RM Easylink - need to achive similar... how?

[stevegwernyfed14]

Hi All,

Many of you will have heard of RM Easylink - allows students to access their work via a web browser from home etc.

We don't have an RM network - have a generic W2003 system etc. But we need to do somthing similar - allow students to access their work from schooll website - i.e. publish the students 'my documents' folders along with security etc.

Anyone know how we can do this or any products that allow it?

 

Thanks,

Steve

[webman]

You may be able to achieve this if you enable the FTP server within IIS. As long as your NTFS permissions are all in order, you would probably need to set up virtual folders for each year group or however they're arranged on your server. I've been trying to set up a linux ftp server to achieve a similar sort of thing but haven't got very far due to permission issues (although we have an RM network) :?

[spc-rocket]

Steve,

 

RM easylink uses Microsoft web folders technology which allows you to publish these folder on the intranet or internet. The RM system uses SSL (443) to publish folders but i suppose you can also use just plain HTTP (80) to do the same. There are few directories (high level) which gets published in IIS and some asp pages that sort of looks at who logged in and maps it to the appropriate "my document" for the relvant users.

 

It also displays LR (Learning Resources) as well and i think this is again based on webfolders as well.

 

Have a look at webfolders on the net

 

HTH,

 

Ashok.

[webman]

The only bad thing about MS web folders is that clients need IE5.5 upwards to be able to use it.

[wesleyw]

We are using Easylink at the moment but we plan to move away from RM in the near future, Teksys do a product which uses ISA server and is allowed through our LEA firewall (You'll have to check your LEA and see if the web folders option would be allowed if your connection goes through the council!) You could of course just configure ISA server to do the same but it'll take a lot of setting up, I believe NS Optimum do something called Optilink and I would think Stone would do similar things as well. I know NS Optimum do though as I've been in contact with them recently I believe Tulip recommends Teksys not sure though. I have heard people have had problems with NS Optimum and some have had a good relationship I suppose it all depends! I think when I move away it'll be with either Teksys or Stone (Of course if I'm feeling adventurous I may set it up myself lol)

 

Hope this helps

 

Wes

[stevegwernyfed14]

Thanks guys - you have made some very helpful comments. I have just had a play with creating a new site in IIS, pointing it at the students root folder ad setting the security - works a treat (well, kind of).

Now need to go and find out how to get web folders working - seems to be a total lack of info on the MS site.

Anyone got any documentation on Web Folders?

 

Thanks again,

Steve

[spc-rocket]

The technology behind webfolder is WebDAV so you may want to have a look at this and do a few searches.

 

Check out this -->

 

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/WebDAV-IIS.html

 

HTH,

 

Ashok.

[stevegwernyfed14]

Thanks Ashok,

Excellent article! Should give me all the info I need to finish this. Think I may need to write a couple of asp pages to allow students to select their own folder rather than see a list - but that should be a piece of cake.

 

Steve

[wesleyw]

If you get this working would you let me see the ASP scripting you use to allow the student or staff member to only see his/her work folder?

 

If I can do this for free I can get more hardware lol

 

Wes

[stevegwernyfed14]

At the moment, I have simply got a form and asked for the students username - then appended that to the URL string to take them direct to their folder. Sure, they can edit the URL and go up a level to try and access somone elses but they can't get into any other folders except their own.

I have this working fine in 'normal' file list mode but as soon as I try and flick over to Web Folders mode I get a logn box that won't accept the username and passord of the account I am tryng to access. If I cancel I get a 'do not have permissions' message.

 

Must be some permissions specific to WebDav / Web folders. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Steve

[spc-rocket]

Steve,

 

What kind of authentication have you got on the website? Integrated, Basisc, anonoymous etc it may be this.

 

The username and password is normal as webfolders doesn't use IE but windows explorer so you will be prompted for this. ON the autnehtication select Basic rather than integrated. However i do recommend that you use SSL to secure the traffic as in Basic authentication passwords are sent in clear text.

 

Also when you type in the username password did you specify domain\username format?

 

 

Ashok.

[stevegwernyfed14]

Hi Ashok,

I have it set to basic with SSL required.

I have tried the username both with and without the domain before it.

 

Anything else I can try?

 

Steve

 

p.s. Off home shortly so will try and pick this up tommorow.

[spc-rocket]

Steve,

 

I came across this article --> http://pluralsight.com/blogs/craig/archive/2003/05/04/692.aspx

 

It talks about the "Network service" which is the IUSR_ equilent in ii6 you may want to try this.

 

Also when you are trying in IE, do the following.

 

1) Open up IE and then click on File | Open

2) type in the url in the Open box

3) Place a tick in the "Open as Web Folder"

 

Give this a shot.

 

HTH,

 

Ashok.

[tarquel]

hey steve - u should have said

 

Good fun playing around with the WebDAV stuff wasnt it?

 

As a side comment, WSUS on the DC and OWA accessible on the email server - is there a way I can redirect a virtual folder to the WSUSadmin screen [with authentication of course hehe] on the DC?

 

I tried lots of things that worked locally but just couldnt get the blasted screen to appear login box for user/pass but thats the lot - page not displayed and all sorts happens.

 

But a good idea no? I "could of" administered and approved WSUS updates then

 

First one to crack it wins a pint at the next meeting lol

 

Nath.

[plexer]

Have you looked at SSLExplorer?

 

http://www.sshtools.com/showSslExplorer.do

http://sourceforge.net/projects/sslexplorer/

 

Ben

[MkII]

SSLExplorer looks very good plexer. Do you use it? Just wondering how it performs. And can you upload files?

[plexer]

Hi,

 

Unfortunately not been able to use at School due to our firewalled LEA VPN Wan setup. We use neoteris for remote access when they get it up and running.

 

I do have SSLExplorer installed on my home machine and a dyn dns alias so if I need any files I login to it via SSLExplorer, you can upload and download files as well as run terminal services and remote desktop via it.

 

Ben

[stevegwernyfed14]

Thanks Ashok for the info on Network places - don't think this will do the job. The solution has to be 'idiot proof' to allow students to use it. Additionally, I don't want to create training work for myself.

 

The VPN SSL solution that Plexer mentioned could be very good. I have seen these in action using Cisco gear and was very impressed. If I coul dget that to work - and integrate it into Active Directory to get usernames and passwords we could be onto a winner. Think I will investigate in the new year!

 

Steve

[plexer]

It supports active directory authentication out of the box, if I had the option to be able to use it I would as the current setup costs us £750 p/a.

 

Ben

[m25man]

Webdav publishing is native to Windows, is installed with a mouse click and uses native windows authentication.

Use SSL and you can be accessing home areas and other files through a web browser easily.

Most LEA's permit Port 443 inbound to a target webserver if setup correctly and doesn't normally need you to submit a DNA sample to the LEA's IT Dept in triplicate before your Broadband provisioning team can do it!

 

Using forms based authentication lets you script around the troublesome DOMAIN\username login dialog boxes.

 

Using ISA as an internal firewall allows routing to take place at application layer with a single sign-on thus specific servers can be targeted by url alone eg student.myschool.org uk can be routed to one server while staff.myschool.org.uk routes to another.

Add to this access to the intranet and the .net sims data .....

 

Hey haven't we just invented the "E-Portal".....

 

Lets call it???? I know! "ClassServer" that sounds good.

 

LOL

 

Joking aside ISA2004 routes/publishes/redirects based upon virtually any combination of rules you can think of thats why it's the tool of choice for these remote access solutions in schools.

 

VPN don't even go there, even if you had the budget to ensure everyone who might want to use it can, the overhead will prove taxing for most school servers and once attached and authenticated that sixth formers home pc is now bound to your own lan subnet......

 

SSL and a web browser is secure from end to end without the need to "glue" some little oik's home computer to your lan and has to be the only way to some yourself from catching something nasty!

 

Terminal Services/Citrix is another way but even if you can afford the extra hardware what about the licensing costs!

 

One of the schools I look after had a couple of Uni Guys in on placement and they said "Why can't we let the kids use the PC's in the labs from home"

Why not I said, we do it all the time using "Remote Web Workspace" which is a default part of IIS in Small Business Server.

 

By re-working this method we can extend this functionality to an entire school.

 

First kids log in to the school website https://myschool/remote from home.

Then choose from the list of available workstations, login as usual with the same username/password then use your home areas and all of the curriculum software just as you do when at school all with the same level of control/logging/restriction as they do when they are at school.

 

We are piloting the asp's and components as we speak but I can assure you you won't find a cheaper and more simplified way of doing what you are trying to achieve.

 

Can't tell you anymore than that as we will be using the feature in our own products but Im sure it will give a few people some fresh ideas.

 

Geoff

[spc-rocket]

Geoff (m25man)),

 

I agree with the webdav, i' not too sure of those products which sort of tunnels into your network using SSL and give a VPN kind of functionality. WebDav is like you say is the native comes with IIS can be used with the asp scripting to do remote access to files etc.

 

We have RM Easylink which uses this method so its definately doable. We are looking to provide SIMS.net access to some important users from home by allowing very very restrictive VPN but you mentioned about ISA server.

 

We have ISA server 2004 as our firewall and so far have been very impressed on what it can do which brings me to another point - you mentioned giving access to sims.net etc via isa server publishing - is this possible without VPN? I would be very much interested in any potential scenarios because then i can get around the VPN setup business.

 

Please keep me posted if you come up with any solution or potential idea.

 

Ashok.

[stevegwernyfed14]

Interesting...

Anyone know of a way of getting a copy of 'Remote Web Workspace' without buying SBS? - Or of a way of getting forms based authentication working with standard Web Folders?

I have got Wb Folders 'working' but the logins required are horrendous! There needs to be a single login and no domain required. Tricky...

 

Steve

[spc-rocket]

Steve,

 

can't you hard code the netbios name of your domain in the scripts/html page?

 

The forms based authentication on our isa server has the same issue but it theres a fix on isaserver.org --->

http://www.isaserver.org/tutorials/Customizing-OWA-FBA-Logon-Screen.html

 

RM has sort of encrypted the asp files so i can't really guide on how the code should like. If anyone got a asp file decrypter then please get back to me.

 

HTH,

 

Ashok.

[stevegwernyfed14]

Looks like ISA server is the best way to go - I have been toying with the idea of an ISA server for some time in order to get local loggin of internet access - currently all logs are held by the LEA.

I use the Java tweek already on Exchange 2003 - if I can setup ISA to publish the student files and then use forms authentication that could be perfect.

Time to get a quote for ISA 2004... the head's going to love this...

 

Steve

[spc-rocket]

Hi Steve,

 

I've managed to decrypt the files from easylink so if you can make sense of it it may tell you how to open the window as a web folder.

 

Ashok.