bossman

Simple, change the emergency frequencies!

I would ban them from being able to use a mobile phone, have them implanted with a device which interferes with the signal so no matter what they did they couldn't send or receive calls. People wouldn't want to be around them and they would become social pariahs hehe! Ohhh! how wickedly good that sounds!

Taught her all I know and I've forgotten it (Damn this short term memory loss) must be old age hehe! Very impressive indeed

@Dave_O: You are totally right, unless you can afford to have consultants come in and design the system for you then it is what we ourselves perceive through our raw reading and learning skills plus our experience gained from what other professionals feed us through various mediums EG being one of them. I don't profess to be an expert in any field, more common sense than anything.

@irsprint84: Here are a few more for you to look at: here Good reading.

@irsprint84: XenServer 6 – New Features: Cloud: Self Service Manager – This new feature (superseding Lab Manager) enables you to build self-service environments for “private clouds.” Self-Service Manager includes support for both XenServer as well as VMware vSphere - simple virtual appliance and web-based UI. - offers multi-tenant support for creating VM “service catalogs” vApps- Virtual Appliance support. Within XenCenter 6.0 you can create multi-VM virtual appliances (vApps), with relationships between the VMs for use with the boot sequence during Site Recovery. vApps can be easily imported and exported using the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) standard Microsoft System Center integration: Starting with the XS 6.0 release, you will have the option of managing XenServer hosts and VMs with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2012. For more information refer to the Microsoft System Center 2012 beta page - System Center integration is available with a special supplemental pack from Citrix (installed on XenServer hosts), which is targeted for general availability when System Center 2012 ships later this year. XenDesktop: GPU pass-through (formerly experimental support) – With the 6.0 release, a physical GPU can be assigned to a VM so the applications running in the guest can leverage GPU instructions (“GPU pass-thru”). This provides significant TCO benefits for the XenDesktop HDX 3D Pro technology used for delivery of CAD and other graphical applications via virtual desktops Other (virtualizationmatrix-related) updates Host RAM support has been increased to 1 TB VM vCPU and vRAM support is increased e.g. up to 16 vCPUs and 128 GB RAM for Windows; increased Linux vCPU and vRAM support levels vary by distro These are just a few changes: Some say that it may be Citrix looking to promote Microsofts SCVMM 2012 to which they maybe leaning towards but seeing as they have discontinued support for Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V could have been interpreted as effort to focus on its own XenServer management capabilities. Its what you want from your Hypervisor that is key and I feel it offers a little more freedom than Hyper-V but that is just my choice.

I haven't used a PC at home for about 2 years now, use laptop and IPad2 as its more convenient to watch the TV and manage phone as well as doing server work etc. Our house is not really large enough and the teenagers like to sit downstairs with their laptops also so no room for a desktop. Don't think that the desktop will die out altogether as education and business will always find that desktops are by far more resilient than laptops and more cost effective in the long-run.

@irsprint84: Xenserver has improved enormously and is now at version 6, as long as you have a good system setup then it's a re-install of the Xenserver OS and connect back up to the connected storage. Its when you have local storage that it could become a problem and updating your hosts in the required sequence is key. Will take your advice onboard though. Even Hyper-V has its problems with upgrades according to some people, you pays your money and you take's your choice.

@Grumbledook: All our male members of staff have formed the Bishop Barrington group and you can sponsor me here Its for a good cause, I have never ever grown a moustache before so at 52 years of age it will be something I will be truly proud of if I achieve it. Good luck to all those taking part this year.

@Dave_O: Not having a great deal of knowledge or money available 2 years ago we decided on the virtualisation route and for various reasons chose 2 different SAN's, our setup also differs from most as quite a few people have gone down the ESX route we decided to go down the Xenserver route and our choice so far has been vindicated. We are not a large school with approx 700 students and 50 teachers plus other staff which totals in all approx 1000 end users, 350 workstations plus approx 50 laptops. Setup is 3 hosts (Dell 2950s with 73Gb mirrored 15000rpm SAS drives and 32Gb memory, 3 x twin nics + Dual fibre nics if needed + dual PSUs) these are attached through 2 x 1Gb managed switches (For failover) For the SAN backends we have 2 models as I have stated, one is the Hitachi SMS100 (50,000 IOPs) for user storage which gives us 6Tb of formatted storage using raid 6 and the other SAN for our VM's is a Sun 7110 with HA coupled to a temporary NAS box until we can afford another secondhand Sun 7110 to match our own or something that will allow us to mirror our existing Sun 7110 with. We have 17 servers across the 3 hosts including our Sims and Zimbra e-mail service which are IOP intensive, we migrated in February this year to Windows 7 and since have found our login speeds have come down just a few seconds to around 35 secs for new profile and if user logs off and back on again comes down to approx 5 secs. Our Sims login from enter to home screen is around 11 - 15 secs depending on which workstation you are on in the school as we do have some older P4s (around 30 which we have been testing with SSDs at £70 each, this greatly increases the speed to that of our fastest workstations). We do still have our DC and secondary DC as physical boxes as we see no reason to virtualise these at the moment as they are on quite new hardware. Cost: XenServer (Free) HA for above £400 per host 3 x Dell 2950s with all extra's £1800 each 1 x Hitachi SMS100 SAN £6k 1 x Sun 7110 SAN £7k 2 x Gb managed switches £140 each Total just over £16k We find things so much easier now in doing the most simplest of things to the most complex. We may not have the most expensive or the most elaborate setup but it works very well indeed. Just though I would share that with people who don't have too much money to spare.

@Millgate: What would be really good and slightly more than you can offer but maybe the owners of this site can come up with an.........................wait for it http://www.edugeekcompare.com Which is just like the search engines on the net for insurance etc etc only this one pulls in all the information on prices from all the available suppliers and you guessed it............compared them on certain criteria. Now that's what I would like to see all in one place and a place for everything sweet!!!

@basicchannel: Not having XP on my clients I had to go off the information you had posted, apologies if this has led you to a different route, having not seen this I have to err on what the other lads have posted and not just using a logical prognosis to come to an answer. Well done you lads

Hi All, Just thought this may be of interest to some of you out there: Made me think about mobile devices in a different way. What do you all think?

We had 2 networks when I arrived here, one for Curriculum and one for Admin and never the two shall meet I was told by the LA, since then times have changed dramatically in the way Microsoft has made their product more flexible along the lines of access and security. With this in mind 8 years ago I merged the 2 networks into one and haven't looked back since, in fact it is the best thing we ever did at the time for the school. I know there are still people out there who remain adamant that these should stay on separate networks but their argument for me is no longer there and it is time to move on me thinks for those who still have 2 networks within the same environment. This is just my feeling on the matter and not a dig at anyone out there who still runs a 2 network system.

@tech_guy: Seems like he is the man when all around is failing and that famous quote arise's......................................"I'm desperate Dan!" A whole load of middle aged techies fall about laughing as they envisage the character behind the quote. Anyone for "Cow Pie?" Well I do anyway

@basicchannel: It seems as if the GPO for changing password on first login is either not being applied or the script that is linked to the GPO is not working, this is verified by the fact when you don't set the profile to change password on first login it succeeds to create the profile for that user just fine. Look at the GPO and see if it has become corrupted or if the script that is linked to it is doing what it should or is even there. Good luck

@docboggle: I would be suggesting another circuit for the 2 laptop trolley's to plug into probably a 16 amp breaker. As with all our ICT suites it is a recommendation that between 6 - 8 computers per trip on each circuit. What you have in effect is 2 x 16 = 32 on one circuit which carries your servers also, no wonder your laptop trolley's are tripping everything. That would be my advice from a health and safety point of view.

I have Cisco 3650 x 48 port edge switches here and they are no more noisy than some of the HPs and Netgear ones, I would think that in the corridor would be just fine with whichever make you go for. Once inside a cabinet you will not hear the fan if it has one.

After much deliberation here we opted for desktops connected to IWBs and thankfully it was the best move the school made. As for laptops, all teachers were part of the Laptops for Teachers scheme and received a new device, we have never replaced them and as they have died we have instructed the teachers where to purchase a new one from. I have to hand it to the SLT they have backed me 100% on this and as part of their job role the teachers who require a laptop have to justify in writing to the SLT why they feel they have the need of a laptop especially when they have remote access to their desktop and all the services they require to enable them to plan and mark and just get things sorted including the Sims and FMS (Securely). Not one teacher has written up their case for a laptop and that does not surprise me as will the case for IPads, IPods, Tablets etc when they have to provide a case for them to have access to these devices by way of lesson planning and usage by the students and not just a case for them to have a nice new shiny toy to brag about to all who will listen. I am a taxpayer and so are the members of the SLT and without doubt one of the largest ways in which schools waste money is in buying large quantities of equipment without a proper strategy behind it, the logistics of moving and charging and keeping safe, the connections and the safeguarding practises etc etc. Also the cost factors after say 6 months usage and the replacement parts one has to purchase and fit plus the extra expense of liability insurance etc etc. We all know this can hamper the development of these ides but if thought out and managed correctly with the proper strategy in place can mean the difference between something that is beneficial and something that is a complete white elephant, all this money can and is wasted by some schools just on the whim of one teacher. We are here to stop that happening hopefully and this is part of our remit "To give good quality advice to SLT and Governors on all IT matters pertaining to the school for the benefit of the students" or so it states in my job description. Thanks for that feel so much better for it. (Bit of a strong last 5 weeks building up) thanks all for listening.

@SYNACK: We have used this for years and it still remains one of the best tools in our armoury. Inexpensive as well

Yeas we have been using FPSadvance for quite sometime as a standalone but now if my memory serves me it is an integrated part of FMS as they are now one of Capita's FMS partners. Have already spoken to our DHT as to whether we go down the Sage route but one has to measure the impact on one's finance team and how much training they will need or be provided as part of the support service from Sage, plus it's a northern firm not far from us which is good as we like to support our local business's.

We invested very early in around 5 sets of the version one model, they are still used from time to time in Maths, the one set we got for the Geography department has never been used. Gadgets are just that.................gadgets and if not utilised by the teachers to engage the students then they become doorstops! I have seen schools investing heavily in IPads which are now left in their charging units and never taken out because the students have got bored with using them as the lack of progressive teaching which encourages their use has meant they are no longer an asset but a liability. I don't have any answers but unless teachers actively engage with the students and present them with challenging activities in which to use any gadgets then they are just a waste of taxpayers money.

Well not at this moment, it all depends on the Academy status for us and what is deemed a necessity to provide the curriculum. We have Virtualisation (Backend) and remote desktops for staff and students (External use) so infrastructure sound, probably require another SAN to mirror our VM SAN for total failover already have HA but would like the extra feature. Emphasis will be on the curriculum and how the school will implement using digital devices and infrastructure if at all.

We are looking at conversion to Academy which I have been told will give us more say over our money as we are not partnering with anyone and the LA has no say. You would be surprised at how much money the LA actually top slices from schools and there are other less costly services out there which offer even better service than the LA's. IPad's are being assessed along with Kindle readers and students own devices, social networking sites such as Facebook, twitter and also picture sites for instant uploading from these wireless devices. More digital signage throughout the school plus introducing MFD's for the students and staff. As for the infrastructure it is sound apart from investment in new wireless management system along with new AP's. All this takes money and as someone on here has already mentioned it seems like a lot of schools will be standing still for a couple of years.

@nephilim: As I said what the hell do I know hehe! Well done and keeping fingers crossed for you