My Network is More Private Than My Home!

Christopher I Cobitz, PhD

Director of Technology

Thomasville City Schools

What is going on?

• A plumber who decides to change the location of your toilet?

• A painter that decides which room to paint?

• A carpenter who builds walls where he chooses?

• I don’t think so!

My network on Elm St

• New software? Buy a new server

• Can’t get on the Internet if you use token ring

• The consultant made the password

• Only their IP address can telnet the router

• Nobody and Ida Know

In the house

• Each machine is a new experience

• Today we are doing it this way

• Well it works

• What is in a name if by any other name a rose would not print!

• But I like Wins!

• Why doesn’t AOL work?

Issues

• NOS

• Automation

• Access rights

• File locations

• System Policies

• User groups

NOS

• Novell? Right?• All the same?• Upgrade?• What parts?• Which options?• Do you really think you will use that?• Stand over these folks• make them write it down

Automation

• Zen works• Novell delivered apps• Workstation manager• Deep Freeze• Client Policies• Do you know how to do this?• Do you want this?• What is the down side?• What is the password?

Access Rights

• Who belongs here?

• Who is the “special” person in your computer?

• Is there only one?

• Turn off most rights

• Stop using your admin user

• Be yourself

File Locations

• Which SIMS am I using today?• Keep it off SYS:• Turn off their saving rights• KISS – keep it simple s• One folder for apps• One folder for sims stuff• Maybe one for Follett• YOU choose!

System policies

• Naming workstation/servers/printers

• DHCP etc etc etc

• Why is my desktop different each day?

• You need to have a handle…

• They need to conform

• Hot water on the left

User Groups

• Groups are good

• Where are they?

• One for each natural group

• Assign rights to groups

Other tips and tricks

• Home directories– Just say yes! But….– Decide where!

• Map the home directories

• Sims the same on all machines

• Generally keep mappings the same on EVERY machine

Danger zones

• Creating users

• How many passwords?

• Who uses this software?

• How many protocols?

• Naming schemes

• Replicas!

To hire or rent?

• Can you afford to hire?

• Can you afford not to?

• Renting help vs. renting administration

• Carpenter vs. architect