SMS Implementation1 Implementation of School Management System (SMS) Project For SMJK Schools

SMS Implementation 1

Implementation of School Implementation of School Management System (SMS) ProjectManagement System (SMS) Project

For SMJK SchoolsFor SMJK Schools

Implementation of School Implementation of School Management System (SMS) ProjectManagement System (SMS) Project

For SMJK SchoolsFor SMJK Schools

SMS Implementation2

Huaren Education Foundation

1. Agreed to release the grant of RM 1.2 million, latest by 1st week 2006

2. Of this sum of money, RM143, 010 is for the reimbursement of the cost of developing the SMJK Portal.

3. The remaining sum of money will be used to finance the implementation of SMS project in 60 SMJK schools, roughly RM 18,000 each.

4. The Huaren Education Foundation grant for the school is just a launching grant for the following purposes:

SMS Implementation3

Huaren Education Foundation1. SMS Basic Modules (Compulsory) – Malaysian School Version

School Info Profile

• Curriculum Management

• Student, Teachers, Staff & Guardian Profiles Management

• Class Info, Manual Class Attendance

• Inquiry Sub-module

• Task-list management

• Document Sharing

• News and Announcements

• User Access Management

• System Administration

1. Examination & E-Report Card

2. Student Discipline

3. Co-curriculum

4. Library Management RM9,000

SMS Implementation4

Huaren Education Foundation1. Hardware Server – refer to Project Charter * - RM4,500

2. Software and Server OS support and Maintenance Fee – First Year RM1,755

3. Software and Server OS support and Maintenance Fee – Second Year RM1,755

4. Project Management,System Setting up and configurations - FOC

5. Customization (any customization to be charged separately, if out-of-scope#)

6. # Specification in SMJK Jit Sin BM will be used a s the base line

Total RM 17,010 • * The council will standardize on a server at least with P4 2.8GHz and above,

2GB ECC DDR2 SDRAM with 3-year limited warranty on part and labour.• Optional upgrade available but school has to pay the amount less RM4500.00

SMS Implementation5

Huaren Education Foundation1. RM 17,010 is just for the payment to Perridot Systems Sdn.

2. Bhd, which is the company appointed by the council to develop the SMS.

3. Maintenance Fee is covered for first two years, but after that an annual maintenance fee of RM 1755 will be charged by Perridot Systems Sdn. Bhd.

4. School will be required to pay for any extra customization (out of scope from SMJK Jit Sin, BM) of the software to suit its requirements.

5. The balance of RM990 is for the expenses for the council’s SMS project team – visit to schools.

SMS Implementation6

Huaren Education Foundation• School also needs to get ready the infrastructure needed for the

implementation of this project.

• School must have:

1. Local Area Networking (LAN) facilities to access the SMS server, personal computers with NIC

2. notebook computers with NIC

3. Switch

4. Network laser printer - for printing of certificates, barcode and report cards.

5. An Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) is recommended for server protection in the event of power failure.

• Access to the SMS server is by UTP cables or wireless

SMS Implementation7

Huaren Education Foundation1. For connecting the system for Internet access, the school

needs to install the necessary telecommunication connections, including high speed uploading Streamyx-broadband / leased line access, firewalls, fixed IPs as well as a technical team capable of supporting this infrastructure.

2. All these extra expenses are to be born by the school concerned.

3. Streamyx package:

SMS Implementation8

Huaren Education Foundation1. The council is of the opinion that not all the SMJK schools will be interested

in taking part.

2. Estimated that 60 schools will take part; even then we are worried the actual number of schools participating may be less than that.

3. The schools will be divided into two batches, each consisting of 30 schools to facilitate the implementation.

4. The principal, the Chairman of the Board of Governors and/or the Chairman of the PTA have to sign on behalf of the school. Once committed, the school has to complete the project under the supervision of representatives appointed by the SMJK council.

5. Any school that has signed up but fails to complete/continue with the project, the council has the right to terminate the contract and repossess the server given.

6. The server will be given to another school who wish to participate in the project.

SMS Implementation9

Huaren Education Foundation1. The list of participating schools will be determined by the

council and then endorsed by the Deputy Minister of Education, YB. Dato’ Hon Choon Kim.

2. Once Huaren Education Foundation gets the approved list from the Deputy Minister, the money will be released and the project will start.

SMS Implementation10

SMS Implementation - Problems

• Project Kick Off Meeting• Problem:

• For the Network and Server O/S installation training, some of the schools nominated teachers with little or no IT knowledge.

• Suggestion:• School should nominate teachers who have some

basic IT knowledge



• Stage 1: Survey Form• Two weeks before the Kick off briefing

meeting and training – send survey form to the school to supply the necessary information to set the basic SMS parameter setting (such as school profile, subjects which offered by the school and etc.)

• Requested the schools to submit the survey forms during the Kick off briefing training session.



• Problem:• After sending out the survey forms,• called the school to ensure that they have

received the survey forms• Some schools complained that are not able

to receive the survey forms as some of the teachers’ mail box exceeded the quota



• Solution:• Upload the survey forms to SMJK Blog (

http://blog.smjk.edu.my ) and informed teacher in order for them to download.

• Create an email account for teacher and send the survey forms to that email account.

• teacher to log into the email account that been created and download the survey forms from there.



• Problem: Some of the schools do not submit the survey forms during the Kick off briefing training session.

• Unable to help the schools to do the basic parameter setting.



• Solution:• Ask the school either to submit via email or

fax or pass to technical consultant when they visit the school.

• If the school does not submit the survey forms, not able to help them to do the basic parameter setting after the data migration.



• Stage 2: Network Configuration• Once the Kick off training session had been

conducted, teachers will bring back the school server and network equipment to their schools.

• School need to ensure that the streamyx line and LAN are installed before the visit by the system and technical staff of Perridot.



• Problem:• Some of the school have not installed the

streamyx line. • Unable to migrate the data and apply the

new version release into there server. • We also found some difficulty to do the

online support due to quality of the steamyx connection.

•



• Solution:• Requested the SMJK Council to inform the

school to apply the streamyx line before the project kick.

• Expected the school to complete the installion of the streamyx line before the school signed off the project.



• Problem:• Some of the schools misunderstood that the

Schoolnet that are currently installed at their school is the Streamyx line required.

• Solution:• Therefore, for the 2nd phase - tell the school

the differential between Schoolnet and Streamyx.



• Problem:• Some of schools have changed their router

and the configuration setting after the project sign off.

• Solution:• Support & Maintenance agreement it only

cover online support for the SMS software and Server O/S maintenance, others hardware such as Server and Router are not included in the S&M agreement.



• If the school has reconfigured their router and not able to access the SMS server and Internet.

• Not to support the school• Can only able to provide the suggestion,

steps or guides to the school to bring up the network connection.



• Data Migration• Required data from the school to import the

data into the SMS server. • Informed the school to provide the data of

SMM, EMIS, SSS, SSDM and library data during the project kick off meeting to begin the data migration.


SMS Implementation - Problems• Problem:• SMM - For the phase 1 implementation due to

the new calendar school year, most of the schools have not completed entering new student details (especially form 1 student’s details) at the SMM program.

• Schools able to submit the latest SMM data for the data migration.

• Solution:• Advice the school to update manually for those

remaining new students.



• Problem:• SSDM. – For the Student Discipline

management data, only able to migrated the data which exported from SSDM Version 3.2 program

• Solution:• Get the latest version of the SSDM program



• Problem:• SSS (Auto generated Timetable program) –

incomplete data files, delay the migration process.

• Solution:• Resubmit the complete SSS timetable. • Confirm the timetable data before sending.



• Incorrect data file submitted as required for the data migration.

• Solution:• Include data files information in the survey

form as to which files are required. • Call the school for the correct data files.



• Problem • Duplicate user id • Teacher list need to be collect in order for

us to create the user id for all the staff and the user id need to be unique.

• Solution:• Help the school to compile a list for user

login id and give the school to confirm and update.



• Can not proceed the data migration for the schools that have no streamyx line installed.

• Initial planning, after collecting all the data from the school and create a simulation site to do the data migration as to ensure all the data being migrated.


SMS Implementation - Problems• After that, will transfer all the data into the

school server through Internet line (Streamyx).

• Solution:• For the schools which do not have streamyx

line installed, request teacher to bring back the server during the training session.

• Transfer the data into their school server and the school able to use systems locally (LAN)


SMS Implementation - Problems• During Phase 1’ second batch training

session, • Up to 40 teachers who attend the training

session in SMJK Dindings • 5 Perridots trainer could not handle the 40

teachers. • Solution:• Resized the training and only to allow no

more than 20 participants to attend in a training session.

• Invited some schools teachers with experience in using the SMS systems to help



Problem• Some schools did not switch on the

server during the office hour. • Can not apply the new version release

for the schools.

• Solution:• The council inform the school to switch

on the server



Problem• Some schools did not switch on the

server during the office hour. • Can not apply the new version release

for the schools.

• Solution:• The council inform the school to switch

on the server



• School requests us to do the onsite support.

• The Support and Maintenance agreement, only online support via email or phone calls.

• If the school insists for onsite support need to charge the out of pocket expenses.

• Solution:

• The council inform the school regarding this issue.


SMS Implementation - Problems1. Some of the schools complaining unable to

access sms server or encounter slow traffic when accessing the SMS server.

2. Problems such as a. router failure, b. ip conflict, c. slow access from outside the school network (from

Internet) d. can not access the server from outside the school.

3. Solution• The issues are not part of the scope under the project,

can only give the school suggestion on how to solve the problems.



1. Request schools to send all support emails to our Helpdesk address at [email protected], so that all problems and issues reported can be tracked and monitored

2. To escalate these problem to management when certain problems had taken too long to be responded from the Helpdesk staff.



• Operation Issues:• Server Root Passwords

Issues Background• The root passwords for the server will

always remain the custodian with the company, under the custodian of our System and Network support Group.


SMS Implementation - Problems• There were reported cases of server hacking

activities in January and April 2006, where a SQL-Injection method had been used to incapacitate the server

• Necessary steps taken to recover and rectify the security loop-holes.

• The SQL-Injection attack is a well-publicised method of attack and is widely available on the Internet for would-be hackers to learn and attack.


SMS Implementation - Problems• Some schools had been using the same SMS

servers as Proxy Servers, • some schools had started creating user

accounts on the servers for unknown purposes.

Recommended Actions• For Schools that had Root password

custodian withdrawn• In view of the possible system security breach

and the responsibilities and ownership of problems if the system were mis-configured.


SMS Implementation - Problems• Withdrawn the root password from all

schools and given exclusive custodian to our group of System and Network support team.

• Only a special System Administrator password had been given to schools that require to log in and check for status of server via the in-build Mozilla browser.



• Perridot Systems will be responsible to prevent any attacks or security breach to the server.

• Informed the school regarding the issue mentioned above.

• School still request for the root password, despite releasing a user account and password to school converned



• For Schools that decides to have their own custodian of Root Passwords

• Perridot will released the Root-password after the release form has been signed to discharge responsibilities.

• Any mis-configurations or security breach that was occurred subsequently will be the responsibilities of the school.



Issues Background – Stolen Hardware• While not part of the project scope, reported

cases of stolen equipment from the project so far:

• 3Com Router,• Dell PowerEdge Server


SMS Implementation - Problems• Issues Background – Schools not using

the allocated 3Com routers• Each of the 29 schools in the original

Phase 1 implementation had each been given a router for them to commission the SMS

• Standardized equipment - training for the School Administrator can be simplify.

• Some schools, not been using the allocated 3Com router; having some difficulty to solve the network problem.



• At the time of this report, we have reported the status of deployment of these specially allocated 3Com routers.

• 1 school 3Com router reported stolen• 2 schools 3Com routers being replaced

due to the router malfunction.• 10 schools do not use the 3Com routers.



• At the time of this report, we have reported the status of deployment of these specially allocated 3Com routers.

• 1 school 3Com router reported stolen• 2 schools 3Com routers being replaced

due to the router malfunction.• 10 schools do not use the 3Com routers.



• Operation Issues - User could not Access to SMS

• Issues Background• The scope of the project SMS project only

includes supply, installation, trainings and commissioning of the SMS system in the school, including a two year Support and Maintenance (S&M) services although the

• Network integration is not part of the scope under the project


SMS Implementation - Problemso Highlight some of the common incidents

where user may not have access to the SMS.

• Within the School – Router Failure• having heavy traffic accessing the Internet,

SMS Server and it might cause the router to hand due to the excess caching loading activities on the router. • The current solution is to ask the school admin to

restart or reboot the router to clear off the cache.• A separate switch will be provided to phase 1

schools



Within the School – IP Conflict– For schools that have large PC

populations and not adopting a designated fixed IPs for every device that is connected to the same network, in most cases, schools users will just configure whatever IP they like on their PC / notebooks, with this kind of practice, there is a high chance of IP conflicts in the same network.



• This IP conflict usually is caused by the school user having the same IP address in their Computer and fatal consequences will happen if the IP conflicts with the SMS Server, thus making the SMS server inaccessible.

• For schools that always leave their server on, there is less likelihood of having an IP conflict, since the server is always keeping that IP.


SMS Implementation - ProblemsOutside the school – Slow network

• Complaints from schools that the access to the SMS server is very slow if they access from home,

• The current Streamyx connection at most SMJK schools is only having 384K uplink if you are access from outside of the school, even though the downlink is 1MB.


SMS Implementation - Problems• With this kind of bandwidth, it is not

advisable to be hosted for either Parents or Students access from home, even with a 1.5MB SDSL service from Streamyx, they will not be able to handle large volume of Internet access by parents if the school decides to open up access in the future. The SMS need to be hosted with an Application Service Provider (ASP) in Data Centre, similar to the SMJK Web Portal.

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Documents

SMS Implementation1 Implementation of School Management System (SMS) Project For SMJK Schools