1

MSDN-AA with e-Academy use at Cambridge

Graham Titmus

University of CambridgeComputer Laboratoryhttp://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 MSDNAA

distribution 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 overlong

loan 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

16