CC4 Removal

[School_Si]

Hi,

 

Has anyone successfully had CC4 removed from the network? If so, how did you go about it?

 

I have a single CC4 server and 15 computers. I want to remove CC4 but keep the AD. I will manage users and computers manually. Not sure if I can reuse the CC4 GPOs.

 

TIA,

 

Si

[dry]

At my old school we did indeed remove CC4, but build our vanilla VMs up first and migrated what we wanted to save over- so we ended up ditching the CC4 domain.

 

If you have the opportunity to start from scratch, I'd do it. When we did the migration, we found there wasn't an awful lot to keep from the CC4 domain (other than data and profiles). Bear in mind some of what CC4 does is proprietary to RM and very difficult to replicate in a vanilla domain- e.g. the banner on the Windows login screen. This is why I'd recommend getting rid of the whole lot- as you may find there's a lot of excess baggage if you start recycling GPOs etc.

[sparkeh]

Personally I would start with a new domain. IIRC there's not a great deal that will be useful to migrate from AD, CC4 uses a database to store the really useful stuff. The gpo stuff is pretty tailored to the way CC4 work so again I would start from scratch.

[Norphy]

I've not done this with CC4 but with CC3

 

In a nutshell, we built new DCs. We removed the CC3 software from the old DCs and demoted them. A new OU structure was built outside of the RM one with GPO inheritance disabled on it. New users and PCs were put into there.

 

RM do put in their own schema extensions into AD but once you stop using CC, they just become redundant. It is not necessary to rebuild the domain entirely.

[sparkeh]

I've not done this with CC4 but with CC3

 

In a nutshell, we built new DCs. We removed the CC3 software from the old DCs and demoted them. A new OU structure was built outside of the RM one with GPO inheritance disabled on it. New users and PCs were put into there.

 

RM do put in their own schema extensions into AD but once you stop using CC, they just become redundant. It is not necessary to rebuild the domain entirely.

Removing CC3 is a different kettle of fish to CC4. It works completely differently.

[jonbd]

We did basically the same thing as Norphy with CC4 but demoted and retired the old CC4 servers. Seems to have worked well here, and we are free of RMs horrific software!

[Fazza]

We've removed it at a couple of Primary schools now. Simply stopped using it on the servers, either via uninstalling all the software or (as in one of our schools) replaced the knackered server with a new one and didnt put the software back on.

 

The student laptops that were configured to use CC4 carried on working (albeit slowly) and as and when we had the time we imaged the student laptops with a fresh new build and they speeded up tremendously!

[Zoom7000]

A slight tangent to the main topic, is it possible to remove all of the CC4 software, agents and services from 1 particular PC? Is there a removal tool? I'd like to reuse a PC on a non-CC4 domain without having to rebuild it as we have some obscure software on there which we would have to pay extra cash for the support company to remote in and reinstall. If it's possible, this would be good, if not, we'll just have to shell out the cash.

[steve_forbes]

Hi,

 

I'll check with our Support team and see if there is a known way of doing this - I'll come back to you shortly.

 

Regards,

Steve Forbes

Head of Network Solutions

RM Education

[Tallwood_6]

Sensible approach would be to build a new domain and setup a trust relationship and migrate the users data and stations over (rebuild the stations) and the decommission the CC4 servers.

[steve_forbes]

Hi,

 

With regards to the single station and removing the CC4 tools, our support team suggest stopping and disabling the RM main services on the station. This hasn't been fully tested but we believe this will work.

 

Regards,

Steve

[mats]

Speaking as one who's seen a school's domain moved from a DC with CC4 to another DC without CC4, I can tell you that you really don't want the old GPOs coming across. You end up with lots of unnecessary stuff - which you can't always edit or prune. Much better to throw out the GPOs and probably start again with a new domain.

[AlanD]

Sitting here, smiling. We use RM. I not a huge fan, but I think it has some merit. Yes, I've noticed how much slicker a laptop becomes if you do a veneer install of windows on it. But once you put back AV, and group policies that give you some sensible lock down...they begin to feel much the same as they did with the RM software installed, which is perhaps not surprising. I think RM lost its way somewhat - possibly because they do not have enough serious competition - apart from do it yourself with Veneer Windows - which you can do of course...and I have done in the past. I think their unify product has some merit - synchronising passwords with O365 and google as well as dozens of education apps. (although I confess I did all this with Gads and Gaps and DirSync for free). Of course, it costs extra. And I think their new One drive desktop disk drive (It uses O365 drive as if you have a USB memory stick installed) is good too - although I have only seen it in preproduction so far. Their CC4 management layer still needs finishing off - bits don't work, or stop working, or are inconsistent...but its a one place shop for IT managers that don't know their way around Window servers. Despite using it, and being somewhat defensive of it - I do think its really hard to justify its cost. FWIW - I would start a new domain. Why wouldn't you?