Remote Access to your School Data

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Remote Access to your School Data

• ScoMIS

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Agenda

• 9.30 Welcome and Introduction to Working
  through the Web
• 9.45 SIMS via Terminal Services
• Remote Access via VPN
• 10.30 Coffee
• 10.45 SIMS Learning Gateway
• 11.30 SIMS Strategic view of what is ahead
• 11.45 The bigger Picture learning Platforms,
  VLEs, MLEs etc
• 12.00 Questions and Answers

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Official Agendas

• DFES
• BECTA
• Online Learning Spaces
• Parental Access to Learning Data
• Flexible working agenda
• Anytime, Anywhere access

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Stakeholders
Parents
Students
Governors
LA
Teaching Assistants
Teachers
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BECTA

• Functional requirements for information
  management including MIS October 2006
• R1 Access remotely
• Mandatory
• Users shall be able to access the platform away
  from the organisation. The platform shall be
  accessible via a browser using internet
  protocols. The intention is to enable 'anytime,
  anywhere' access and to include different types
  of users as appropriate.

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Harnessing Technology The e-strategy
aims to
Transform learning and teaching
Engage hard to reach learners
?
Promote greater parental involvement
?
Provide on-demand access to information
?
Improve management efficiency
Increase the personalisation of learning
opportunities
Promote internal and external collaboration
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Challenges Faced
Personalise Learning

• Parental access to learning data by 07
• Personalised learning space by 08.

• Improving Teacher Efficiency

• Coordinated Student access to Resources

Parental Engagement
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Options

• SIMS via Terminal Services
• Remote Access via VPN
• SIMS Learning Gateway

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SIMS via Terminal Services
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SIMS via Terminal Services

• The Challenge
• SIMS has developed over the years to meet the
  ever-changing demands for educational data
  resulting in a series of major updates and
  changes to SIMS
• Time being spent on administering the system,
  rather than using the system to its best
  advantage.
• Demand for continually investing in hardware to
  meet performance expectations
• Extend the availability of the SIMS system to
  allow access for larger numbers or staff - for
  example teachers or even access remotely from home

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SIMS via Terminal Services

• The Solution
• The provision of a hosted Terminal Server
  service to schools has enabled us to provide
  schools with a remote hosted solution for their
  MIS applications
• Proven Solution for 3 years in support provision
  and 2 years in training provision
• First pilots run at small Primary School and new
  Pupil Referral Units
• Although initially aimed at small schools,
  similar issues existed for larger primary and
  secondary schools
• Currently supporting 40 data sets for small
  schools, large primaries, merged primaries,
  federation schools and Secondary Schools

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SIMS via Terminal Services

• ScoMIS will host your data on a high-performance,
  resilient and scaleable infrastructure
• Connection to schools and external Internet via
  100Mbs direct link to London
• We will migrate your data from your existing
  server and create secure terminal server users
• We will then manage and maintain the database,
  applying Capita Patches and updates to the system
  all out of hours
• You will access SIMS via a single shortcut on
  your desktop via software already present on any
  Windows XP machine. No local installation
  required
• Once authenticated, you have full access to SIMS
  just as you would have done previously but with
  none of the administrative overheads
• Your data is automatically backed up every night,
  removing the need for the school to run a backup
  routine of changing tapes
• This also means that restoring data is also
  managed by ScoMIS saving more time for
  essential school work

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SIMS via Terminal Services
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SIMS via Terminal Services
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What, how and why?

• SIMS via Terminal Services extends the managed
  service provision to schools leaving you to get
  on with your key role of using SIMS to support
  the education of your pupils. This option removes
  the need to run upgrades and patches, providing
  efficiencies for school staff. It allows
  accessibility to the MIS applications from any PC
  either within school or externally
• Provides
• Flexible Access
• Hardware savings
• Virtually no local installation or maintenance
• Reduction in local technical support
• Central Management
• Automatic application upgrades
• Automatic data backups

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SIMS via Terminal Services

• QUESTIONS ?

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Remote Access via VPN
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Remote Access

• What is a VPN ?
• Refers to a network in which some of the parts
  are connected using the public Internet, but the
  data sent across the Internet is encrypted, so
  the entire network is "virtually" private

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Remote Access

• VPN Requirements
• Access to Applications and Resources available at
  School
• Access to Published Applications
• Access to Common Web Resources
• Access to Restricted Web Resources
• Access to Files stored on School Servers
• Remote Management of School Infrastructure
• Full Network Access to all applications
• Admin and Curriculum access capability

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Remote Access
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
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Remote Access

• VPN Types

The Nortel VPN Gateway is a secure remote access
gateway that supports both SSL and IPSec remote
access. Setup in resilient pair.
Access via the DCC Gateway provides potential for
full network access to all school machines due to
privileged Network position
No need for any SWGfL firewall changes / No
external presentation of School Services
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Remote Access

• VPN Types

3 main modes of Operation - Access vs.
Flexibility

• Clientless - Portal
• Enhanced Clientless Netdirect Client
• Transparent Connectivity Client

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Remote Access

• SSL Portal

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Remote Access

• VPN Types (continued)
• Netdirect Client
• Flexible download options Java App,
  Downloadable client, Full client Install
• Gives full network layer access, tunnelled over
  SSL
• Allows users to access applications directly from
  their native desktop

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Remote Access

• SSL Netdirect Client

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Remote Access

• VPN Types (continued)
• IPSec Contivity Client
• Full client Install
• Fully integrated in Windows Networking service
• Gives full network layer access, tunnelled over
  IPSec
• Allows users to access applications directly from
  their native desktop

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Remote Access

• IPSec Contivity Client

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Remote Access

• VPN Security
• SSL / IPSec Encryption on VPN Tunnel
• Flexible Authentication options
• Access Control Lists at Group Level
• TunnelGuard Policy Enforcement
• Built in safety checks (cache wiper, auto logout,
  etc)

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Remote Access

• VPN Summary
• Clientless Portal
• No local installation
• Accessible from any machine
• Access to Published Applications and Web Pages
• SIMS access to ScoMIS Hosted SIMS or school based
  Terminal Server

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Remote Access

• VPN Summary
• Enhanced Clientless Client
• No local installation / installed on the fly
• Full Network Access
• Benefits from required applications loading on
  local machine
• Recommended to be used in conjunction with
  Tunnelguard
• SIMS access requires SIMS client to be installed
  on machine

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Remote Access

• VPN Summary
• Transparent Client
• Application pre-installed
• 1 Click Access
• Full Network Access
• Benefits from required applications loading on
  local machine
• Recommended to be used in conjunction with
  Tunnelguard
• SIMS access requires SIMS client to be installed
  on machine

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Remote Access

• QUESTIONS ?

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SIMS Learning Gateway

• Devon

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SLG

• Access for Staff, Parents and Pupils
• Government agenda of access to online Learning
  Data
• Flexible working agenda
• Assessment, Attendance, Profiles, Curriculum and
  Lesson Planner

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SIMS Learning Gateway

• Hosted on resilient Sharepoint Portal
  architecture at ScoMIS
• Authenticated through Active Directory
• Users are given a GUID to restrict access
• Users only access data for which they have
  authorisation

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SIMS LearningGateway
Other Applications
e-mail
SIMS Data
VirtualLearningEnvironment
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As a teacher
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As a parent
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As a student
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SIMS Learning Gateway
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SIMS Learning Gateway
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School Registration
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Active Directory Provisioning
AD ADAM Updated
Run SLG.Utils.TransferUsers.exe
ADAM4SLG Service Detects New Users or Changes to
group memberships
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SIMS Learning Gateway
School and Role returned
Appropriate Menu Options displayed.
ADAM
School and Role requested
User Logs in
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SIMS Web Parts
School and Role Identified
SIMS Web Part Selected
SIMS Web Part Displays appropriate data
ADAM
Data Returned
Data Requested From School
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SIMS Developments
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SIMS in 2007

• Whats Ahead?

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The Admissions Process

• The November Upgrade saw significant changes in
  the Admissions Process, with changes in
  terminology and new menu routes etc.
• Presentations will be available in March 2007 to
  demonstrate how to import Admission Transfer
  files as well as the changes to the
  pre-admissions area.

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Course Manager 7.86

• Again with the November Upgrade we saw the
  introduction of Course Manager.
• This will be of particular interest to schools
  with a sixth form as it will be needed to assist
  in the Post 16 Courses of Study that will be
  collected by the Autumn 2007 School Census.
• Workshops will be made available.

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Assessment and Performance Suite Version 7

• MS Office 2003 or OpenOffice will be needed for
  this new version.
• CAPITA Support for Profiles 6 ends in June 2007
• For Assessment Manager 6 and Performance Analysis
  6 the support ends in October 2007

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Assessment and Performance Suite Version 7

• Courses for Assessment Manager 7 are available
  from the 31st January 2007
• Courses/visits on Profiles and Performance
  Analysis will be made available in the New Year.

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Personnel 7

• CAPITA Support for Personnel 5 will finish in
  December 2007
• Extensive testing is being carried out for the
  conversion of the data for import into SIMS .net
• The Data Checking facility should be available
  shortly.

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Personnel 7

• You will receive an E-mail early in the Spring
  Term with more information.
• Early data checks of your Personnel data are
  encouraged.
• Clear guidance on how you run through the
  conversion process will be given.

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Exams Organiser 6.60May 2007
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Lesson Monitor 7.93May 2007
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Lesson Monitor 7.93May 2007
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STAR 7.90February 2007
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STAR 7.93May 2007
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STAR 7.96August 2007
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STAR 7.99November 2007
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Curriculum Lesson Planner 7.93May 2007
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Queries, questions or visits? E-Mail
Sue- sue.donkersley_at_devon.gov.uk
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The Bigger Picture
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Learning Platforms
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DfES

• an integrated online information service for all
  citizens
• Education and childrens organisations will be
  expected to collaborate in providing easy
  integration of their information, in support of
  users needs.
• integrated online personal support for children
  and learners
• We will encourage every institution to offer a
  personal online learning space to store
  coursework, course resources, results, and
  achievements.
• DfES 'Harnessing Technology Transforming
  learning and children's services' March 2005,

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• By 2008 all schools will be able to offer access
  to e-learning resources both in and out of
  school. We will encourage all schools, by this
  date, to make available a personal online space
  available to every pupil.
• DfES Higher Standards, Better Schools For All
  More choice for parents and pupils October 2005.
  

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BECTA

• Functional requirements for information
  management including MIS October 2006
• R1 Access remotely
• Mandatory
• Users shall be able to access the platform away
  from the organisation. The platform shall be
  accessible via a browser using internet
  protocols. The intention is to enable 'anytime,
  anywhere' access and to include different types
  of users as appropriate.

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Information

• Devon are reviewing the situation and working
  with SWGFL
• SWGFL have information on Merlin and Learning
  Platform material on website

http//www.swgfl.org.uk/services/learning_platform
s/
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• Any Questions