Accessing New Servers
08.August.2009 01:29 Filed in: Tech Tips
This summer, new servers have been installed
throughout School District 21 schools. With these new
servers, we are also instituting a very exciting,
completely new infrastructure. Through this
infrastructure, we will more tightly be able to
control the user experience in different ways for
different users--so teachers have the tools that they
need and so that elementary school and middle school
students have the tools that they need. Additionally,
we will be able to provide far better support as
users’ work is centralized on the servers.
Coming this year will be even more changes. With the addition of staff laptops and the move of all staff members over to the Exchange Email, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks Productivity Server, we are instituting a new consistent username standard that will minimize the number of conflicts between District 21 students and staff members who have similar (or the same) names. This new firstname.lastname format is already in effect for current Exchange users and is now in effect for all individuals to access their server folders.
During the two weeks prior to the start of the year, iTech teachers are available in schools to help users access their new server home directories and to ensure that users are best prepared to use those home directories effectively. (For teachers, once laptops are deployed later this year, your data will sync to and from the server when you are in the district, providing a safe back-up! Thus, using your home directory effectively now is critical.)
Please note: Assuming you were not already in Active Directory* at the end of the 2008-2009 school year**, the first time you login to the new server, you will need to do so from a computer running OS 10.4 or 10.5 that has already been connected to Active Directory. These computers include the Mac Minis in the computer labs and the aluminum 20” iMacs for staff use.
The Technology Office has prepared some documents to help individuals log-in to their new server folders.
*Active Directory is an underlying system for managing student and staff users.
**With only a few exceptions, like Business Office staff members, the individuals who were already in Active Directory at the end of the 08-09 school year, were the same individuals who were using Exchange. These individuals included: Administrators, Tech Office staff and iTech teachers, Support Services staff, Psychologists, Social Workers, and Speech Pathologists.
Coming this year will be even more changes. With the addition of staff laptops and the move of all staff members over to the Exchange Email, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks Productivity Server, we are instituting a new consistent username standard that will minimize the number of conflicts between District 21 students and staff members who have similar (or the same) names. This new firstname.lastname format is already in effect for current Exchange users and is now in effect for all individuals to access their server folders.
During the two weeks prior to the start of the year, iTech teachers are available in schools to help users access their new server home directories and to ensure that users are best prepared to use those home directories effectively. (For teachers, once laptops are deployed later this year, your data will sync to and from the server when you are in the district, providing a safe back-up! Thus, using your home directory effectively now is critical.)
Please note: Assuming you were not already in Active Directory* at the end of the 2008-2009 school year**, the first time you login to the new server, you will need to do so from a computer running OS 10.4 or 10.5 that has already been connected to Active Directory. These computers include the Mac Minis in the computer labs and the aluminum 20” iMacs for staff use.
The Technology Office has prepared some documents to help individuals log-in to their new server folders.
- Directions for logging in to the
server from OS 10.4/10.5 computers (including
initial login) and OS 10.3 computers
- Logging in to OS 10.4/10.5 computers (Mac Minis/Teacher iMacs) video
- Logging in to OS 10.3 (Classroom) computers video
*Active Directory is an underlying system for managing student and staff users.
**With only a few exceptions, like Business Office staff members, the individuals who were already in Active Directory at the end of the 08-09 school year, were the same individuals who were using Exchange. These individuals included: Administrators, Tech Office staff and iTech teachers, Support Services staff, Psychologists, Social Workers, and Speech Pathologists.
