Server 2008 set up

[cmchamp]

Chad
I'm in the process of setting up a Windows2008 server with 80 workstations. We would like our students to only have access to their individual student folder (partition) on the network. Will this be possible with Steady State?
I just installed the server software this week, but have not yet the time to sit down and begin to construct my users, etc.
Just would like to know before I get going.
C.

[Gracetech]

Originally Posted by cmchamp

Chad
I'm in the process of setting up a Windows2008 server with 80 workstations. We would like our students to only have access to their individual student folder (partition) on the network. Will this be possible with Steady State?
I just installed the server software this week, but have not yet the time to sit down and begin to construct my users, etc.
Just would like to know before I get going.
C.

Cory in your situation you will probably want to setup Group Policies to auto direct the "My Documents" on the machine to a public folder for each user. I would then Lock the computer in the Steady Stage and just have it refresh itself every time it's rebooted.

In the last Church/School i worked for we decided to go with virtual machines to better control the environment. It's probably to late for you to restructure everything to do this but it might be something to ponder in the future.

It's been a while since i worked with Steady State so i'll have to look into it to see if it can do what you need.

crt

[cmchamp]

I have done nothing at this point accept get Windows Server 2008 installed on the new server, which I'll have to re-do as the 4 500GB drives were set up at the factory as a 2TB RAID, and I want them to be a JBOD so I can have 1 drive for OS, 1 for staff only, 1 for students only and one as a daily backup of essential information such as attendance, student records, correspondence and financials.
I'll search through the GB of information or so I have and see what I can come up with.
You "Windows" guys are very kind to us "Mac" folks when we need to cross the line.

[blonborg]

I wouldn't do JBOD on a server.

If you wanted to put the OS on it's own partition, a mirrored pair of 40Gb drives should be adequate (you'd probably have to buy 80's). Configure your 4-500Gb drives in a RAID 5 array. Should one of your drives fail, the data is still safe.

Use Windows permissions to decide who has access to what data. Create student and staff "shares" in Windows. Give the user's a drive mapping to these shares. For example, the students might have access to folders on the h: drive, but on the server, it's on e:\student. For the staff, they see an i: drive, it's really e:\staff (on the server).

How are you backing up the data? Just to the 4th 500Gb drive? Do you have a tape drive or another hard disk (or two) that you might rotate between for an offsite backup.

Bill

Originally Posted by cmchamp

I have done nothing at this point accept get Windows Server 2008 installed on the new server, which I'll have to re-do as the 4 500GB drives were set up at the factory as a 2TB RAID, and I want them to be a JBOD so I can have 1 drive for OS, ...

[cmchamp]

Thanks Bill
At this time, the previous "guy" installed a Maxtor USB One Touch and configured it for only once a week.
I will be pursuing better options.
Right now, I have to see what software I have on hand to re-configure the drives as the driver diskette that came with the hardware apparently doesn't work.
The biggest hurdle in all of this is that I'm expected to get all of this "techy" type stuff done in the 30-45 min a day of "free" time in my schedule.
Not easy, so I leave it until we as a school can get through some of the other administrative issues we have, such as finding a new principal. As it is, they've added interim assistant principal to my duties.
C.

[blonborg]

Cory, hopefully your RAID array is implemented in hardware. If so, one normally presses a key combination while the server boots (before Windows), in order to get into the RAID configuration menu.

If you can provide the technical spec's on what you bought, we can help you maximize your efficiency in those 30-45 minutes for IT work.

I do IT for a living (and for 20 years at the church [volunteer]). Bill

Originally Posted by cmchamp

Right now, I have to see what software I have on hand to re-configure the drives as the driver diskette that came with the hardware apparently doesn't work.C.

[cmchamp]

I'll post spec's later today after school. We just finished with the health dept's seasonal and H1N1 vaccination, and now my teaching duties start. Yeah, what a day.