A sun thin client server .. actually we could run anything on them, windoze, SLED, ubuntu etc .. They go with the little kiosk boxes that will last for decades, just plug in keyboard / mouse and away you go. Some of you saw this set in operation by NetworkHelp at the VITTA conference last year when they were running the cyber cafe computers outside the trade area. Am trying to source a mounting bracket that I heard you can use to bolt these to the backs of LCD monitors sounds like a good idea when I saw something similar with what you can do with an Apple MacMini. <br>
<br>This term we are going to do a huge shuffle on our network to rationalise what is running on what hardware with dozens of vlrtual machines to juggle. Kevork gave me some good clues with his setup at Forest Hill, the other clues I got from Monash Uni. Most of them are small footprint debian linux computers, others run Win / Novell. Each has a job to do. Currently have a Sun 4150 and purchasing a <a href="http://www.sun.com/storage/disk_systems/unified_storage/7110">Sun 7110 Unified Storage system</a><cite> to host the machines. Virtualising our network was one of the most sensible things we have done in the past few years. Brave step forward but you need the right hardware in place.<br>
<br>Regards Roland<br></cite><cite><br></cite><div class="gmail_quote">2009/10/27 Laurie Savage <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sav@pvgc.vic.edu.au">sav@pvgc.vic.edu.au</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-AU">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Hi Roland,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">What is driving the Sun thin clients. Some years ago the State
Library had them as kiosks running on ?Solaris, but they’ve all gone now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Laurie</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p>
<div style="border-style: solid none none; border-color: rgb(181, 196, 223) -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color; border-width: 1pt medium medium; padding: 3pt 0cm 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"> <a href="mailto:itapps-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">itapps-bounces@edulists.com.au</a>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:itapps-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">itapps-bounces@edulists.com.au</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Roland Gesthuizen<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, 23 October 2009 3:21 PM<div class="im"><br>
<b>To:</b> Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List; eLearning mailing
list<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Don Collins<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] OT: NSSCF 1:2 ratio and 1:1 Yr9-12</div></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">G'day Colin, I might bounce
your question and this reply to the eLearning and other mailing lists.
Details and my contribution is below.<br>
<br>
Regards Roland</p><div><div></div><div class="h5">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">2009/10/22 Colin SYMONS <<a href="mailto:CSY@gwsc.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">CSY@gwsc.vic.edu.au</a>></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sorry for the off topic discussion, if there is a better
forum to air it let me know Kevork. We are in the process of discussing how we
are going to meet the 1:2 ratio and best work towards meeting the mandated 1:1
ratio of computer/companion devices for yr9-12 students. I was wondering if
other schools are working their way through this and how you are intending to
address the requirements. Below are some of the questions we are currently
pondering and would be interested in your responses.<br>
<br>
What combination of desktops, notebooks and netbooks are you going to use to
meet the 1:1 ratio?</p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
We will have about 180 iMac desktops (existing), and plan to buy 75 Macbook
laptops, 75 netbooks and a swag of assorted thin Sun clients. For obvious
reasons they will be located according to use (Sun thin clients as kiosks and 6
x 13 laptop trolleys in staff rooms and 6 x 13 boxes in library). No new labs,
just filling in some gaps. Oddly enough, we reckon that we can assemble the
small sets of 13 netbooks into adapted book boxes for loan from the library. Am
using 13 as a working number for each set.<br>
</p>
</div>
<blockquote style="border-style: none none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(204, 204, 204); border-width: medium medium medium 1pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 6pt; margin-left: 4.8pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal">Do you envisage parental contributions to support the
program? If so, what proportion of cost is being considered? What if they don't
pay? </p>
</blockquote>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
Parents paying? Not likely ever here ..<br>
</p>
</div>
<blockquote style="border-style: none none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(204, 204, 204); border-width: medium medium medium 1pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 6pt; margin-left: 4.8pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal">Do the students have ownership and take them home or does
the school house and recharge them?</p>
</blockquote>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
Only the netbooks and only if the teacher signs them out, counts and returns
them (excursion, overnight etc.)<br>
</p>
</div>
<blockquote style="border-style: none none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(204, 204, 204); border-width: medium medium medium 1pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 6pt; margin-left: 4.8pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal">How do you plan to sustain the program after the initial
purchase?</p>
</blockquote>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
Federal or divine intervention come to mind or perhaps a direct appeal to a
small deity. Seriously though, if the machines start to fail we remove a class
set to canabolise parts for the others. Eating our liver might seem odd but it
has worked for graphical calculators to date. Kind of why the bulk of stuff we
have is on a rolling lease. We have had a great experience with the robust and
well built Macbooks so we are buying these up (big price fall just now!) .. and
buying the cheapest cheapest for the Netbooks. Got some great cues and clues
from a great school visit to Coburg SHS and talking to Principal Don Collins.<br>
</p>
</div>
<blockquote style="border-style: none none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(204, 204, 204); border-width: medium medium medium 1pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 6pt; margin-left: 4.8pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal">How are you also intending to delivering the NSSCF
requirement of 1:2 across 7&8?</p>
</blockquote>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
We are not locking the junior kids out of rooms or away from the trolleys ..
that is just plain mean spirited. In practice the users can loan the gear
across the curriculum and gauge how it is being used. A gentle tap on staff
shoulders might be all that is needed to encourage use by a cohort.<br>
</p>
</div>
<blockquote style="border-style: none none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(204, 204, 204); border-width: medium medium medium 1pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 6pt; margin-left: 4.8pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal">Some technical support is being provided, how do you intend
to manage this?</p>
</blockquote>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
We have a good lockdown system for the iMacs with OSX (and automated
reimaging), Novell Zenworks handles the security on the Windoze side, dont
laugh but the lockdown Ubuntu Netbook remix with a USB key or Internet
access to the home directory or Moodle is all we need for the Netbooks .. (we
avoid pretending that they are anything more than just a browser / office mix
hence our decision to keep them cheap cheap)<br>
</p>
</div>
<blockquote style="border-style: none none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(204, 204, 204); border-width: medium medium medium 1pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 6pt; margin-left: 4.8pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p class="MsoNormal">We are a large school and this would mean an additional 1300
-1400 computer devices. What management issues do you see arising at your
school?</p>
</blockquote>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
Electrical (get those points in now) .. trolley storage, we can put two
trolleys of 13 into the footprint of an existing teacher desk. Wireless
.. don't hold your breath. A place to service equipment, store parts and tools.
Putting in place an apprentice ICT technician and student trainee has been the
best thing we have ever done! We coordinated this through a group called
Apprenticeship Plus and fund it out of our existing program.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
Already we have compiled detailed planning notes, training schedule and
established a team list with Google Docs. I would be happy to outline how this
works (or further share) if anybody is interested.<br>
<br>
Regards Roland<br clear="all">
<br>
-- <br>
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br>
<a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br>
<br>
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret
Mead<br></div></div>
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IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by <br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br><a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead<br>