mb2k01

Similar to what reggiep said.. If your AD looks like this: DOMAIN>USERS>STUDENTS>INTAKE1 and has the ldap mapped to STUDENTS then users in the USERS folder (or anywhere else in AD) will not be picked up. If you move them to the top level OU or create a new sub-ou then it should all be ok>

I've tried to find a statement from your GfL but it appears there isn't one. I think the joint concern over liability, and issues which might hinder the ongoing legal process are the main reason for the lack of statement - as well as the reason you won't get many of us coming out with the actual reason here. Search Google and read the TES forums - the majority of post reflect the facts included in the letter sent from Cornwall LA which I refered to earlier.

Without wanting to add to the complications Russ talked of above, I think it would be important to update this thread, as like many of you I've allowed a work around for users to access Sparklebox - but shall be removing that access until instructed otherwise... Our LA and ISP have confirmed the real reason that Sparklebox was filtered via a letter to all local Headteachers today. The concerns were not over the illegal running of the company as such - more to do with a second particular concern over individual(s) directly related to the company... Check with your own LA or Broadband Consortium, who should be able to give you a clearer message. Until then, consider suspending your work-around solutions.

To continue the theme of balancing the discussion... I evaluated Rukus a few months back and was less than impressed. Very highly priced / licensed and not as flexible as some other managed solutions around. I know a lot of people (especially here) love it, but it's a bit like the topic above and comes down to choice and circumstance - have a look around at the other options etc. I'm continuing to look down the managed wireless route for the additional functionality like visitor access etc, but for the minute, we have 2 x class sets of 32 laptops logging on fine to our (Vanilla) network without issue - using off the shelf Linksys access points located throughout the school, and an internal IAS server using RADIUS.

Interesting choice of words / use of imagery?! I agree to a certain extent. I'm not sure that prime time BBC shows with a large child-based audience should really push promiscuous bar meetings as the way forward! For the Doctor to be seen aiding a sleezy pick up (be it hetro/homosexual) sends out the wrong message really. If it was on Tourchwood then fine as that's what the series is like, but not Dr Who.

The OP wanted a discussion on alternatives, not reasons that he was wrong to consider moving from RM. The "RM vs Vanilla/Other" scenario is almost as pointless as the "Mac vs PC" argument. One will work fantastically well for one group of people who see no need to change, and the other will work just as well for another group of people. It doesn't mean there is a right and a wrong choice, just that both options exist for new users to consider and make an informed choice on. As I said above, RM are generally more expensive than most alternatives. If the premium costs represent services or support contracts that you are happy with and value, then RM are the one for you. If a £1000 Mac is more appropriate (for whatever reason) to buy than a similar spec PC at £500, then that's fine too. My personal preference is PC all the way - yet I'll be putting an order in for Macs some point this year to support our Media and Diploma links. My personal choice isn't important as our vision for IT is to, where possible, present learners with real-world experience of IT. Media students will no doubt leave us post 16 and use Macs. The chance of any learners leaving us post 16 and using an RM connect network in FE or a workplace are very slim, which links with our choice for implementing an non-RM network.

@bossman, I personally disagree with a large amount of what you've written, but as always it's a matter of personal choice, and what really works best for the school. If RM does work for them and they have had a good history with them then fair enough. The facts are that RM come out towards the top of the list when it comes to comparing prices of alternatives, yet consistently come quite low down when it comes to quality of service, products and support. I've worked with 3 schools who have left RM and gone to alternative soluations (one of those being my decision, and the other two theirs). My personal preference will always be in-house vanilla. You have a whole world of support options, many of them free in forums like this, and the person in charge begins to really understand their network instead of clicking on front-end interfaces. It's also a good time to secure some CPD (probably financed from the savings you've made by choosing an alternative!)..... Do you reply on other management interfaces to hold your hand, or do you actually learn transferable skills which help improve your own prospects as well as the quality of the network. My personal preference won't suit everyone, but most people will want flexibility in whatever system they implement. In my experience sadly this doesn't come in the RM CCx solution.

I'd second this too - I went with CSE from an RM 2.4 network instead of heading in the CC3 direction. The CSE option saved me loads of money, gave me support when I needed it and sold me comparative tools to RM, but the freedom to operate outside of them (i.e. in AD itself). Their new product look great, and well priced too. SteveCSE on this forum is who I dealt with back in the day - He'll put you in touch with the right person.

115 come on!!! I think some of those shape things must have been a lucky guess though - don't get on well with those kind of things usually!

Cookie_monster, Did you end up taking the exam? How did you find it? I was about to create a new thread asking a very similar question to your original post. Throughout your research do you know what (if anything) this exam is comparible to? Is it litterally just covering upgrade topics, or does it re-visit some of the earlier exams to make sure you still know?! Cheers

For 2007 to 2010 you won't really have much to worry about. In most ways your steps will be similar to mine above. I don't have access the document I referred to for pre-installation stuff (I ran the pre-installation tasks from a command promt, so the setup process didn't do the domainprep for me etc), but this site proved useful reading for me before I did anything: Exchange Server 2010: Exchange 2010 Help

If I publically allow you to whore me also, would that be some form of professional misconduct? (Either way I want the phone!)

And if Google read this thread how about 10 first-come first-served members / supporters lol?

I'm fairly sure that it is a Client Access License (CAL) which allows students to make use of features like remote desktop / ts web apps etc. Depending on your deployment and other existing license types (external connectors etc) it may or may not be required.

I did promise an update, so here it is: Here's what I wanted to achieve: Redeploy two existing hi-spec servers as Hyper-V (Running 2008 R2 Enterprise with the Hyper-V role installed) Install 32GB RAM in each redeployed server. Create a VM for Exchange 2010 on the first Hyper-V server. Allocate 16GB to start with. Install Exchange 2010 in to the existing Exchange 2003 environment. Transition all services from 2003 to 2010. Remove Exchange 2003. I gave myself two days to allow for most, if not all of the above to be done. At this point there would be no unified communication installation. The existing domain already had a functional level of 2008 (even though we have no 2008 domain controllers), so that saved a bit of time. Sadly I was heavily let down on the RAM delivery. The helpful delivery company decided they wouldn't deliver to a school during Christmas holidays - despite me checking with the reseller twice and asking them to pass info to the delivery company including my mobile number! I also ran in to an issue with the Backup Exec remote agent - I wanted to make sure I had a decent backup of Exchange 2003 and also the Active Directory in my hands before I started with anything! (Even though our backup strategy has it, I always prefer to know I've done it myself!) Being almost 1 day down always meant I was unlikely to cram everything in - especially allowing for replication of 2003 > 2010 and safely/sensibly remove 2003. The installation of 2010 itself went pretty well. There was a fairly large chunk of time taken up by the pre-installation domainprep tasks (probably about 1-2hours in total), and I also had to download RSAT for part of that process to work. Other than that, the installation went fine - no problems at all. Only things I'd point out for people reading this are RSAT, and make sure you have installed IIS with the IIS6 features. (If you don't, Exchange will install but you'll find you need to install IIS and reinstall the Client feature of Exchange again for features like OWA to work properly). Here's where I am at the minute: Currently, I have a fully working 2003 server with 98% of user mailboxes still on it. I also have the 2010 server running co-existing with 2003 and replicating changes etc. Internal and External mailflow works for mailboxes on both servers, however due to being with SWGfL I need to put a change request in to get a new public IP/subdomain to allow 2010 OWA. Being confident that everything would co-exist happily, that is where I left it before Christmas. I've remote connected in to check event logs on both servers and everything looks good. What I need to do next: Put a change request in to SWGfL for a new public IP and domain for the 2010 OWA. Maybe purchase a proper certificate - not sure I'm happy rolling out the new service with the warning page before OWA access! Test out the built in anti-spam functions of 2010. If anti-spam is not much better than the 2003 Intelligent Message Filter, then install Brightmail. Move all 2003 mailboxes to 2010 box once all the above is done. Prepare to decommission the 2003 server. In summary, what I’ve seen and experienced so far is hugely positive. It's not been a project with huge technical problems, and the fact that co-existence is achieved so easily is fantastic. My progress towards completion will largely depend on SWGfL's change request speed, but I will come back and post another update when complete.

I should be safe - got lots of other things that I know she wants + something expensive and shiney that she doesn't know about, so that should turn things around!

I bought my gf a new hoover from ASDA on the way home from work! Apparently the current one is broke (...in the same way a car seizes up after prolongued non-use?!) so I'm going to wrap it up for Xmas! I'm going to present it as the only present she's getting and see what happens.... but don't worry - she's got lots of others really (bigger and better etc!)

I saw this earlier and assumed it was a local lingo / bad english thing... assuming they meant along the lines of "look around at the competition then come and buy from us last". Either way, not great advertising!

I was struggling too - so I did the completely unromantic thing of asking her to write me an imaginery kid-style list! At least now we both know she'll get things she wants/needs! I'll probably get the odd token thing if anything catches my eye between now and thursday but at least the pressure is off!

If it all works seamlessly then SIMS is the next HyperV planned move!

Will do! Because of the lack of replies I had to learn the old fashioned way and read up on lots - it looks like it should work. I'm commiting the whole of Monday and Tuesday to getting it all done. I will come back here and post any updates / issues at the end!

[EDIT - Parental advisory / Not for School!!] I doubt I'll get many agreeing - but each to their own! Technically a draw for me - 2009 was the year of Eminem. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaCyEi_xMsE]YouTube- Eminem - My Darling (2009)[/ame] - My Darling (Relapse Bonus Disk) [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8qi21OJSqg]YouTube- Eminem - Music Box ( With Download ) ( HD )[/ame] - Music Box (Relapse: Refill - released soon)

Hi All, As the title might have suggested, I'm reasonably new to the world of virtualisation, but completely sold on the benefits and will be moving production servers to a flavour of virtualisation (to 2x servers, both quad core xeon 3ghz + 32GB RAM each!) very soon... but... What is the best flavour of virtualisation?! Hyper-V seems like a very logical and easier option for me - I have a strong background with MS and very little experience with the other options... but that doesn't mean I want to overlook them. Hyper-V also makes sense from a cost perspective as it adds nicely to the Schools Agreement and gives us the full feature set of live migration and load balancing etc, which the other variations seem to charge additional for. Those are strong positives for Hyper-V, but I'm also aware that a lot of people (especially on here) use other solutions. Can you give me some bullet points on why I might want to think again and not go down the Hyper-V route? (Obviously if Hyper-V does sound like a great scenario that's all good too!) Cheers

John, Have you already done the upgrade / transition? I recently posted this thread (http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-server-2008-r2/46887-exchange-2003-2010-transition-co-existence.html) asking for people's experiences, and would be keen to know! Cheers

Done on all versions apart from 3GS. Used Redsn0w and hmmmmmm the one before that (pre 3.0) which name escapes me!