Question for Network manages

hargi · 18 Jul 2014 at 10:28

I look after two schools both are running 2008 R2 with just one server each.
The larger school has 2 NAS boxes now for storage, while the smaller school just uses the server for storage to.
User wise large has say 500 users , small 300.

When I got started I wasnt up on network management so we had a product Ranger installed over the top of server 2008 r2 that helps with user creation permissions software deployment etc, (its now owned by RM

) . Most schools I know use things like RM comunity connect 3 or 4 .

However after been in the job a while now I find that Ranger sometimes makes things stop working for no reason for example only some antiviruses play nicely with it. And more and more I use GP and msi to deploy software.

When we go for our next server refresh I'm thinking of just a vanilla windows server.
Would this be a good idea?

Im thinking people in businesses do you just use it like that or do you have things like novell ect added on over the top?

Cheers

hargi · 18 Jul 2014 at 11:34

First thing I did when we went in was rip out the RM CC3 network. And went with ranger, just before they got bought out. Both schools are not tied to any contracts so I'm more or less free to do what I want with in reason.
You say no single server? whys that? other then if it breaks were out of action for a while. how would you split it up

hargi · 18 Jul 2014 at 11:48

Cheers,
But theres no real need for anything other then Sever 2012 R2 on there for management

hargi · 18 Jul 2014 at 11:56

I dont know really as the more I look at ranger the more I see that most of the stuff can be done just in 2012 r2.
I suppose the question would be why would anyone use something like ranger / cc4 ?

They are just normal schools so 3 levels of permissions students / teachers / admin staff other then that its just software deployments and wifi

hargi · 18 Jul 2014 at 14:08

Yeah I mean I will admit when I took over I had no experience of a network environment other then a moodle server ( open Suse) that I run at my other work place. I think Ranger eased me into it, but after about 6 months I started to read up and saw that most of the stuff I wanted to do is done by GP anyways. So I think I have out grown it.

It was just a wondering if any businesses used anything similar or was just the server software?

To be fair to ranger it was a one off license fee, im not sure about the RM CC3/4 but I know that with CC3 it can't be uninstalled off the machine you have to totally wipe it.
I am not a big RM fan due to the prices they charge and the fact that you have to do everything there way.

Im just setting up a home virtual lab with 2012 and some win 8 machines to test it out.
How long is 2012 R2 going to be the go to version before a newer one would be deployed?

I think we are paying silly money for a BT 10mb line which we have had lots of down time from.

hargi · 18 Jul 2014 at 14:15

Thats what most of the other guys have said.

Think we used WDS to deploy the pc images on the big roll out ( with the help of an external company ) its been a bit flaky since then and as most of the time its just one or two re images I just use clonezilla, but hear that SCCM you can do more or less everything with.