[Lias] School Intranet Servers, Continued

[Andrew Dorrell]

Les Bell wrote:
> Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water . . . I have a
> few questions for those of you who have been through the process of setting
> up an intranet server in a NSW public school, inside the DET intranet, plus
> some more general questions.
> 
> 1. According to the documentation I have, each school has a /24 subnet on
> network 10.0.0.0. On this network, the school web server should be
> 10.x.y.30 (where x and y are school-specific). Does the department provide
> a DNS for the school network? If so, is there an entry in the zone files
> for the various hosts, and if so, what's the school web server supposed to
> be called? Come to think of it, what's the school intranet domain name? And
> if not, can we run our own DNS?

Yes the department does run DNS.  The page I posted previously has names 
and IP.  There are 3 for intranet web servers: web1, web2, web3. 
www.school-name.schools.etc is hosted by DET and is visible to the 
outside world.

Run your own DNS... *but in cache only mode* (or you will be asking for 
trouble)!


> 
> 2. I need to quickly get an understanding of the way in which the
> DET-provided network infrastructure operates inside a school. Ours has a NT
> box functioning as file/print server and also apparently default gateway -
> is this a standard configuration? If so, do all teachers have an account in
> the NT domain? (I'm puzzling over how to integrate with the NT domain and
> provide single sign-on). Also, can anybody recommend good open-source
> network mapping/diagramming tools? We know where the cables go, but really
> don't know how the datagrams get routed, distinctions between classroom and
> admin networks, etc. so I need to get a handle on this.

I don't know of any standard DET NT server install at this point.  I 
know there is a move happenning, don't know when, don;t know even if it 
will be NT based.  If you have an NT box chances are it was setup by 
staff or parents.  Sorry, can't help with the mapping.

> 
> (If no-one knows the answers to these questions, I'm happy to fall back to
> ringing the DET help desk and documenting what I find out).
> 
> 3. A question for the teachers here: In order to automate account creation
> and management, I want to be able to import all the kids' names and class
> data in a batch process. Do schools normally have any kind of file that
> could be used for this purpose, perhaps from the OASIS system (about which,
> I confess, I know nothing)?
> 
> 4. I'm looking for recommendations for CGI-based games which are suitable
> for deployment in a primary / elementary school environment. Any and all
> suggestions welcome.

You might be able to find some flash games that you are allowed to copy?


-- 
Andrew Dorrell PhD.        Senior Research Engineer
Canon Information Systems Research Australia     Phone: 61 2 9805 2224
1 Thomas Holt Drive,  North Ryde,  NSW 2113.     Fax:   61 2 9805 2865