Honest CC4 Feedback?

[CHR1S]

Has anyone taken up CC4 yet?

We are looking to move away from CC3 to Vanilla XP and 2003 but liked what we saw of CC4 as a whole package.

Has anyone who is running it got some real world info and feedback of how it runs, how it differs from CC3 and how restrictive it is (if at all) to manage compared to 2003 and AD.

Thanks

Chris

[webman]

Currently CC3 here; not running CC4 yet but planning to in the next 6-12 months.

Our idea is to build a new network based on a (new) SAN + (new) servers + CC4 parallel to present network, and once it's configued as we like, we simply migrate user folders and applications and re-build all workstations to CC4.

This seems to be a better option than upgrading the 6-year-old CC3 Windows 2000 servers to CC4 + Windows 2003 + SAN etc. and migration all in one go at the same time within a short time frame.

[budgester]

Planning it for the next financial year.

[Butuz]

Has anyone taken up CC4 yet?

We are looking to move away from CC3 to Vanilla XP and 2003 but liked what we saw of CC4 as a whole package.

Has anyone who is running it got some real world info and feedback of how it runs, how it differs from CC3 and how restrictive it is (if at all) to manage compared to 2003 and AD.

Thanks

Chris

Out of interest Chris - why are you wanting to move to vanilla?

I would consider CC4 as an evolution of CC3, building on CC3's strong points and removing some of it's weak points. If you hate CC3 - i wouldnt imagine you would love CC4???

Butuz

[binky]

Vanilla

Mmmm.... Vanilla :P. Going CC4 (*hopefully*) this summer, just waiting on final approval.

[CHR1S]

Out of interest Chris - why are you wanting to move to vanilla?

I would consider CC4 as an evolution of CC3, building on CC3's strong points and removing some of it's weak points. If you hate CC3 - i wouldnt imagine you would love CC4???

Butuz

Being server 2003/AD trained I found it counter productive and had the cost implications with the support contracts we wouldnt need under vanilla. Ill spare you the long list of pro's and con's but I will say CC4 impressed us, were having a tech demo soon and a chance to break a live server and client setup

Ideally we want a balance of vanilla freedom with CC4 tools and management for the "incase im hit by a bus day"

[webman]

Thinking about it realistically - do you really need the RM support contracts? We've never bothered with them so saved a fortune there.

[binky]

Thinking about it realistically - do you really need the RM support contracts? We've never bothered with them so saved a fortune there.

Yes and no, how many problems do you have? Do you want the updates? Even if you don't want support from RM, you should get the 1st year (especially with CC4, because many bugs will be fixed in the first few months) because its a new system.

[cookie_monster]

but I will say CC4 impressed us

What CC4 features impress?

[webman]

Yes and no, how many problems do you have? Do you want the updates? Even if you don't want support from RM, you should get the 1st year (especially with CC4, because many bugs will be fixed in the first few months) because its a new system.

Hmm. I see your point Espeically with it being such a new product.

I started working at the school after CC3 was installed so maybe we had an initial support period. We've had very few problems - in the first couple of years we also had LEA support but found we relied less and less on this so cut that cost too. I know our NM (bossman) has access to the RM hotfixes but we don't pay a yearly fee.

[Michael]

I remember receiving a CC4 leaflet containing all the so called brilliant features, most of which have existed for years. One good example is CC4 will automatically download and distribute updates from RM servers, instead of downloading patches manually and distributing them in CC3. Sounds like an RM version of WSUS?

It also uses technology to download this information silently in the background. This sounds like BITS to me, again it's been around for years.

I don't think RM are bad, but the prime issues I have are the prices they charge for services/solutions you can get elsewhere for next to nothing, or indeed free. WSUS is free for example.

[CHR1S]

What CC4 features impress?

The inbuilt auditing features, RM Tutor 4, web access restrictions and a few other bits. I know there are probably cheaper or free alternatives but the overall collection of tools, implementation and interoperability seem to be what we want (assuming the price is right).

The only problem I have found with the support is 99% of the time I can fix a situation but its the 1% of custom RM weirdness that requires RM support to solve. And even with me being RM certified and the 50% discount it holds is still not good value.

[PiqueABoo]

AIUI current live CC4s are all field trials so "how it runs" now is not necessarily related to how the official release will run.

::touches wood::

[russdev]

As member above says all current sites are field trial sites but will gladly talk to you about it give me a email (russell.dyas@edugeek.net) and will discuss it with you.

Russ

[CHR1S]

Thanks Russ, we have just had our quote in so after a few stiff drinks I may drop you an email!