going to each machine one by one if need be,
> but I would not want the users to loose their current profiles, (the
> teachers would riot if I did that). I would like to 'import' their
> current profiles, is that possible?
>
> 2- Once this is done and they are all the the domain I would need to
> separate each users between Teachers and Students groups. Students
> would have very limited access and teachers a bit more.
>
> 3- And then I would then like to install/remove some applications that
> have been installed on the machines.
> - I would like to install an AV on all machines as well as windows
> defender.
> - Remove certain applications that might be on machines, (especially
> p2p apps).
>
> 4- Can I then schedule cron jobs from the machines?
> For example, defrag, virus checker and so on, force windows updates to
> run, prevent the user from turning their firewall on/off.
>
> I know I could ask the technician to do this for me, but I would like
> to learn how it is done as I will probably have more than one app to
> add/remove.
>
> Are there any tutorials that could help?
>
> In advance, Many thanks

You have large problems if you're going live with the computers anywhere
kids can reach them and you don't already know the answers to your
questions - sorry to put it that way.

My wife is a teacher, and the school IT people are useless, almost less
than useless. I normally have to fix her computers once or twice a
month.

Put the kids in a different network, they don't need access to the
server if all they are doing is browsing and research - they don't need
file space. Lock down all the kids computers, don't allow USB drives,
don't allow CD/DVD access from the lab computers, use optical mice as
they will remove the ball from ball mice.... Lock down the XP operating
system so that they can only use MS Word/Excel and FireFox, no email, no
games, etc... Also make sure that your firewall blocks IM and file
downloads that could be programs.....

As for AV, since these PC's won't be part of your domain, and you really
don't want kids to be part of the domain, you can install AV from CD,
since it's not a lot of machines in the lab....

If you want the kids to have network storage space, get another server,
one for kids, one for staff, and put the kids server in a different
network. Setup firewall rules to permit the Staff network to access the
kids server but not the other way around...

--

Leythos
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

 

[FFMG]

Re: 60 XP machines to join the server, some questions.

>
> You have large problems if you're going live with the computers anywhere
> kids can reach them and you don't already know the answers to your
> questions - sorry to put it that way.

>
> My wife is a teacher, and the school IT people are useless, almost less
> than useless. I normally have to fix her computers once or twice a
> month.

Many thanks for your input.
As I said, the technician is going to do some of the work but I wanted
to learn some of the simple task such as installing/removing
applications.

There was no need to insult me in the process, I did say that I was
barely managing the computers at the school.

>
> Put the kids in a different network, they don't need access to the
> server if all they are doing is browsing and research - they don't need
> file space. Lock down all the kids computers, don't allow USB drives,
> don't allow CD/DVD access from the lab computers, use optical mice as
> they will remove the ball from ball mice.... Lock down the XP operating
> system so that they can only use MS Word/Excel and FireFox, no email, no
> games, etc... Also make sure that your firewall blocks IM and file
> downloads that could be programs.....

I am not sure what school your wife works at, but where we are the
kids are not really the problem.
The adults are.


Regards,

F.

 

[Leythos]

Re: 60 XP machines to join the server, some questions.

In article <fa512ac7-c668-4eee-bf69-1249260441b8
@j28g2000hsj.googlegroups.com>, spambucket@myoddweb.com says...
> >
> > You have large problems if you're going live with the computers anywhere
> > kids can reach them and you don't already know the answers to your
> > questions - sorry to put it that way.
>
> >
> > My wife is a teacher, and the school IT people are useless, almost less
> > than useless. I normally have to fix her computers once or twice a
> > month.
>
> Many thanks for your input.
> As I said, the technician is going to do some of the work but I wanted
> to learn some of the simple task such as installing/removing
> applications.
>
> There was no need to insult me in the process, I did say that I was
> barely managing the computers at the school.

As I said, "sorry to put it that way" and it wasn't an insult. The
simple fact is that you should not be learning on production systems,
that's what causes networks to be compromised and email to be black-
listed and such, it's not an insult, it to warn you about how critical
it is to learn before touching the production network.

> > Put the kids in a different network, they don't need access to the
> > server if all they are doing is browsing and research - they don't need
> > file space. Lock down all the kids computers, don't allow USB drives,
> > don't allow CD/DVD access from the lab computers, use optical mice as
> > they will remove the ball from ball mice.... Lock down the XP operating
> > system so that they can only use MS Word/Excel and FireFox, no email, no
> > games, etc... Also make sure that your firewall blocks IM and file
> > downloads that could be programs.....
>
> I am not sure what school your wife works at, but where we are the
> kids are not really the problem.
> The adults are.

Unless you're home schooling the kids will do things like take mice
balls or other silly things. Yes, adults are a problem too, but you want
to separate the school staff network from the kids network.

--

Leythos
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

 

[FFMG]

Re: 60 XP machines to join the server, some questions.

On Feb 19, 11:15 pm, Leythos <v...@nowhere.lan> wrote:
> In article <fa512ac7-c668-4eee-bf69-1249260441b8
> @j28g2000hsj.googlegroups.com>, spambuc...@myoddweb.com says...
>
>
>
>
>
> > > You have large problems if you're going live with the computers anywhere
> > > kids can reach them and you don't already know the answers to your
> > > questions - sorry to put it that way.
>
> > > My wife is a teacher, and the school IT people are useless, almost less
> > > than useless. I normally have to fix her computers once or twice a
> > > month.
>
> > Many thanks for your input.
> > As I said, the technician is going to do some of the work but I wanted
> > to learn some of the simple task such as installing/removing
> > applications.
>
> > There was no need to insult me in the process, I did say that I was
> > barely managing the computers at the school.
>
> As I said, "sorry to put it that way" and it wasn't an insult. The
> simple fact is that you should not be learning on production systems,
> that's what causes networks to be compromised and email to be black-
> listed and such, it's not an insult, it to warn you about how critical
> it is to learn before touching the production network.
>
> > > Put the kids in a different network, they don't need access to the
> > > server if all they are doing is browsing and research - they don't need
> > > file space. Lock down all the kids computers, don't allow USB drives,
> > > don't allow CD/DVD access from the lab computers, use optical mice as
> > > they will remove the ball from ball mice.... Lock down the XP operating
> > > system so that they can only use MS Word/Excel and FireFox, no email, no
> > > games, etc... Also make sure that your firewall blocks IM and file
> > > downloads that could be programs.....
>
> > I am not sure what school your wife works at, but where we are the
> > kids are not really the problem.
> > The adults are.
>
> Unless you're home schooling the kids will do things like take mice
> balls or other silly things. Yes, adults are a problem too, but you want
> to separate the school staff network from the kids network.
>

You might be great at network/computer work, but your knowledge of
schools is very limited indeed.
Do not generalize all schools with what you read in the papers.

In any case, if you didn't know the answer you did not have to reply
to the thread.
No point in going off tangent to make some other, (wrong), point.

Regards,

F.

 

[TSBA]

Re: 60 XP machines to join the server, some questions.

I work at a school, also. It is a small, rural district but heavily
invested in technology. We are, shall I say, less cynical about our
students than Leythos. We have problems with minor vandalism and
disrespect, but on the whole, they're good kids and just as motivated
to make sure the technology works as we are. I think that's because
we try to trust and educate them. We believe students need access to
technology to learn to use it well AND responsibly (http://
cnets.iste.org/students/s_stands.html).

Same goes for the teachers--they trust our IT staff (of which I am
one) because we respond to their needs in a timely manner and with
compassion. And when I refer to IT staff, I am talking about 3 people,
two of whom are teachers and still teach 2 hours a day. Technology
*CAN* be frustrating! You can be very intelligent and still be
baffled by it. I'm sorry Leythos, his wife, and their school have had
such a poor experience with their support staff.

Leythos is correct, though, in pointing out the risks. In our
district, only tech staff have administrator privileges on Windows
machines. Only teachers can install programs on Macs. IM is
blocked. Email accounts used for class assignments are student safe
(like gaggle.net). If students have internet access, you must have
content filtering software. There are lots of choices but we use and
have been happy with SonicWall. To differentiate between student and
teacher permissions, we use Active Directory, although we don't take
as much advantage of it as we could. The Tech Coordinator has
programs to monitor student computers (big brotherish, yes, but it has
been very useful in pointing the way to weaknesses in our system, as
well as a tool for (again) educating students). For the most part, we
do not allow students to check out machines to take home, because we
don't have a way to guarantee they won't access something they
shouldn't while on-line.

F, we do the same thing you do: make sure that our technician knows
that we will be following him/her, asking questions and taking notes.
We also have a great resource in our Internet provider, MoreNet
(http://www.more.net). They offer free training on a variety of
topics to members, some of which is web-based. You may have a similar
resource available to you. We also attend conferences as much as
possible. In addition, one of our teachers and tech staff is a
certified eMints trainer (http://www.emints.org). Discussion groups
like this one often are invaluable.

I know well enough that it is not possible to learn everything you
need to know before starting the job. For example, we have dual
operating systems -- Windows and Mac machines and servers. Great
opportunities for students and teachers, but the systems don't always
play nice with each other and we have found FEW resources or
technicians who can address all of our issues. I'm another example.
I started at the school as a database coordinator and have since added
server maintenance and hardware and software support to my list of
responsibilities. As much as I wish I was an expert in these areas, I
am not . . . but I'm trying!

Good luck in your new challenges and responsibilities!

TSBA