Essex Curriculum ICT Technical Support Partnership  
     
Essex Schools, Children and Families Service working with Support Companies
 
Selecting a server system for your school
The server is the key to your whole system. It needs to have sufficient processor speed, memory size, hard disk space and fast network connections to cope with all the workstations that are connected to it and those planned for the future. As it is turned on 24/7 it needs to be energy efficient.

The server needs to be running an up-to-date version of the Microsoft Windows server software (ver 2003 or 2008) or Apple Mac OS X Server Snow Leopard with all the latest updates applied.

The Essex ICT Team recommend that the server also has a management system that is appropriate for use in schools to enable users, software and peripherals to be managed effectively by the school based first level support person using the staff of the support partner for more complex tasks.

For small schools a simple peer to peer network (with RM classmate or MS Steadystate)  with a network attached storage device (eg Buffalo link or terastation) may be the most cost effective solution.


Subject  to data protection requirements it is vital that the server system can be supported remotely by the support partner for occasions where quick intervention is necessary or travel to the site is an unnecessary expense.

It is vital that if your school purchases a system and it is configured by a support partner that its design, management system and documentation are such that should you wish to change support provider then that transition will be realtively easy.
ICT Team Support Partner School
Identify providers of server systems and management software that are most appropriate for use in Essex schools by monitoring how they work in schools.

Currently the team suggest:

RM CC3 or CC4

Ergo Free2Teach

We are also aware that Ranger is being used successfully in several schools in Essex and we are currently monitoring schools using Apple systems.


(also see the workstation page)
Seek listing if they are a Support companies that offers schools support for the recommended systems.

Ensure that their sales staff and technicians have had sufficient training to understand the systems they work with and have suitable accreditation.



Seek advice from the ICT helpline before obtaining quotes from companies.

Ensure that the system can meet the curriculum needs of the school and that a cost effective range of software licences are available to cover the curriculum.

Check to what extent system management tasks can be achieved locally and that the warranty and support terms are satisfactory.

Enquire as to the time it will take for a typical station connected to this server to logon and reach a screen where pupils can start working under normal classroom usage.

Visit schools that already have systems of various types deployed.




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