Rydra

The server literally did nothing except AD replication in the grand scheme of things, and until today has been offline for the last 3 months due to other factors (namely a rewire of my ICT room where they didn't put enough network sockets in for the 3 servers!) And in fact, this server caused more trouble than it fixed, when I had some networking issues that caused the AD replication to fail, it locked out both servers from allowing any authentication for a week! It wasn't even a backup DNS. It has been dcpromo'd, and is now just in the process of becoming a new test domain. I'd love some new machines, maybe some server upgrades, or even a new server to do it on, but I just don't have it. After discussions I had today, I'm not sure I can even get my new server OS's this year, they might have to wait till next year!

Another reason for decomming this DC, is because my 'cheaper' alternative is to rebuild the domain anyway, but sticking with server2003. This machine, because it had (I have now managed to get it to demote, there was something funny going on with the vlans.... don't ask!) almost nothing running on it, I can now recommission it with a new domain, and start working on it now. If I then get my way with a server2008r2 upgrade, I can deal with that when it comes along, but having never setup a complete network from the start before, having some prior knowledge on doing it before would be beneficial, albeit on a different version.

Not an entirely daft option, but a lack of machines in the school capable of doing that, and a lack of licenses to do it are the restricting factors. The only machine I have that could properly handle virtual servers running on them, as my office PC (that I'm currently typing this on!) I also have no money for new tech, and right now am fighting to even get the server2008 licenses I want to upgrade to, let alone VM solutions, and spares to test with. And half of the problems right now are because we have bad, incorrent numbers of, or unlicensed items on the network, so I would rather avoid setting up my network with MORE unlicensed software!. 4 months on from starting the job, I'm still using a 15" monitor that only supports a max resolution of 1024x768, and have to seek permission from the HT to buy any new ones!

Rover don't make cars anymore, but I believe they still have a parts making plant, and failing that several third party companies still sell parts for rovers.

If the primary DC dies now, in 2 weeks or 2 months, EVERYTHING is running on it, and nothing at this time will change it. It runs DNS, all AD, users, all shares, all printers, the school's website, AV control and deployment. Now unless one of you want to give me a couple of new servers to rebuild my network with, I have no choice but to work with this server, which does nothing, so that I CAN get some sort of network running. My network is a mess as it stands, with Winsuite running, Conflicting GPO's, no GP based deployments, out of date Ghost images that haven't been setup properly all involving winsuite, Permissions are a mess, Folder structures make no sense, Programs installed on network that should be local, local that should be network.... I Could go on but I'm getting bored of it. I am in the process of planning a new network, but to do that I need a server to start the process on.

No DNS, no DHCP, it's literally just there for AD replication as far as I can see. it used to house an intranet site, but that has disappeared into the ether somewhere by my predecessor! As to running a single DC/fallover options, if my main DC dies, it'd almost be a blessing! See here http://www.edugeek.net/forums/networks/55876-how-long-rebuild-network-servers-workstations-2.html#post508203 I plan to remove this server, and hopefully rebuild it as a new DC for a new domain, to prep for replacing it all for something new and shiney without the burden of Winsuite. If I don't get my way for Server2008, I'll just use this as a vanilla platform for building new GPO's on anyway, and will push those out over the summer instead.

all FSMO roles are on the other DC, checked that one already!

I have 2 DC's both running server 2003, but one of them now as far as I can tell does nothing useful on the network, but is a fully functional DC for replication etc. -No shares of use on it. -No printers based on it -No users based on it I want to remove this server from the domain, as I plan to start setting it up as a new/replacement Domain which I want to put in over the summer. So as far as I can tell I should just need to kill the trust between the servers, but i've never had to do this before, hence why I'm asking! Can anyone point me towards a guide, or willing to hold my hand through the steps to do this? The only guides I came across with my google skills was to completely delete an entire domain, not just remove the trust between two DC's.

I now use a mix of FF and IE 7, as I find so many sites that aren't fully compatible with one or the other.

In my opinion, those 2 situations are different. Your first option is a life-extending option, where you are going to die within a short space of time anyway, and it is simply prolonging the event. The 2nd, to me sounds like life-saving treatment, and I rarely hear of life-saving treatments being refused?

Adding another nail to this coffin, the last time I saw these systems, the fingerprints are stored electronically (and often, hopefully encrypted), and I would suspect these are not admissable as ID, as they are, compared to an ink imprint of a persons hand, fakeable. It's not like a high resolution photograph of your finger, and the way they store the data is not necessarily the same as what the police would use to store their fingerprints.

I'm looking at doing something similar myself over the summer, but am still in the planning phase of it. 3 servers (2 curriculum 1 admin, seperate domains. admin runs SIMS too) 100 approximate computers, about 30 of them staff laptops, only about 5-10 of which are on the domain, rest are standalone. I've been running networks in some manner for about 4-5 years now, and know all too well how to manage one, but this will be my first attempt to rebuild a new one. What I want to do, is rebuild the server(s) to Server2008r2 since all new machines are going to be windows 7, integrating the admin and curriculum domains. And a mass rebuild of the workstations, and will add on the staff laptops in september, since most of them are already standalone, shouldn't affect them too much except for printing permissions. One of my curriculum servers is now essentially decommed, it has nothing on it of importance, but is not very powerful, and rather old now. I have a couple of questions on this that would love to get an answer on.... -If I rebuild the curriculum servers to a new domain with Server2008 r2, can I decomm the domain on the admin server (running server2003), and add it as a member server on the new domain, without having to reinstall windows, and ultimately SIMS? AKA, does 2k3 and 2k8 play nicely together, or do they all have to be the same version? -If I understand correctly, I should be able to install windows server 2008r2 on this old curriculum server, setup my GPO's, new images etc over the next couple of months, then, reinstall the main curriculum DC to server2k8r2 over the summer, and pass all control etc over to the new one? Is this correct? The old curriculum server I plan to run as web (site and helpdesk) hosting, AV, maybe some printers etc. And with this in mind, 2-3 server rebuilds, and 70-80 workstations to rebuild (not move or replace), would you reckon 3 weeks is enough time to allocate?

Personally I think a LabDem mix had the best potential for the country as a whole, but with a Conservative majority it could not and would not have worked. It would have resulted in the usual bickering, and one side purposely voting against the other. We'd have seen the most changes to the way things are run, with the least disruption to our daily lives. It may not have been perfect for now, but I think we'd have seen a much stronger government at the next election because of it. As to Gordon quitting, he did the best he could with what he had. I believe had he called a general election earlier, Labour may have done better. The cycle keeps on turning, name a party leader we've had in the last 20-25 years that by the time they left power were still 'popular'. The problem with being at the top, is the excrement tends to float there, regardless of where it came from. And anyone new at the top tends to inherit what's there from before, and hope that some of it subsides before he has to do too much. And I love the ConDem acronym. sums it up nicely, though I agree I think it will be what gives us the strongest government NOW, I fear for what any long-term affects of this might be.

There is one advantage to homework within the modern education system.... Where, shall we say the teaching standards and methods are 'lacking' within the classroom, the homework provides a way for parents to engage with their children, and 'suppliment' their education in a good way. Unfortunately, a lot of homework now seems to be "For the sake of giving kids work to do at home" rather than actually teaching them anything. How many times over the years was the maths homework a sheet full of calculations, which you'd studied for however many hours that day/week at school already?

I was clearing out the old AV/drama cupboard for my old school, and came across a VERY old amplifier. It was branded as being made by the local council-education authority, that hadn't existed in that town for 15 years at least. The crumbling perished rubber powercord was all i needed to see when I threw it out

My helpdesk system i put in just before easter has log tracking on it, and I'm able to print off the statistics on the calls etc. The way I see it, -if I fix a problem and don't get a call on it again from the same place/user, I'm doing my job -If new and interesting problems don't crop up too often, I'm doing my job -If I have time to not just fix problems, but proactively IMPROVE things, I'm doing my job well

Doing M263 at the moment, one more assignment to go and an exam. I have 2 chemistry/science modules under my belt already from a couple years ago, S103 and S205, as well as the residentials to go with them. OU is all about self motivation. If you're not easily motivated, and find it hard to stick at something, it's not for you. And what's this about tesco vouchers and the OU? I've not heard about it...

So instead of Building Schools for the Future, it's now Burdening Schools for the Forseeable Future?

I wouldn't call £40 off a £350 TV a "Price Crash". More of a vaguely decent discount considering that tv probably cost them about £50 to make! Just like the "Car for under £10,000!" when it's £9,999.99 I hate advertising I wasted a good 10 seconds of my life opening that email.

so why is it women are always the ones forwarding the pointless facebook or email chainmail polls, questionaires and other rubbish?

Could be worse.... could have a place where the lead ICT "Person" isn't classified as Senior in any way, and is in fact, if your lucky slightly higher graded/ranked as a HLTA! I'm quite lucky here, I am at least listened to regularly, though as yet haven't been given as much reign as I'd like; such as ICT equipment to be bought coming through me, not bought by whoever and then emailing me to say it needs to be installed/setup!

£12,000 ish, of which 10k of it goes on annual fee's and consumables. £2000 covers all laptop, desktop, and projector replacements, new software/hardware etc. Though I find all school have these miscellaneous 'Capital' funds, or various other budgets that money sprouts from at various times of the year to bolster it.

This whole thing can be summed up with "Men are from Mars, But Women are from Venus" Doesn't mean we're completely different, we all have different strengths and weaknesses regardless of anything. Science has suggested, though not conclusively proved that men, in general are more analytical, and tend to have better mental agility. Women however are better at organisation, pattern recognition. What it comes down to, is man designed to assess how something is done, and women then work out the best way of carrying that out. Men are more prone to competition, as originally there were more men than women. need more men to gather food/protect the others, women were carers and baby-machines! To get the 'best woman' meant you had to prove you were better than the other men. That unfortunately is genetics, which is also the bane of so many men with such things as baldness There's a reason why the old phrase "Behind every Great Man is a Great Woman" sprang up; we were designed to work together, not against, or for.

I've always done division of numbers by taking the nearest easily dividable number, which are generally multiples of 2, 3, 5 or 10, then calculate the change. So 597 ÷ 22 I'd do by: 22 X 10 = 220 X 3 = 660 ( or 22 X 30 ) Difference is 660 - 597 = 63 22 X 3 = 66 22 X (30 - 3) = 594, difference is 3, multiple is 27 Goes on the principle of "Work with what you know, then work out what you don't"

Careful now. They might make an ass of themselves...