Hello,
My Boss just opened a small school. He know that i am good at IT. But not servers so i need your help.
And we can't afford a IT Pro. beacause we spent so much money on the new technology.
Now, here is the school setup:
My Boss purchased 80 new bare computers for the Students and Teachers. Now I've already installed Windows Pro on all of the computers I left 3 of these computers to be blank (no OS) at the moment for your instructions.
Here is the breakdown:
My focus should be on
- File Sharing
- Internet Sharing
- Group Policy (for student PCs)
- Restrictions
- Active Directory
- Security
- Domain/Client setup
- other things that I should know
- What accessories to buy
- Mail Server
- Applications - Like Microsoft Office
I have some knowledge in Windows XP, however, not windows servers All client computers will be XP Pro Build 2600 (Sp3).
Anyway, where should I start?
Any Network Admins here that can give me some inputs about this?
The simplest or easiest way would be the best.
Thank You!
Also, Please email-me if you have any guides on setting all of this up. Please email me it in a pdf form. You can also email me if you would like to help me set it up. my email address is smayernik.lps@aol.com
PS- sorry for the bad english.
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Question
1
Vote
School Server Setup
30th Dec
Answers (7)
9
Votes
Don't do it
You shouldn't be suprised by this answer... don't do it yourself. Hire someone that knows what they're doing. Trying to do the initial setup of servers and desktops for 80 staff and students by yourself when you have no server experience is totally insane.
If you try to do this yourself you will waste a lot of time and you will make all sorts of mistakes - some that cost money as well as your time - and you will eventually figure out that this is too big a project to take on yourself and will hire a pro anyway. Your boss will find the money. If he can afford to buy 80 computers and to pay the salaries of his teachers, then he can afford to get the IT that will run the whole operation set up properly.
If you try to do this yourself you will waste a lot of time and you will make all sorts of mistakes - some that cost money as well as your time - and you will eventually figure out that this is too big a project to take on yourself and will hire a pro anyway. Your boss will find the money. If he can afford to buy 80 computers and to pay the salaries of his teachers, then he can afford to get the IT that will run the whole operation set up properly.
2nd Jan
Replies
I agree with gechurch. This is a huge undertaking for someone who is not familiar with server type of environments. Here is my suggestion for the money issue. Look for the nearest University / Tech School that has a degree for Computer Science. Contact their Business Development or Career Center Department. Tell them that you are looking for a unpaid intern to help set this up.
You might be surprised that a lot of people don't care about getting paid. They want the experience when they are in school. Yes, money is nice but if you have experience under your belt by the time you graduate, you are better off than someone who doesn't have the experience. Plus if you can afford on down the road, why not hire the person who set everything up. They don't need training plus the can literally start day one.
You might be surprised that a lot of people don't care about getting paid. They want the experience when they are in school. Yes, money is nice but if you have experience under your belt by the time you graduate, you are better off than someone who doesn't have the experience. Plus if you can afford on down the road, why not hire the person who set everything up. They don't need training plus the can literally start day one.
Clendanielc
2nd Jan
3
Votes
Get a pro
I had prepared a big response for you, but after looking at your initial post and looking at gechurch's response, I can't in good conscience give you anything more than what gechurch said. You're digging yourself an IT grave if you try to take this on without help, man. At best, you can google through it and get it running, but you run a lot of risk. Is your boss going to be sympathetic when he cannot email anyone, because you were blacklisted as spammers when you didn't secure your exchange server? Is he going to be happy when the students cannot log in one day because your domain authentication is broken? What happens when a power outage kills the entire domain? Did you buy battery backup units, and put in place a plan for a complete restore of business operations in the event of a catastrophic failure? What about antivirus software? Is your network even capable of handling 80 students at once? Did you get a business class router, or did you get a $50 linksys from the local office supply store?
Seriously, your post is like saying, "My boss bought a 747 so that we can fly all 80 of his family members to Europe. I have never flown a plane at all but I saw one on TV. Can someone give me a guide on how to fly it?"
Not trying to be mean to you, I'm just trying to explain the level of how far out of your depth you are here.
Seriously, your post is like saying, "My boss bought a 747 so that we can fly all 80 of his family members to Europe. I have never flown a plane at all but I saw one on TV. Can someone give me a guide on how to fly it?"
Not trying to be mean to you, I'm just trying to explain the level of how far out of your depth you are here.
2nd Jan
2
Votes
I just want to know what "new technology" boss spent money on?
Can't just jump in with buncha kids, requires plan and backup plans.
Kids will break all 80 computers and everything they can get their hands on.
Ya'll should look into some type of virtual, terminal or thin client EDU friendly solution where kids can't do anything like install stuff, hack, look at naught stuff, etc.
Also, XP should be avoided if possible. Win7 Pro is recommended.
Kids will break all 80 computers and everything they can get their hands on.
Ya'll should look into some type of virtual, terminal or thin client EDU friendly solution where kids can't do anything like install stuff, hack, look at naught stuff, etc.
Also, XP should be avoided if possible. Win7 Pro is recommended.
Updated - 2nd Jan
3
Votes
Great advice so far
You've gotten outstanding advice thus far - especially the 747 analogy. Without server know-how, you are crazy to take this on. You will waste time and money. Even worse, valuable data could get lost.
I admire your spunk. However, the likely outcome is that you look bad. It will be very difficult to do otherwise. That's not an insult to you. I wouldn't want a 1st year med student performing brain surgery on me either. This is a fairly simple job for someone with the right knowledge. It's a dangerously difficult job for anyone else. Worse yet, you'll likely have numerous students who know more than you.
John C.
I admire your spunk. However, the likely outcome is that you look bad. It will be very difficult to do otherwise. That's not an insult to you. I wouldn't want a 1st year med student performing brain surgery on me either. This is a fairly simple job for someone with the right knowledge. It's a dangerously difficult job for anyone else. Worse yet, you'll likely have numerous students who know more than you.
John C.
2nd Jan
2
Votes
To big a task for somoeone who is only "Good at IT"
This is why we have specialization.
Unless your boss is willing to send you to classes and put the networking on hold for now, this is a project that is doomed to failure.
I admire your spirit and willingness to take on such a huge endevour, but there is no way on God's green earth that you will be able to pull this off. At best, you'll look incompetant, at worst, terminated.
Just think of how you'll have to answer the question "Why did you leave your last position"? at your next job interview.
"Well, I took on a huge project that was outside of my areas of expertese, and botched it up so badly that my boss fired me" is not a response an interviewer is looking for.
Unless your boss is willing to send you to classes and put the networking on hold for now, this is a project that is doomed to failure.
I admire your spirit and willingness to take on such a huge endevour, but there is no way on God's green earth that you will be able to pull this off. At best, you'll look incompetant, at worst, terminated.
Just think of how you'll have to answer the question "Why did you leave your last position"? at your next job interview.
"Well, I took on a huge project that was outside of my areas of expertese, and botched it up so badly that my boss fired me" is not a response an interviewer is looking for.
2nd Jan
2
Votes
Hoping this can help you.
I guessing that you dont need every student to be in a domain, if so you can put into the domain only the teachers, that way the teachers can share files through a server with other teachers. A server with active directory and maximum 10 people(teachers) in the domain.
If you really need the students to share files you can do that with google docs, and you can use google docs for sharing files between teachers and students. This way you dont have to deal with every student in active directory.
Office for the teachers, and for the students open office.
Anyway I am just trying to help, everyone adviced you to hire someone else, but if you insist in doing it yourself good look, you may also want to check those videos from elythecomputerguy.com. Ely got some great videos that may help you.
Introduction to domains http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut_oLhMhJsY
Introduction to filesharing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFQhawnWOrI
Introduccion to workgroups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxxjzzopkI
If you really need the students to share files you can do that with google docs, and you can use google docs for sharing files between teachers and students. This way you dont have to deal with every student in active directory.
Office for the teachers, and for the students open office.
Anyway I am just trying to help, everyone adviced you to hire someone else, but if you insist in doing it yourself good look, you may also want to check those videos from elythecomputerguy.com. Ely got some great videos that may help you.
Introduction to domains http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut_oLhMhJsY
Introduction to filesharing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFQhawnWOrI
Introduccion to workgroups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxxjzzopkI
2nd Jan
Replies
Good one Alec.
Locrian_Lyric
2nd Jan
0
Votes
Me Too
As someone who has been in school IT for 15 years, your boss messed up on day one. A "technology Initiative" should be roughly 1/3 hardware, 1/3 training, and 1/3 support, by dollars. Dropping a bunch of screens in front of students without staffing and support is just throwing away money.
Hire a competent IT Pro to setup your network. Make sure they document their work. Get yourself trained. Train your staff and hire some people to fix stuff.
Hire a competent IT Pro to setup your network. Make sure they document their work. Get yourself trained. Train your staff and hire some people to fix stuff.
3rd Jan
