Helpdesk on CC3 Network

[ljlbray]

I don't think this has been addressed in any other thread so I'll start this one...sorry if you think it has.

 

We're a school running CC3.

On CC3, as anyone who's encountered this before, there is a space issue with the C: drive where you can only size it at 12GB, as a school we are struggling to keep this anywhere near 1GB free.

 

We can't really have any more servers with budget constraints - I'm trying to build one on an old machine but it might not work, so....

 

I can't install SQL server on our servers because unless I mess around with the server registry which I don't really want to do during term time just for a helpdesk, so because even if you set the installable options of sql to install on a different drive it still installs a massive portion on C. I also can't install office on the servers either as per space issue, so there's access out the window.

 

The above came as a result of trying to install Liberum, which uses Access or SQL.

 

I have two questions (eventually got there!!)

 

Does anyone have any good helpdesk solutions (free) that they could recommend OR

Does anyone have any solutions for a workaround for the SQL issue (I understand Liberum works faster with SQL)

 

Oh, one more this - I have SQL Express Manager on one of the servers, but am not sure how the query would tie in to the Liberum setup. I know this is a Liberum issue, but if anyone could offer any advice that would be lovely. I have posted that in the Liberum forums by the way, but they aren't half as good at offering advice as you guys are on here

 

Sorry if this is a really stupid post, but my brain is frazzled at the moment.

 

Thanks for sticking with it and reading this far!!

 

Laura

[webman]

We run Liberum on our Win2K CC3 servers which only have 8GB C partitions, but we just use a .mdb file as the database. Everything for it is stored in the wwwroot folder on G, and is configured under the Intranet site within IIS.

 

You've probably done these already, but here's a couple of ideas to gain extra space on C:

 

• Move the pagefile onto another drive (ours is on D I think).
  
• Check the size of IIS log files By default they are saved on C, and these can get very large over time.
  

[ljlbray]

Hi, we have done all of those, however no matter what on the current server state we won't be able to install SQL server because of the installation on C:.

So there goes Liberum...unless anyone knows how to correct me on being stupid and not knowing how to use it with the express edition??

[sparkeh]

I run Spiceworks on my CC3 server and not just for helpdesk but for inventory as well, seems to leave plenty of space.

[webman]

You don't need MS Access installed for it to use the .MDB file - AFAIK it just utilises the ODBC drivers that are already installed on the server.

[AngryTechnician]

A sneaky trick I have used in the past is to create an [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS_junction_point]NTFS junction point[/ame] in Program Files with the name of the directory the SQL install program is going to use, and direct that junction point to a different drive. It will think it's installed to C:, and all the files will be accessible via a pathname beginning with C:, but in fact it's on another drive altogether.

 

You can create the junction point using the free SysInternals junction tool.

[Butuz]

To be honest it is wise not to install any extra web apps or databases onto your CC3 Domain Controllers.

 

For messing with web programs and helpdesks and intranets and anything else - Build up a Windows 2003 Std Member server based pon a HP ML115 or the like you should be able do the whole lot for £400 inc licence.

 

Butuz

[Sylv3r]

To be honest it is wise not to install any extra web apps or databases onto your CC3 Domain Controllers.

 

For messing with web programs and helpdesks and intranets and anything else - Build up a Windows 2003 Std Member server based pon a HP ML115 or the like you should be able do the whole lot for £400 inc licence.

 

Butuz

 

Good call - the HP ML115 Servers are going for about £140 now, although you mentioned you didn't have much of a budget it will cause a lot less stress then trying to install onto your CC3 servers.

[ljlbray]

Installed server 2003 on a big old monster of a machine.

Installed liberum on here, with sql server 2005 and got liberum working on a virtual website, but I've put a post in the server forum as I didn't think it belonged in here, all about how stupid I'm being in actually using Liberum as a web based helpdesk now I've got it installed. I don't really understand what I'm configuring the server as. So I'll leave it to the people on the server bit of the forums to tell me in primary school terms what I'm doing. Grr why can't I just be born with the knowledge I need!

[sandeep2504]

Laura

 

Have you checked for log files on c drive?

 

We recently did the following to clear up c drive as we were have continous problems with c drive being full up:

 

as webman said moved page file

backup exec - moved the catalogue files and job logs to g drive

moved our library system backups to g drive

redirected any sql database backups to d drive

removed/installed software on d/g drives

 

we have now got more than 2gb free.

[AngryTechnician]

To be honest it is wise not to install any extra web apps or databases onto your CC3 Domain Controllers.

Agree absolutely. Shame that RM have historically said that's exactly what you should do with almost all the 3rd party apps they supply that need installing on a server.