New intranet

[azureusnation]

I'm currently making an intranet for our Trust but also want to make this so other schools can use all the modules that I'm making. This is a full community project and is available on GitHub https://github.com/AzureusNation/Intranet. We are always looking for new contributors to help this project on its way. The whole project is based on modules that can easily be enabled or disabled depending on the setup you want to have.

 

We also have a discord if you would like to join at the link below:

 

https://discord.gg/ZKB626A

 

The below is a list of modules I would like to see in the future. The list is in priority order.

 

Modules

• Signing in portal/tablet
  
• Student Username & Password Viewer
  
• Room Bookings
  
• School Calendars
  
• Homework (Free SMH replacement)
  
• IT Maintenance Schedule
  
• IT Services Status
  
• FAQ
  

 

I know this is an ambitious task but as HAP is getting limited support and is also on an old code base I think we as a community should put our efforts in to making a new more modern modular approach.

Edited August 29, 2018 by azureusnation

[djm968]

Office 365?

[azureusnation]

As in sharepoint? The biggest bit of software that make no sence to me. I can never understand sharepoint. Willing to learn it but i cant understand it.

[nottsure]

Personally I would look at SharePoint and the other Office 365 apps if you are a Microsoft school. I've not looked at Googles offerings as we are Office 365, but you might find they have something as well.

Another one I looked at a while ago was WOffice https://themeforest.net/item/woffice-intranetextranet-wordpress-theme/11671924 which did look very good, but getting some of ours to check email is hard enough let alone checking a school calendar and uploading files.

[djm968]

Yes basically SharePoint and the other Office 365 apps should be able to provide most of the functionality you need "off the shelf" If you are a Microsoft school, I cannot see any logic in trying to "reinvent the wheel"

[azureusnation]

Okay. Does anyone have any good source of SharePoint tutorials for Office 365? how to completely customise it and create separate web parts?

[MrKJLS]

Okay. Does anyone have any good source of SharePoint tutorials for Office 365? how to completely customise it and create separate web parts?

 

You can get LiveTiles free for education to run on SharePoint online

 

https://www.livetiles.nyc/products/livetiles-design/livetiles-sharepoint

[AlanD]

 

Modules

• FAQ
  
• Room Bookings
  
• School Calendars
  
• Student Username & Password Viewer
  
• IT Services Status
  
• IT Maintenance Schedule
  
• Homework (Free SMH replacement)
  

 

Are most of these not already done by the MIS? And really - they need to be integrated with the MIS to work well....So if A computer room is booked for a period 4 on Monday for a maths class - you would want that room to show up on the student timetable for that day in the MIS....not somewhere completely different.

 

 

We use schoolbase (I know - you probably haven't heard of it) and it does bookings, calendar (including ical feeds) and detailed homework etc. I would have thought most do at least some kind of attempt at this. And again - these things need to show up in timetables for staff and students when they look at MIS.

 

 

Not sure what you are asking for in terms of usernames and passwords? A self service password reset via ? Mobile phone? Email? Teacher? Its certainly possible to write some javascript/asp for a techer set a password via a web page... and there are free helpdesk solutions....into which you could put service status etc.

[dhicks]

Its mainly a lot of JavaScript work as the backend is going to just mainly be CRUD api services.

 

As others have pointed out, there's no need to start a new backend completly from scratch, there are existing systems that people already use and have time / money / data invested in. I would be inclined to look at cloud integration platforms as a basis for building further functionality on top of - Kloudless or similar for cross-platform access to GSuite / O365, and Clever.com / Wonde / GroupCall / SalamaderSoft / etc for support for multiple MIS systems.

 

I can possibly help build single-page apps with a combination of Javascript, JQuery, Page.js and Bootstrap, if you have any more details on what modules you have planned.

[Matzo]

I'm currently making an intranet for our Trust but also want to make this so other schools can use all the modules that I'm making. How ever I need someone to help with this. Its a full community project and I'll get it put up on GitHub soon. I'm looking for C# developers and even if your a wizard at front end design and JavaScript that would also be very helpful.

 

Its mainly a lot of JavaScript work as the backend is going to just mainly be CRUD api services.

 

Modules

• FAQ
  
• Room Bookings
  
• School Calendars
  
• Student Username & Password Viewer
  
• IT Services Status
  
• IT Maintenance Schedule
  
• Homework (Free SMH replacement)
  

 

I know this is an ambitious task but as HAP is getting limited support and is also on an old code base I think we as a community should put our efforts in to making a new more modern modular approach. Please PM me if you would like to help and also let me know what you can do code wise.

 

I think it's a great idea to create something from scratch and/or using open source software and frameworks to develop on however in terms of something 'easy' then yeah Microsoft Sharepoint and GSuite would be the easiest route however something custom is always way more interesting.

 

How far have you got with the project?

[azureusnation]

So far I'm also adding and now focusing on Staff Signin.. Hopefully if the next few weeks I get everything done off my todo list I can focus and get this finished for September. This wont be a fully finished product but it will be working.

[azureusnation]

Thought I'd give you all an update. I've made some really good progress on the Signin application part of the project and all of this project can be found here https://github.com/AzureusNation/Intranet . For the Signin Screens I only now need to implement the backend administration panel, and how the screen will know what site it is associated with. Everyone is more than welcome to contribute.

[AlanD]

Modules

• FAQ
  
• Room Bookings
  
• School Calendars
  
• Student Username & Password Viewer
  
• IT Services Status
  
• IT Maintenance Schedule
  
• Homework (Free SMH replacement)
  

Password viewer? I can understand how you might provide a a password "reset" to a registered mobile phone - or external email address...but to provide a password viewer would...have to be quite clever.....or else you stop them changing their password and assign one. Well...you could intercept the password change on AD as Google and Office 365 Sync does...but the best you would end up with is an encrypted form of the password.

 

Not entirely sure how you intend to use Javascript to interface with what has to be some kind of filing system....it would seem to me that this requires some kind of server sided code - like PHP or .net.....

 

And having written code that interfaces with MIS systems (and indeed some commercial software albeit years ago) it would seem to me that each of these things are a pretty major investment in terms of effort - especially if you want to make the robust and comprehensive. And when many of them already exist - at least to some extent ...in most MIS systems I just don't see the point. Your time costs money...and if you succeeded in producing a really wonderful "portal" the question would arise as to who would maintain it? Because the last thing you would want is for your schools to become dependent on a system you might walk away from at any time.

 

Yes, I know 6th formers produce coding projects for A Level every year that tackle such things - and while some of their solutions show promise, its rare to see one that wouldn't need a lot more work to make it robust.

 

Just think your effort would be better focused into doing other stuff....

[azureusnation]

Password viewer? I can understand how you might provide a a password "reset" to a registered mobile phone - or external email address...but to provide a password viewer would...have to be quite clever.....or else you stop them changing their password and assign one. Well...you could intercept the password change on AD as Google and Office 365 Sync does...but the best you would end up with is an encrypted form of the password.

 

Not entirely sure how you intend to use Javascript to interface with what has to be some kind of filing system....it would seem to me that this requires some kind of server sided code - like PHP or .net.....

 

And having written code that interfaces with MIS systems (and indeed some commercial software albeit years ago) it would seem to me that each of these things are a pretty major investment in terms of effort - especially if you want to make the robust and comprehensive. And when many of them already exist - at least to some extent ...in most MIS systems I just don't see the point. Your time costs money...and if you succeeded in producing a really wonderful "portal" the question would arise as to who would maintain it? Because the last thing you would want is for your schools to become dependent on a system you might walk away from at any time.

 

Yes, I know 6th formers produce coding projects for A Level every year that tackle such things - and while some of their solutions show promise, its rare to see one that wouldn't need a lot more work to make it robust.

 

Just think your effort would be better focused into doing other stuff....

 

Hi Alan,

 

I didn't explain the password viewer that well, its for passwords that have been assigned to students. This then gives staff members a way to retrieve the students password without having to come and bother IT all the time.

 

Not sure what you mean regarding a 'filing system', but yes there is a backend that is distributing the html, css, js and crud api.

 

Yes I agree that MIS's do have some of these bit to a degree but no staff at any of the schools I have been at use SIMs or any other MIS correctly and tying to train them is like hitting your head against a brick wall. They like easy and simple, which a lot of MIS's don't offer to the 'less tech savvy' people.

 

I would argue your point in regards to maintaining this project and say 'Well what about Home Access Plus+?'. Look at how many schools us that and rely on it for access to book rooms and also access their files from home. Overall this is meant to be a community project to help teachers and save money as times are tough in education. Yes all of these things do exist out there for a cost... and this is what I want to stop happening. Companies taking advantage of the Education Sector and charging the earth for a bit of software that I am proving is easily written for mere pennies.

 

Yes my time do cost, but my employers are paying me to do this whilst there are no big projects to do. I have technicians that do the day to day jobs whilst I maintain the servers that hardly if ever go wrong.

 

I'm trying really hard not to bite back at a negative comment and would ask that if you don't want to or have nothing good to say regarding the work I am putting in to save money for schools then please keep your comments to yourself.

[forkies]

but to provide a password viewer would...have to be quite clever.....or else you stop them changing their password and assign one. Well...you could intercept the password change on AD as Google and Office 365 Sync does...but the best you would end up with is an encrypted form of the password.

 

We have developed a system after we left the LA network who managed user accounts back in 2012, we intercept password changes in AD, this is plain text before it is encrypted. This is so staff can view the students passwords but mainly it allows us to synchronise the password changes with other systems as required which don’t support sync with AD natively.

[mavhc]

As a start people who write code for their schools should really look into open sourcing it, otherwise it'll just die. Everyone's sitting around coding their own thing, not working together, get out there and show off your work.

 

So congrats to the original poster for that.

 

However the same applies to people trying to write a whole thing from scratch. Make sure you're reusing other people's code so your own bit is as small as possible. Keeping web apps up to date is a lot of work when the browser changes every 6 weeks.

 

If I'm considering using a new project I look at what existing work they're importing, there's already 8000 web calendar libraries I assume, for example.

 

Also looking for unit and integration tests, documentation, a roadmap, a plan, evidence you know how hard it will be. Without all that it's hard to get people to join in. Start as small as possible "I have this working thing, I'm thinking of adding x/y/z if people would like to help, here's the developer documentation on how it works"

[mavhc]

Also I see you've forked HAP, I'd need to know your really good reasons why you're not just improving that, starting from scratch is usually a terrible idea

[Primus]

We have developed a system after we left the LA network who managed user accounts back in 2012, we intercept password changes in AD, this is plain text before it is encrypted. This is so staff can view the students passwords but mainly it allows us to synchronise the password changes with other systems as required which don’t support sync with AD natively.

 

Do you tell students (presumably you don't do this for staff)? This is a very major step in breaking what should be a secure system.

[azureusnation]

We have developed a system after we left the LA network who managed user accounts back in 2012, we intercept password changes in AD, this is plain text before it is encrypted. This is so staff can view the students passwords but mainly it allows us to synchronise the password changes with other systems as required which don’t support sync with AD natively.

 

Interesting. Is it something the sits on a domain controller and inspects network packets? I would love if we could work on getting this implemented in to this new Intranet that I haven't thought of a name for yet.

[Primus]

Interesting. Is it something the sits on a domain controller and inspects network packets? I would love if we could work on getting this implemented in to this new Intranet that I haven't thought of a name for yet.

 

So ignoring the fairly major security concerns with doing this?

[azureusnation]

Also I see you've forked HAP, I'd need to know your really good reasons why you're not just improving that, starting from scratch is usually a terrible idea

 

The reason why I'm starting from scratch is that HAP+ doesn't use the MVC standard. It's also using the old Web Forms stack. Nick had and has done a spectacular job on the HAP project, but it never reached a 2.0. This project is that 2.0, getting it updated to the latest frameworks and also adding more functionality to it.

 

Hope that makes sense?

[forkies]

Do you tell students (presumably you don't do this for staff)? This is a very major step in breaking what should be a secure system.

 

We tell students in our AUP. As It was an existing feature of our old local authority solution who also run the lgfl network so not sure if the same for those schools.

 

It is no different to how other systems extract passwords for sso. We have this on an internal only access and it is synced to other systems for sso, so yes it is not a secure system but ultimately you can brute force active directory quite easily with some passwords students have, and with the likes of many websites and systems being hacked these days and passwords being leaked is anything secure?

 

Ultimately if a password were to be compromised then only access to insignificant non personal data would occur such as student user documents in our case.

[forkies]

Interesting. Is it something the sits on a domain controller and inspects network packets? I would love if we could work on getting this implemented in to this new Intranet that I haven't thought of a name for yet.

 

I would be happy to go through how we have implemented this and you can build that into your unnamed Intranet. It would be up to the end user wether to enable the feature or not and be up to them to risk assess it which would cover any security concerns people may have.

 

An alternative is to just have it feed straight into the other systems for sso, so that plain text passwords are never stored just processed and then each system should store them in some hashed or encrypted form. Again a risk assessment by the end user when they install this.

 

I will pm you.

[ITGuyWestMidlands]

In all fairness, it's exactly what Google s Password sync tool does, yet it's used by many with no issue or (little) security concerns.

[Primus]

In all fairness, it's exactly what Google s Password sync tool does, yet it's used by many with no issue or (little) security concerns.

 

They don’t then store passwords in cleartext!