Suggest some options, please.

[sonofsanta]

As a final thought - for network management you can do a lot with tools like NetSupport and Impero, so worth asking for a demo on them. They're not cheap but they are powerful, and are useful for teachers wanting to control a class as well.

 

I should go do my own job now, really.

[DSapseid]

Basically, I'm looking for advice on everything. From broadband suppliers to hardware vendors. Client software, home access [plus+ ], any server management suites [i like CC4's management console...], admin software... You name it, I'm probably looking for it.

 

We're also talking about virtual servers. Which I mentioned to our HT ages ago.

 

This is what we're discussing at the moment:

 

Broadband from BT, with a Smoothwall box for filtering. Windows 2008r2 [virtual] servers with Win7 clients [Laptops for all staff with docking stations rather than full desktops. Our HT's idea. I actually like it.] [With a second server as a OMGWTFBBQBACON emergency backup to use if the first one dies.]

MS Office software via EES.

Antivirus... No clue. Definately not Sophos.

I mentioned HAP+ for file access, but people keep talking about other things... PAID things. [i see no HAP+ costs £xx anywhere. If I'm wrong let me know, please.]

 

There was also talk of Linux for Schools with a Win7 theme on the clients [therefore bypassing "it's different therefore I shall complain"].

 

Our Admin network is currently seperate from our curriculum network, but that may change. There's been talk of it for a while, but nothing has happened. The current admin network shares would become shares on curriculum, but would only be available to specific people on specific machines. [if there's any issues that could come up from this, let me know, please.]

 

When i started here 7 years ago we ditched RM and merged admin and curric and havent looked back since. This summer i completed a second full rebuild of the network from scratch, new servers, san, switches etc.

 

For Server Vitualisation have a look at Citrix XenServer ive used it for the past 4/5years now and its good and the free edition does pretty much everything apart from HA. I would recommend having 2/3 virtual hosts so if one should die then the others can take the load of the one that died.

 

We also have citrix access gateway for remote access for staff (possibly students in the future but not at moment).

 

As regards buying hardware i bought all my HP Servers and SAN this summer through Joe @CPLTD he also had to deal with with my leasing company dragging there heels but top service as always!

 

Forgot to mention managment consoles! We use Papercut for print credits and its brilliant and not to expensive either, for passwords i created a custom mmc to give staff the access to change passwords for students and it works fine.

Edited January 16, 2013 by DSapseid