Installing eSchool on a Network
In order to install eSchool on a network, you must have installed eSchool on at least one station already, as described in topic Installing on a Single Computer. If you have not already done so, look over topic eSchool File Locations to read about eSchool's file locations.
The procedure described here is for a Windows NT server. The install procedure is the same for all other servers. eSchool has been successfully installed on Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, and Linux servers. It has also been successfully installed on Citrix Metaframe and Windows 2000 Terminal services.
This sample installation described here is on a Windows NT server. All computers, which are accessing eSchool on the network have access to the domain "Edomain1". The server is also in this domain and is visible in the Windows explorer as the computer, named "Eschool1", as shown in Figure 4-31.
Figure 4-31: Windows Explorer, showing the c drive and the server as \\eschool1
The server, Eschool1, is exposing three folders. One of these folders, Eads_code, is going to contain the eSchool folder, named es. Note: the server name "eschool1" and the folder "eads_code" are the names used on EADS' NT server for the documentation here. You can use these same names if you like; however, you can use your own names for the server and the folder which contains the es folder.
Please note that for Microsoft servers (NT, 2000, 2003) you can provide some security to the folder by making it an administrative share. That is, rather than naming the folder "eads_code", you can name it "eads_code$" (with the name ending with a "$") -- use a name other than "eads_code", one that is unlikely to be guessed. In that case, users never see the folder exposed in their Windows explorer and, therefore, can not cause any security threats. eSchool has been programmed not to reveal this path to users who do not have the appropriate security rights. In a way, you are then providing a keyhole though which the eSchool data is accessed. To maintain security, the path to the data is encrypted in the eschool.ini file, as described below. You will need to "Map a Networked Drive" at your station so that your Windows explorer sees this hidden share. At the Windows explorer, access the "Tools\Map a Networked Drive" menu item and specify the path to the folder. Windows will then assign a drive letter for the folder from which you can do the file maintenance.
In order to install eSchool on the server in folder 'Eads_code', we must only copy the c:\es folder from the station which has eSchool already installed, to the \\eschool1\eads_code\ folder. Figure 4-31 shows the result after c:\es has been copied to \\eschool1\eads_code\.
After the copy is completed, we must register the server with the station so that it can 'see' the server and its data. This is done by reaccessing the station's demo data file -- since this is the only data that the station has access to. Once you've logged in, access the eSchool Security form from the menu 'System\Security', as shown in Figure 4-32.
Figure 4-32: Accessing the eSchool Security form from the System menu
After the security form is up, access the Servers page. You will see one entry, as shown in Figure 4-33. Here, the local drive is treated as a server for this machine.
Figure 4-33: The Security\Servers page, showing the only the local drive
To add the server, click on the New button and enter the server's name in the Server Name text box. Then, add the server's path, terminating with \es. In the example in Figure 4-34, The server's name, "EADS NT Server" and the server's path, "\\eschool1\eads\_code\es" were entered. In order for eSchool to "see" your server as a "server", you must either 1) use a unc path to the server (that is, start the path with \\) or 2) put the word "server" in the server's name in the server name text box. If you use a remapped drive and you don't have the word "server" in the server's name, then eSchool considers your server as a local drive.
Figure 4-34: The Security\Servers page after the new server was added
Now that the server entry has been made and saved, this station will now be able to access any data files on the server. That's all there is to it!
In order to enable this station to 'see' the data on the server, you must make sure that the "Active Server" check box is checked for the server. If it is not checked, the server and its data will not be available at this station. The check box, labeled "Access to Demo Data File", controls whether or not the demo data file is available to any user from this station. For initial testing purposes, you should have this checked. However, after eSchool is up and running on your school's data file, you probably should uncheck "Access to Demo Data File" for both the server and the local drive for all teacher stations. When several data files are available to a station, eSchool presents the "Data Selection Form", as shown in Figure 4-35.
Figure 4-35: The eSchool Data Selection form, requesting that the user select a data file
For schools that are using eSchool as their student information system, we have found that teachers get confused with this data selection form. If you remove the demo data access from both the local drive and the server, they will not see the "Data Selection Form" and are forced to your school's data file. For office staff and yourself, you may want to continure to keep the access to the demo data files available.
The "Can Update" check box and the "Post Updates" button, in Figure 4-34, are useful if you are managing the servers for several schools in your district from your own office station. In this case, you can use the "Post Update" button to post any updates from EADS to any of the servers for which the "Can Update" check box is checked.
The eschool.ini file
The eschool.ini file was first described in topic eSchool File Locations. The server information, for each station, is stored in the eschool.ini file. After server path has been added, as described above, the changes in the eschool.ini file (use menu 'System\Edit eschool.ini to get to it) reflect this, as shown in Figure 4-36.
Figure 4-36: The eschool.ini file, shows that 'server2' has been added
The edit form of the eschool.ini file always shows the file in plain text, rather than the encoded version of the same file which is visible in the c:\es\ folder, as shown in Figure 4-37.
Figure 4-37: The eschool.ini file being displayed by Notepad and showing the server data paths encrypted
Pocket eSchool User Manual Topics Map
Overview
Pocket eSchool
Installing Pocket eSchool
Installing eSchool PDA Edition
Downloading eSchool PDA Edition
Installing on a Single Computer
eSchool File Locations and Your Data
Installing on a Network <----- You are here
Installing on a New Station
Downloading your School's Data
Update Notes