IT Best Practices

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IT Best Practices

• Bruce Demaine,
• Director of Technology
• Winnacunnet Cooperative School District

Bryan Belanger, SAU Technology Coordinator School
Administrative Unit 21
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Winnacunnet High School

• Winnacunnet High School
• Winnacunnet Cooperative School District
• Winnacunnet is part of SAU 21 Covering the New
  Hampshire communities of South Hampton, Seabrook,
  Hampton, North Hampton, and Hampton Falls.
• WHS has approximately 1300 students 200 faculty
  and staff

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Winnacunnet High School

• WHS site is approximately 54 acres
• 4 buildings on campus
• Main School - 200,776 sq. ft.
• PE Building 46,840 sq. ft.
• TechEd 15,000 sq. ft.
• ROTC 2,550 sq. ft.
• 96 classrooms and 29 offices
• 20 on Facilities Staff
• 3 on IT Staff

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WHS Technology Overview

• An additional 150 Staff Desktop and Laptop
  computer systems
• We host
• A Moodle Site
• Our own Website
• Student and Staff Folders
• Student and Staff E-mail
• Student Information System

• Active Directory Infrastructure
• 20 Windows Servers
• 7 IDFs and 1 MDF
• Complete Cisco data Infrastructure
• POE switch in each IDF
• Cisco 1200 series AP
• Two 1GB fiber lines to each IDF
• 3.44 MBpS internet access
• 550 Student Desktop and Laptop computer systems

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WHS Technology Overview

• Nortel Phone Voice Mail
• CATV Infrastructure (Comcast In-house broadcast
  on channel 13)
• Security Access
• Security Surveillance

• St. Bernard iPrism Web filter
• St. Bernard ePrism Spam Filter
• Microsoft Exchange Email
• Facilities Systems

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Key IT Facilities Systems

• Microsoft Windows 2003 based network
• Security Systems
• Fire Local State Required
• Alarms PCD Manager
• Access Control KeyScan
• HVAC - DDC Andover Basix
• Cameras Pelco
• PA Clocks Bogen
• Telephones Nortel
• Network (wired wireless) Cisco
• CATV Comcast WHS Production Ch 13
• Lighting - Lithonia

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What is a Best Practice?

• A superior method or innovative practice that
  contributes to the improved performance of an
  organization, usually recognized as "best" by
  other peer organizations.
• Best Practice is a management idea which asserts
  that there is a technique, method, process,
  activity, incentive or reward that is more
  effective at delivering a particular outcome than
  any other technique, method, process, etc. ...
• Best practice is the best performing metric in a
  category.

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• Best Practice
• From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Best Practice is a management idea which asserts
  that there is a technique, method, process,
  activity, incentive or reward that is more
  effective at delivering a particular outcome than
  any other technique, method, process, etc. The
  idea is that with proper processes, checks, and
  testing, a desired outcome can be delivered with
  fewer problems and unforeseen complications. Best
  practices can also be defined as the most
  efficient (least amount of effort) and effective
  (best results) way of accomplishing a task, based
  on repeatable procedures that have proven
  themselves over time for large numbers of people.
• In real-world application, Best Practice is a
  very useful concept. Despite the need to improve
  on processes as times change and things evolve,
  Best Practice is considered by some as a business
  buzzword used to describe the process of
  developing and following a standard way of doing
  things that multiple organizations can use for
  management, policy, and especially software
  systems.

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IT Best Practices
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IT Best Practices

• Laptop Carts deployed in common areas in the
  school.
• Computer Resource Center located in the Media
  Center (library)
• Each Teacher has laptop with NO local Admin
  rights.
• All Student computers have been locked down with
  hardware configuration passwords.
• All network users must be known, no Guests.

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IT Best Practices

• Close working relationship with Facilities.
• Customer Service Survey (communications)
• Crisis Management
• Service Support
• Improving Technology Productivity
• Holding the line at Microsoft XP
• Centralization of Network resources

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IT Best Practices

• Centralization of all key IT resources in NOC
  Network Operations Center.
• Hosting Student Email (Ipswitch iMail)
• Secured Wireless
• Moodle for Portfolio Course Mgmt

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Best Practice Goals

• Technology Training for both IT Staff and
  Faculty.
• Laptop per Student within 5 years.
• Change Management Procedures.
• Become true Technology Enablers
• Provide the right technology tools and the right
  technology support

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We dont just fix computers
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School Administrative Unit 219 Schools, 5
Districts

• Centre 363
• Marston 411
• Hampton Academy 468
• Hampton Falls (LAS) 257
• North Hampton 489
• Seabrook (ES,MS) 835
• South Hampton 84
• Winnacunnet High School 1294
• SAU 21 Serves 4201 Students

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Physical Security

• Temperature controlled room
• Temperature monitored by Security Company
• Backup AC unit onsite
• Backup power to serve AC if needed
• Migration of data into locked server room
• Servers
• Network equipment
• Backup media
• Backup media stored in fireproof/waterproof vault
  (key and pin required to open)
• Limited Access to server room
• 3 people know where the key is
• 2 people know vault pin

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Network Security

• Implemented new Cisco ASA 5550
• Citrix Secure Gateway
• 128 bit encryption to Citrix Metaframe server
  (SSL).
• All SIS and Financial information is encrypted.
• Wireless Security for domain access
• Non-broadcasting SSID
• 128 Bit WEP only available by request
• Connection requires setup (access controlled by
  MAC address)
• Wireless Security for non-domain access
• Does not touch any part of SAU21 network
  (separate Comcast connection)
• Broadcasts SSID
• 128 bit WEP changes often but publically
  displayed

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Centralized Software and Patch Management

• WSUS 3.0
• Manages Windows Updates
• Provides email notifications of status
• Managed AV (Symantec, Sophos, TrendMicro)
• Mananges AV
• Provides notification of server/client status
• Citrix Metaframe Server
• Allows for centralized management of MMS and
  Munis (SIS/Financial)
• Allows us to update 1 location which serves 100
  users
• Allows users flexibility of work location
• SAU21 office users can do 100 of computer work
  from home
• Ability to shadow citrix clients for training
  and tech support.

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User Policy / Training

• Users are taught to lock computers when away from
  their desks
• Users are taught that all service techs must be
  scheduled or they must return
• Updated Acceptable Use Policy
• Time limited logins (7am to 5pm M-F)
• Other times by request
• No grouped/shared logins (per user AD logins
  only)
• Group policy limits desktop/network access to all
  users
• Tighter GP settings for Citrix users

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IT Best Practices

• Blackberry communications between all IT staff.
• Self-monitoring Spam filter - Barracuda.
• Citrix for MUNIS
• Centralized Email.
• Dell collective purchasing.
• Standardized Sonic 2040 firewall filtering
• Remote Network Management
• Standard Server Models
• Joomla Content Management

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Thank You!

• Questions?
• Comments?
• Suggestions?

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What is a System?
Software
Systems
Hardware
People
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Vision Technology as an enabler
Our IT Mission
To provide an environment where usable, pervasive
and ubiquitous IT resources support facilities,
faculty, students and staff in the realization of
the WHS academic mission.
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Top Ten Technology Issues

• Green IT
• Internet Safety - Cyberbullying
• Web 2.0 In Classrooms
• Bandwidth Management
• Data Systems Security
• System Backups Retention
• Virtualization
• Increased Storage Capacity
• Tighter Integration of Key Systems
• Appropriate Use and Level of Technology