tmcd35

I think device drivers for 7 will start becoming an issue with new hardware (if they haven't already), so I've provisionally slated 10 in for Summer 2016...

Depends on the controller. Most modern controllers should expand the array so long as all the disks each side of the mirror are the same size. So if you have 2x 1Tb drives in RAID1 now, and add 2x 4Tb drives, you should have 5Tb total. If you replace 1x1Tb with 1x4Tb, then yes it will rebuild as 1Tb. However if you then replace the other 1Tb with another 4Tb, yes it will rebuild as 1Tb still - but most decent RAID controllers should then allow you to expand to 4Tb since all disks are now the same size. All that said, assuming the RAID controller allows you to do all this, I'm not sure what the procedure is within ESX for then expanding the volume size in to the newly available space.

Will your RAID controller allow you to add more drives to the existing array and expand the disk size?

Oh man, have I really been working in schools IT that long? (congrats. by the way!)

From the first link I posted From the site @LeMarchand linked to:

I'm guessing he did the math based on the source he linked to at the bottom of his page: 2014 snapshot | VisitBritain <- They'll be the official figures

No set limits. It would be up to a court to decide whether or not the use was in keeping with the applicable exception or fair use or not.

Some interesting reads on the subject: Schools and Copyright Fair Dealing Exceptions An defence might be made under either the Critic and Review Exception or the Exception for Performing, Playing or Showing, but it's a bit thin. A successful defence would like need to show proper citations being used and only extracts from the MP3 being included in the review/presentation. The PRS and PPL licences that most schools would probably have cover either performance of a piece as part of music lessons/concerts, or would otherwise require having legit, bought owned MP3's (iTunes/Amazon) or CD's to play back from, not illegally copied or downloaded of a free site. Good luck getting teachers to understand the distinctions...

It does say 'and for renewal', so I'd take that as a yes when you buy new licences with SA. EES includes SA as standard I believe, so anyone on EES should get it automatically now. Should save £1-2 per licence

That'll be you Nawfok accent

Unless you have a very good reason, ideally all DC's should host a copy of the Global Catalog. If for no other reason than backup, redundancy, fail over. But also because there rules as to where FSMO roles should be placed in relation to each other and the GC (WindowsDevCenter.com) that are totally negated if all DC hold the GC - ie, it's simpler to set up all FMSO roles on one master primary DC.

Damn, that is good news!

In really simplified terms it's WDS + WSUS with a pretty (not very) UI. WDS being the built in free to use Windows version of Ghost. It can also deploy software, not just MSI's, but .exe's and app-v packages as well which is really useful when you haven't got an msi available. (App-v is an addition virtualised application installer and requires Software Assurance + MDOP added to your desktop licencing). The other thing it has, which can save money, is a built in Anti-Virus program - Endpoint Protection. Also, the version of WDS used in SCCM includes MDT - which basically means you can script OS deployments and better target drivers and apps, so you only need one or two core images and then target the drivers for auto install, instead of having 1 image per machine/room/use.

I'm a republican at heart, but I have to admit getting rid of them is a case of cutting your nose of to spite your face. What will achieve other than a minor wording change from 'subject' to 'citizen'? Cameron would still be the de-facto head of state, unless we're talking about major constitutional reform and giving El'Presidenti more political powers than the queen currently enjoys? Besides - gullable American tourists

Here it is: The True Cost of the Royal Family Explained — CGP Grey We make £200m in profit from their lands, that they own. Pay them £40m, and keep the other £160m...

I can't remember the exact details now but there was some kind of deal done around land, property, valuables, and what we pay them each year that means the treasury actually makes much more than we pay them - we have more to loose financially by getting rid of them. Also, I doubt Americans will be so interesting in visiting the old country and having their snap taken outside El'Presidenti's palace.

I think I know what is going on. Just quickly read through the thread and not 100% sure if this as been checked yet, doesn't look like it. Did you say you haven't demoted the old servers, just switched them off? In DNS take a look under -> \Forward Lookup Zones\_msdcs.\dc\_sites\_tcp and tell me what you see. I suspect your old servers are still listed here, and under other subtrees in _msdcs. Mainly because the old servers are not demoted to DNS/AD still thinks they are valid domain controllers. The clients are asking to communicate with a DC, they don't care which. DNS is responding randomly with what it thinks is still a valid DC, but the DC it chooses is switched off - thus the problem. I'd demote the old DC's and make sure the _msdcs subtrees are properly cleaned up, then see if your problems still persist after that.

I bet I still miss it and only find out the next day on here

Saw an interesting report on this once, think it was on BBC News' Point of View. Apparently, no matter how old you are, if you are remotely in the public eye then they have your obituary pre-written with archive video footage ready to go when the untimely news hits. While it's unfortunate the Tweet got out into the wild, the actual process, preperation and practice run is nothing out of the ordinary.

Painfully large is an understatement - 'officially' you should be buying full boxed copies of Windows Home for each machine - ouch. However, a couple of useful ideas if you are unlucky enough no to have the OEM licencings - I'm sure it was @localzuk who previously posted an EU ruling that OEM licences are transferable. While MS might not agree, it's worth checking out as it can save a few bob if you can source some old OEM licences to transfer. eBay - I'm not sure if it's Win 98 or Win2k that is currently the oldest prerequisite for education upgraded licences, but which ever it is you only need to have qualifying Windows licences. Search eBay and buy up as many Win2k Pro licences as you can and you'd be covered, probably for the price of 1 or 2 full new licences.

What's the SQL Server being used for? If it's SCCM then that licence wouldn't be needed anyway.

You don't look under-licensed at all at first glance. The 'OVS-ES Desktop Education with Software Assurance (Core CAL)' gives you all the licences you need for CALs, Desktop PC OS, Office and SCCM Server. About the only licences you may need, if you don't have them already, are 10x User TS-CALs and 45x Device TS-CALs for the Terminal Server. You might actually be over licensed - are your servers physical or virtual?

Set up different authentication groups and apply filtering differently to each group. eg, like you might already have a staff and student group with different filtering policies, have a FB after 6 group and FB before 6, or offer 3-4 filtering levels - min, lite, ultra, max. Then add the students to the appropriate group.

BulkAD is good for mass altering existing accounts. He's spreadsheet: Account Management Spreadsheet is by far the best way I've come across at bulk creating AD accounts.

Introduced e-mail 3-4 years back (not a joke!). Rolled out Go4Schools about a year ago with Deputy Head and Data Manager. The impact proper, immediate, data analysis has had is scary. Managed WiFi going in this summer, we currently have no WiFi (well a dozen half working home access points dotted around). It promises to be a revolutionary as e-mail was, looking forward to it. Keep toying with iPads and other mobile devices, but they fail to take off to any degree.