Exam Marker 2

[jthompson]

I think I've got another member of staff due into the office at some point wanting this on their laptop, so I'll see if I can test the login side of things in more detail.

[CHiLL]

did anyone get this this to work in the end?

I did by granting the user's account full security permission to "C:\Program Files (x86)\DRS". It's important to note that the user is using a local account on their laptop, not their domain account. So the permissions were set for their local account on that folder.

Edited June 6, 2022 by CHiLL

[jthompson]

So it installs and runs from user profiles, but also needs write access to a Program Files folder?

If that's the case, this one's going on my list.

[jthompson]

Okay, so this seems to come in a variety of flavours, perhaps depending on exam board or subject? My first encounters this year were the one that runs as an exe setup, downloading resources from an online repository and installing to the user profile. The installation of that one can be covered by AppLocker rules. I've just now encountered a different flavour (AQA Summer 2022 CMIPlus Marker v 8.11.0.6) which is an MSI that installs to Program Files (x86), with a second stage MSI requiring elevation. Yet to see whether this one works for a non-admin end user after installation.

[Ghosty2]

i got it to work - white list emarker.co.uk in smoothwall - and for app blocker, set it up as publisher like this e-Marker2®-e2-p-005, version 16.0.0.0 and above, in "", from O=DRS DATA SERVICES LIMITED, L=MILTON KEYNES, C=GB

after in publisher tab publisher name is O=DRS DATA SERVICES LIMITED, L=MILTON KEYNES, C=GB (this should be all filled in)

under the product name, file name and file version just put a star in the box* as soon as i did this it started working. It may need a manual install but at least all users can run it once its installed

Let me know how you get on

[Ghosty2]

that was for AQA emarker i think JCQ emarker is different :/

[jthompson]

I think e2-p-005 is one that installs to user profiles and runs from there (2 AppLocker publisher rules needed, one for setup exe and one for app exe).

 

The login fails after entering a username and clicking into the next field. That seems to happen when HTTPS inspection is active. Without HTTPS inspection, it appears to progress through the login form more successfully (i.e. I can get as far as it not recognising the deatil I enter, which is the best I can manage without any real-world login details to test). Struggling to spot web requests being made by the app, though.

[jthompson]

Yep, definitely HTTPS inspection breaking whatever encrypted connection this software needs to establish with its server(s).

[Max_Power]

Is there any official "wording" anywhere from the exam board regarding the use of school owned devices, or rather the encouragement of NOT using school owned devices. Spent a significant amount of time on this issue, and still no further on. Whatever the software is trying to connect to enabling via, smoothwall, firewall and WDAC is just far too time consuming when no assistance is offered from the exam board themselves.

[Ghosty2]

I prefer a official wording as well if anyone can point me in the right direction would be very handy

[jthompson]

I can appreciate why the official line would just be "use a personal device at home", since they don't want to get dragged down into problems stemming from schools' environments when the school is not the customer.

[paulkerton]

Do you not have wording of your own that points out that a school device is just that, so therefore you shouldn't be using it for personal reasons?

[Max_Power]

Do you not have wording of your own that points out that a school device is just that, so therefore you shouldn't be using it for personal reasons?

 

School are keen to allow staff to use their device as we value having staff that are markers.

[Ghosty2]

I have emailed AQA to see if i can get more information

[Max_Power]

I have emailed AQA to see if i can get more information

 

Is you can post any responses you get on here that would be great - I never got one when I emailed.

[DrBeaker]

Is there any official "wording" anywhere from the exam board regarding the use of school owned devices, or rather the encouragement of NOT using school owned devices. Spent a significant amount of time on this issue, and still no further on. Whatever the software is trying to connect to enabling via, smoothwall, firewall and WDAC is just far too time consuming when no assistance is offered from the exam board themselves.

 

I prefer a official wording as well if anyone can point me in the right direction would be very handy

 

Do you not have wording of your own that points out that a school device is just that, so therefore you shouldn't be using it for personal reasons?

 

All,

 

If this https://www.aqa.org.uk/information-for-examiners-and-moderators/tools-and-pc-requirements/emarker-2 is the one.

 

It says here https://www.aqa.org.uk/information-for-examiners-and-moderators/payments "How we pay you", which to me implies they're doing this as supplemental income but using a school device which to me would be against school IT Acceptable use policy of said IT equipment. Just my 2 cents.

[Max_Power]

Received the following from AQA. Computer readiness article v4.0.pdf

 

Basics of it are that the user needs to be an administrator of the device to get the software to work properly, nothing more about the technicalities of why, or if settings (whatever they may be) can be enabled just for the standard user without admin rights.

": Please have a chat with your education establishment’s IT technician or their IT

provider and ask for assistance. You will need them to change your computer user rights to having

local/full administrative rights. Note that educational establishments are not obliged to do this for

you, it’s just good will on their part."

 

Bit annoying how they describe enabling it as good will of the IT dept. as well! Nothing to do with good will, how about security of the device or systems in place. Anyway wont be spending more time on this one, its an unfortunate no we cant facilitate it.

[chrisbagnall]

Hi Guys

Do any of you guys use Senso, for your e-safety software

 

Senso was blocking one of the AQA software's that our teachers were using, and we had to add an exception

 

We too have teachers using this E-Marker software, and it was crashing as soon as you enter the password with the network issue

I contacted Senso support, and we had to again add an exception on Senso to the exe that E-Marker uses (DRS.Platform.UI.Framework.Host.exe) which seems to be the exe that E-Marker uses

 

Re-launching the software with this exception seems to allow the password and memorable data to be entered.

 

However, we are now getting a red box with a system error now upon authenticating, with the software then crashing

 

If you try and log in from a non school device with the same credentials, E-Marker thinks you are already signed in to the device that reported that system crash at log on

Awaiting AQA response how we can get around this

[jthompson]

However, we are now getting a red box with a system error now upon authenticating, with the software then crashing

 

If you try and log in from a non school device with the same credentials, E-Marker thinks you are already signed in to the device that reported that system crash at log on

Awaiting AQA response how we can get around this

 

I reckon that's HTTPS inspection upsetting the software's connection. If you're able to exempt the application/user from HTTPS inspection you'll probably find that it works. How/if you're going to do that would be an exercise for the reader, as it'll rub up against your environment and policies.

 

Your Senso rules for that particular flavour of E-Marker 2 will be doing the same thing as the AppLocker rules I posted earlier, I suspect.

[DrBeaker]

Received the following from AQA. [ATTACH]65683[/ATTACH]

 

Basics of it are that the user needs to be an administrator of the device to get the software to work properly, nothing more about the technicalities of why, or if settings (whatever they may be) can be enabled just for the standard user without admin rights.

": Please have a chat with your education establishment’s IT technician or their IT

provider and ask for assistance. You will need them to change your computer user rights to having

local/full administrative rights. Note that educational establishments are not obliged to do this for

you, it’s just good will on their part."

 

Bit annoying how they describe enabling it as good will of the IT dept. as well! Nothing to do with good will, how about security of the device or systems in place. Anyway wont be spending more time on this one, its an unfortunate no we cant facilitate it.

 

Does seem an easy cop-out for AQA to just say "contact your IT department".

 

AFAIC for us - the laptop is to be provided whilst you are working for the school for school roles. As they aren't working for the school, in that capacity, we have no mandate or requirements to install the software as it does not benefit the school.

 

A teacher has admitted today this is a job on the side for extra money and whilst I do see both sides of the request - the reality is we simply HAVE to draw the line somewhere as IT support. The generally higher wages of teachers compared to support staff, means if they want to do this, they can more easily purchase a device out of their own pocket to do so.

[DrCheese]

I don't envy you folks needing to support this, it comes up every few years here and we're (Backed up by the head) quite clear that we're not installing software on school devices that allows teachers to benefit financially themselves.

If they want to earn extra money, they can do it outside of school hours on their own equipment.

[jthompson]

We usually have fewer than half a dozen each year asking. They're nice enough about it and understand that it's done as a favour. I don't mind.

[DrBeaker]

We usually have fewer than half a dozen each year asking. They're nice enough about it and understand that it's done as a favour. I don't mind.

YMMV but for us we're already severally stretched thin enough as it is with actual work for the schools.

 

So there's simply no way AFAIC we could justify any time or resources spent on this request, as it doesn't benefit the school in any way. Only the teacher themselves.

 

If we in IT started using work computers for personal financial gains via software we installed ourselves as IT, I'm sure there'd rightly be complaints from the schools.

 

Don't mean to sound harsh at all, but they (teachers) can't have it all their ways all the time.

[noelmm]

Some of our teachers have claimed this is for CPD to try and put the onus on us to provide a laptop. As I have explained to any one requesting the software, you can state it's for CPD but you are actually working a second job to earn extra income, as such we are unable to support the teacher. Once I have put my point across we haven't had a problem with teachers other than 1 staff member saying they would need to pull out of the contract as they couldn't purchase a laptop currently but they still understood and were fine about it .

[DrCheese]

Some of our teachers have claimed this is for CPD to try and put the onus on us to provide a laptop. As I have explained to any one requesting the software, you can state it's for CPD but you are actually working a second job to earn extra income, as such we are unable to support the teacher.

Yeah - I've had the "But it's CPD" excuse - Until you say that if that's the case then the extra income needs to come into the school...

 

Once I have put my point across we haven't had a problem with teachers other than 1 staff member saying they would need to pull out of the contract as they couldn't purchase a laptop currently but they still understood and were fine about it .

Yes, had that as well. I've had someone say that needing to do it out of hours would affect their worklife balance :| - Yes, having a second job will do that! I could earn extra money by doing Deliveroo or do private IT support in the evening but choose not to for this reason!

 

If we in IT started using work computers for personal financial gains via software we installed ourselves as IT, I'm sure there'd rightly be complaints from the schools.

Exactly. If I spent my working hours supporting private clients and had to make network changes for that I'd expect to be pulled up over it.