Natick Public SchoolsTechnology UpdateSeptember 11, 2006

Dennis Roche, CISA

Director of Technology

Technology Update 2006 -2007

• Technology Vision

• Summer 2006 Update

• Updated Technology Plan

• Challenges & Goals

Technology Vision

• Implement best of breed solutions from K-12, higher education and the business world.

• Create an open environment that embraces multiple platforms and multiple clients.

• Allow use of personal computing devices and in safe and secure fashion.

Technology Department Mission

• Establish and maintain a reliable and secure technology infrastructure.

• Provide technical support and on-going training to all faculty and staff.

• Manage third party technology vendors and service providers.

• Collaborate with faculty, staff and administrators on new technologies.

Summer 2006 Update

• New Technology Staff– Steve McGrath, Help Desk Manager– LaKisha Wilson, Technician– Chris Kiepert, Web & Data Base Administrator

• Open Positions– Technical Support Specialist– Network Administrator

New On-Line Resources

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

First Class

• Rebuilt a server with internal hardware redundancy (Hardware level RAID) to maximize uptime.

• Upgraded First Class Server Software to current release.

• Ran Repair Utilities on First Class Data Base.• Conferences within First Class re-organized.• New SPAM filter implemented.

Backend Server Work & Computer Room

• All servers relocated main computer room at Natick High School.

• All MAC servers upgraded to newest version of Operating System.

• New storage, backup and fiber switches purchased and installed. New faculty currently on new storage solution.

• New dedicated electrical service installed and protected by electrical generator.

Elementary Software

• Re-installed 500 elementary computers with a standard suite of software.

• MicroSoft Office now available to all faculty.

• Students have access to Appleworks, Inspiration, Kid Pix, Neighborhood Map Machines, Sammy’s Science House and the Internet.

Business & Science Departments

• Business Lab A107 cabled and added to network.

• Cabling for managed wired access points completed in the S wing. Access points to be configured and piloted later in the school year.

• Licenses for Microsoft Windows XP and Office 2003 purchased for student use.

Nurses Upgrade

• Phased out Citrix Server based solution which was only required to provide a Windows application to MAC clients.

• Replaced all Nurses machines with PCs which greatly decreased login time and minimize printing issues.

• Worked with Town IT Department on upgrading SNAP Data Base and providing access.

Technology PlanYear 1 - FY06

Project Original

Estimate Actual Status

Rebuild Network Servers & Domain75,000 105,444 In Process

MS Office Tools 33,000 0 Complete

NHS Business & Science Labs 28,000 20,189 Complete

Wiring Closets 46,000 0 Deferred

Email System SPAM Filter 0 4,721 Complete

Anti-Spyware & Policy based Content Filter 0 16,208 Evaluating

Funding Summary

Beginning Balance 10,800

Town Meeting Funding 182,000

Total 192,800 146,562

Balance 46,238

Steps to Rebuild Network Servers & Domain

1. Production Environment

2. New Storage & Backup Infrastructure

3. Domain Controller Replacement

4. Windows & MAC Integration

Production EnvironmentStep 1

• By end of 2005 - 2006 School Year, 36 MAC OSX and 11 Windows Servers centralized at Natick High School.

• Rebuilt and repurposed 6 existing servers to retired 6 of the oldest servers.

• Additional memory and internal hard drives purchased to sustain existing environment until data migration conducted.

• Rebuilt 2 Servers for DNS.

• All MAC OSX servers upgraded to latest version of MAC OSX (10.4.7) to ease migration process and secure backup of directory information.

• Production environment currently consists of 18 MAC OSX and 7 Windows Servers.

New Storage and Backup Infrastructure

Step 2• Purchased and installed new storage, backup library and

fiber optic switches.

• (9) existing servers rebuilt & repurposed to serve as file servers to storage arrays. Additional servers to be rebuilt as we migrate. Each server can manage 100-150 active connections.

• Purchased and installed fiber optic cards in all servers for optimum access to storage arrays.

• New faculty added to new storage system this school year.

Domain Controller ReplacementStep 3

• Purchased (2) additional MAC servers to continue testing without impacting production.

• Conducted tests of rebuilding new domain controller from scratch.

• Purchased block of phone and on-site support consulting time with Apple to verify approach and minimize disruption.

Windows & MAC IntegrationStep 4

• An Active Directory environment is our long term goal to achieve seamless integration of MAC and Windows clients.

• A second migration will be required to achieve this goal after completion of the current migration.

Technology PlanYear 2 - FY07

ProjectOriginal

Estimate

Revised

Estimate

Rebuild Network Servers & Domain - Step 30 50,000

Wiring Closets 50,000 50,000

Website Development 50,000 25,000

Student Information System 150,000 200,000

Equipment Replacement 100,000 50,000

Automated Communication System 20,200 25,000

Total 370,200 400,000

Technology PlanYear 3 - FY08

ProjectOriginal

Estimate

Revised

Estimate

Rebuild Network Servers & Domain - Step 40 50,000

Wiring Closets 0 50,000

Classroom Technologies 100,000 100,000

Equipment Replacement 200,000 200,000

Total 300,000 400,000

Challenges for 2006 - 2007

• Nurses Upgrade & Science Department Wireless Pilot delayed due to Network Administrator departure.

• Printing at Elementary Schools limited.• Can’t add new Lilja faculty to network due MAC

Manager Data Base Issue. • Email problem with SPAM filter and Comcast

blacklisting us.• Login issues at Wilson Middle School - Discovered loose

connections on a stack of switches in a wiring closet.

Current High Priority Issues

• Fifth and Sixth graders not able to access home directories.

• Pending Patron Upload to Library Circulation Systems delaying book circulation.

• Java Programming class - students unable to run compiled applications.

Summary of Goals for 2006 - 2007

• Complete data migration to new storage device, rebuild servers and domain controller.

• Separate Website from First Class and redesign district level and school level sites.

• Upgrade wiring closets based on priority and need.• Complete due diligence on SIS system and

implement best solution. • Implement emergency notification system.• Pilot interactive white board solution.