Mixed Classes OU Advice for Server 2003

[CM786]

Hi guys,

Hope you had a good summer (if you were off!).

I have just been given a classlist to create a few accounts on a new Server 2003/XP Network I setup over the summer.

Over the summer I created OUs for Nursery, Y1-Y6 etc. I have now been told that the classes are infact mixed ages, so we have Class5/6, Class 3/4 as well as Class 6, Class 3 and Class 4.

What would be the best way to put this in my Active Directory structure, so I don't have to do too much reorganisation? I thought about just creating groups...

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers!

[Geoff]

Your OU's need to reflect your organisational structure. Have one OU for each class.

[CheeseDog]

I've got a few mixed classes too and had to sort them out as they were organised in class groups at first.

Was a nightmare at the end of the year as we get a lot of classes reshuffled.

So I organised them all into year group as you can be sure that it won't change for a child. (allthough it has been known to happen here)

Also makes it easier to remove (or whatever you do with them) when they leave for year 7.

I also don't bother setting up Nursery children as far too many of them don't move to reception. They have a generic login considering most of the time a staff member will log in for them.

[ajbritton]

Your OUs are there to make management easier. Unless you are using them to set different policies then you don't need to have them. Won't the kids change class every year anyway? Sounds like a good way to make work for yourself.

Are you creating individual user accounts for all the Early Years children? Surely they won't be logging on or even saving any work at that stage. Almost all the primary schools I deal with use shared accounts right up to Year 6 although some are considering individual accounts for KS2.

If you must create individual user accounts, I suggest creating 'intake xxxx' OUs (so this year would be 'intake 2006'). That way you don't need to move them every year.

[Geoff]

I use security groups for each 'year' of pupils. I then use OU's that represent the physical classes. I can then put GPO's in on a per class basis and further restrict things with Security filters if I have a mixed class.

Practically though, I've only ever had to do this once.

[john]

I issue Usernames for children from Y1 onwards, they are very capable of remembering there username and a simple set password of "dog" or something that is specific and easy to remember.