blundellm

Our Smoothwall has the same problem. It at least provides a log-off mechanism, but relying on a user to log off is the problem.

A question: How do you know that internet for that hour is from that specific child? We use Smoothwall, and if a user logs off, the next user picks up that session, so the whole point of tracking a pupil's usage is lost, because we can never be sure that the correct person was logged on! This is a serious concern I've raised with Smoothwall, and they have no solution. Are you sure your solution actually tracks the correct kids? Smoothwall suggest we tell our pupils to log off at the end of a session, but we all know relying on the user is a lost cause.

Hi Fluke I've got a similar problem with iPads. VPP apps are delivered to users not devices, and because I have class sets, I've had to create fake apple ids, one per ipad, and delivered apps that way. You may have to do the same with Logic Pro. A related question perhaps you can help me with: the Profile Manager gives options like: Allow configuration profile download, Allow device enrollment and unenrollment. What I'm not clear on is who this instruction addresses. is it saying that *Profile Manager* is allowed to download configuration profile, or is it saying that the *iPad user* is allowed to download configuration profiles? It's probably clear as day to anyone else, but I tend to over-analyse and get myself confused...

Hi Fluke You are not alone in not being able to get answers! I have the same problem. I'm deploying 80 ipads in class sets for the new school year, and they are enrolled in my DEP account. Each iPad must be enrolled in Profile Manager by navigating the ipad to the enrollment website and downloading the profiles. ONE IPAD AT A TIME! The VPP delivers apps to users, not devices. So this means, for my class sets of ipads, I've been obliged to create fake apple ids and itunes log-ins, one per ipad. I hear that iOS 9 will allow control of ipad devices rather than ipad users, and this problem may go away. In short, you have the unpleasant nightmare of creating fake apple ids for each and every 'user'. I've been at it for 3 weeks solid. I'm not a happy chappy...

What you're missing about the Pi's is that the kids can own their own computer. The experience of working on a VM is quite abstract. The kids love having their hands on the physical equipment, and it gives them a chance to use the plug-in boards etc.

Brilliant! Wipe worked and now I can get a configuration button. Much thanks! I even managed to distribute apps from the VPP to devices. I'm a happy bunny.

I'm a newby at this. How do you remove profile manager when its part of the Server app? Or should I remove the whole server app and reinstall?

Hi Furby The sudo cmd starts the service, and show 'RUNNING'. All good. After about 10 seconds, I ran sudo serveradmin status devicemgr and it reported 'STOPPED'. Can you point me to where the log file is?

I am also trying to activate Profile Manager, and having a torrid time of it! My server has a fixed IP, Open Directory is operational, and DNS is working properly according to all tests, but when I turn on Profile Manager, it promptly switches itself off again. When I visit the server's web page, the service is listed, but all I get is the message: "Profile Manager is turned off. An administrator can turn it on using the Server Application". changeip shows success. Anyone have any ideas why this should be so challenging? On the Profile Manager screen, there is an option under the heading Settings, titled: "Device Management: Enabled." In the Krypted.com site, he says to click the "Configure" button alongside this option, but my server does not show a Configure button! Where did it go? How do I get it back?

I'm with you there, but its clear Apple have no interest in making enterprise-scale deployments easier for anyone. Of course, with the profits they're posting, why would they give a damn when they are busy laughing all the way to the bank!

Apple seeks standard to appease angry university net managers | Network World ... This article is dated 2012, and since then, what has happened? The problem remains...

The pain to set this up is far less than the ongoing pain of finding, downloading and manually updating Mac updates. (I made my comment not knowing about your set-up. For us, a static IP was a given as we have our own leased line, which, I appreciate, not everyone has access to!)

Or, for £400, buy a mac mini and set it up with the ability to deliver updates from a local cache. The first machine downloads the updates, the mac mini stores it and all subsequent devices get it from there - and once its set up, needs no attention.

So why does this work in all its glorious simplicity on your network, while StuClark declares the need for a complex of vlans? Please provide further info about your network.

And you also have access to Google Classroom to manage work across classgroups. Its part of your Google Domain and requires minimal training. Go to classroom.google.com.

Our school is moving toward Apple tech (from Windows) and I would like, as far as possible, to reduce the number of different technologies that have to interact. So I'm keen to embrace Apple everywhere as far as it will go. We have fibre backbone across the campus, and I want to create a wireless network capable of handling up to 500 iPads, across 200 locations (boarding houses, classrooms, common areas etc). I'm aware that everyone will chip in with their favourite network technology, but I can't find anyone who's used Apple Airport Extremes on any large scale. There may be good reasons for that, which I'd like to hear about. The final network I want to move to is: A minimal windows-based wired network for admin staff, a small component of wired macbooks and iMacs, and the majority on Apple ipads, using wireless. Different vendors happily tout the brilliance of their products, and the weaknesses of the competition. I'm hoping someone out there has tried Apple Airport Extremes in the real world and can give me some advice from their experience. 1. Does Apple Airport scale in any way, or is it, like the rest of Apple, for home use in small networks? 2. I want to avoid the complexity of having controllers, vlans, etc. 3. We have a mac mini server, which I've been told is adequate to manage 500 iPads. Would it also cope with running RADIUS, 200-odd APs etc? 4. Will the wireless networks scale to running Apple TV? (I'm aware of the chatty nature of bonjour, but would hope that Apple tech on an Apple network would work. Unfortunately, I haven't had a good experience trying to get answers from Apple themselves. They haven't got a clue about the demands of education on IT Infrastructure.

If you have the GAPPS console, then you can see what users are doing with their files: https://support.google.com/a/answer/2773649?hl=en The system is more watertight if Chromebooks are used because Chromebooks do not allow installation of media player software, so pupils can't play downloaded vids etc.

We are totally Google, and have minimal problems and zero downtime. Your eggs are probably in safe hands as Google provides tools to extract your data from their clutches if you deem it necessary. see here: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190?hl=en

consider Proxmox. Its a VM environment built on a Linux core. It runs every VM appliance I've chosen to throw at it, has a simple web-based interface, and costs nothing. Download and use for free.

@SYNACK, if you are afraid that your expertise may become irrelevant in a school, you'd better move into the IT industry. Schools should spend money on education, not overpriced, highly-specialised IT infrastructure and skills. If they smell a cost-effective solution, they will move to it. I am a private school IT Director. I have no qualms using whatever resources best service the needs of education. It is not self-sacrifice: I have a more than enough to fill up my day, and reducing the tedious grind of admin issues frees me up to do more constructive stuff.

Nope, you are being paranoid! What sensitive documents do pupils and teachers create? Think about this: if Google cannot secure your info, what hope do you have? If Google can't keep viruses out of their system, how do you expect to? We use Google docs and Gmail in a school domain, which Google doesn't advertise to. I have a management console over their profiles that cost nothing. On the other hand, to temper what I've just said, we have internal admin departments which run MS Office on a generic MS network. Their data is internal and backed up daily, in the usual old-fashioned fashion. Google Drive is perfect for educational use, and relieves a huge IT admin burden from you shoulders. And Office is expensive, over-engineered for educational use, and not as straightforward to implement like Google Docs. Office 365 basic is free to schools, but you can only read and edit existing docs. To edit them, you have to download it to your desktop installation of Office, or pay per pupil. And Gmail is WAAAY better and simpler to administer than Outlook.

Set up a Terminal Server system to run an exam environment. We have as many as 15 students at a time who are entitled to use keyboards during exams. This hits the sweet spot in terms of controlled conditions and ease of maintenance. Also useful for language exams that have sound files. each child can play the sound track for themselves. We use dedicated thin clients but you could use any PC/laptop to connect. Alternatively, run a computer games club with a dedicated server!