MSDN-AA with e-Academy use at Cambridge Graham Titmus

1. MSDN-AA with e-Academy use at CambridgeGraham Titmus University of CambridgeComputer Laboratory http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk

2. Department Overview • 100 undergraduates per year • First year 50% time in department • Projects in second and final years • Several small postgraduate courses • Diploma conversion course • Speech and Natural Language Processing • 120 research staff and PhD students

3. Undergraduate teaching • Contract out our workstation provision • PWF – provided by Computing Service • Windows 2000 • Linux • Software for teaching • Plan one full year ahead • Widely available access • Colleges and bedrooms

4. Delivering software • Use from servers • Limited set on restricted access servers • Use by staff and researchers • Licence servers access for other code • flexlm managed in main • Distributed • CDs or download areas • Freeware only • Distribution of boxed sets

5. MSDN-AA • Software on CD • Rapid changes in content for some products • Keeping it online is maintenance issue • Offline makes it harder to use • Licence key distribution • Internal – to support staff • Internal – to researchers • External – to undergraduates

6. e-Academy • Web site to issue licences • Customisable to some degree • Who is in control? • Spam filtering by users • Distribution points • Disc space required • Bandwidth used • Updating

7. Users view

8. Starting to use it • Customising • Logo • Contact information • Structuring users • Years for Undergraduates – one bulk change per year • Research and Staff – small constant change load • Familiarising • Controlling licences or selling them?

9. Adding packages • Selection of ones to add • Too many to manage all of them • Workload level • Demand level • Distribution methods • CD loan/issue • Network download (http) • Network share

10. Packaging for download • Number of pre-packaged suites • XP, VS.Net, …. • Special tool to manage download • Take software from MSDNAAdistribution • Store on own website • Small downloader at e-Academy • Most data over local link • No checksums on image

11. Adding users • Stability of classes at start of year • Don’t want to leave it too late! • Notification methods • Official email first • Email form e-Academy looks like spam • Web site in department as well • Backup contact/fault system • Tied to http distribution point • Internal contact area

12. Becoming a salesman • Site is a sales point • Issue refunds for $0.00 • If you choose download then want to borrow CDs then you have to be refunded and choose again • Administration can be split • System Administrator • CD issue • View waiting list • Issue return and cancel requests

13. Maintenance issues • Email list • msdnaa-list@cl.cam.ac.uk • Aim for good coverage at weekends during term • Reinstalls • Low level of activity • Run out of disk space • Reformat machine • Extra activation codes • XP intolerance to new hardware • Monitor easily via website • All codes issued are displayed

14. CD loans • No weekends! • Leads to overlongloan periods • Where to collect • Recruit literate students • What is a loan?

15. Experience to date • Simple to configure and use • Lack of ‘identity’ with Department • Email messages need tailoring • Maintenance level low • Need another devolved role • issue reinstalls/keys • Updating user lists • Scriptable route needed using ssh access