Hi, I have got the list with all the specs that are needed for a
school lab to be considered approved from the Ministry of Education.
This list is huge, but I got a smaller list of key points that are
said not to be supported by FS/OSS solutions (eg. Skolelinux). This
list was actually part of an announcement in the ministry's site.
Yes, totally unacceptable, and I won't let it pass like that.
Now, I translated this list and the announcement in order to show it
to you, perhaps you might get ideas of what could be included or also
you might easily find some argument that has skipped me.
The idea is to show the complete list with every point answered and
proven wrong. I've already started with the first points and will
continue with the next, but I would appreciate it if someone from you
guys would offer me some notes/comments on eg. proxy.
Being able to do so, would give us an actual advantage and something
to step on. I know many vendors and small companies are interested in
offering Skolelinux solutions to schools, but not knowing that it is
compliant to the ministry's specs raises doubt and they opt for MS
solutions instead.
Thanks
Konstantinos
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Open Source Software for the Server
In case an OSS-based solution has been offered for the server, the commitee
should use extra caution in the following points of the Specifications Sheet,
as it is possible
those are not covered. If there is a need, the candidate offering the OSS-based
server solution
should be asked to clarify.
Operating System
2.1.2.1.2.13
2.1.2.1.2.13.1
2.1.2.1.2.13.2
Proxy Server software
2.1.2.2.9.1 and sub-paragraphs
2.1.2.2.9.6.5 and 2.1.2.2.9.6.6
2.1.2.2.9.6.7 and sub-paragraphs
WWW server
2.1.2.3.8.4
2.3.2.3.8.7
Hard Disk Backup Software
2.1.3.3.3.1 to 2.1.3.3.3.5
Anti virus software
2.1.3.7.2
Office Automation software
2.1.3.8.2.7.1 and sub-paragraphs
Database Administration System
2.1.3.8.4.1 and sub-paragraphs
Operating System
2.1.2.1.2.13: Muti-user support in every workstation
Linux is by definition multi-user and every system, be it server,
workstation
provides the ability for many different users to log on the same
system, even
simultaneously (of course this means that /in general/ only one user
will be able to
log on a specific workstation).
2.1.2.1.2.13.1: Server based User authentication, so that there is no
need for user creation
on every workstation, instead the the user accounts
will be created and modified only on
the server.
Modern Linux systems, use PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) to
authenticate users.
There are many PAM modules that support various kinds of server based
authentication, but we'll mention
namely LDAP, NetWare, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and many others. This means
that all user administration
can be centralized on the server using the appropriate tools for each
case. The use of LDAP means it can
even be integrated with an Active Directory server (Active Directory is
nothing more than a customized LDAP
system). For example, Debian-Edu/Skolelinux uses both LDAP and MySQL
out of the box.
2.1.2.1.2.13.2: All users have their own personal environment regardless
of the workstation they work on.
As Linux is based on UNIX philosophy, the concept of $HOME is of course
very much present. Every user
has his/her own personal home directory (the value of the environment
variable $HOME) and all configuration
files are kept in this directory. With proper NFS mounting of the /home
directory (where all user home directories
are kept) in every workstation, it's easily possible to have every user
have access to his/her files regardless of
the workstation. Both LTSP and Debian-Edu/Skolelinux (which uses both
LTSP and Lessdisks) offer this approach
out of the box.
(Comment: Most Windows solutions, available right now in schools DON'T
use this functionality and are therefore
not compliant with the specs themselves).
Proxy Server software
2.1.2.2.9.1: Replication between multiple servers
2.1.2.2.9.1.1: Automatic/batch updates of content
2.1.2.2.9.1.2: Usage Statistics
2.1.2.2.9.1.3: Access Control
2.1.2.2.9.2: Transparent Proxy support (automaic redirection of
HTTP calls to the proxy server)
2.1.2.2.9.3: Regular Cache updates for better data availability
2.1.2.2.9.4: Support for Hierarhical Caches: Connect many
proxies together to enhance performance.
2.1.2.2.9.5: Filter based Access Control
2.1.2.2.9.5.1: Using forbidden addresses (IP addresses, hostnames,
URLs, etc.)
2.1.2.2.9.5.2: Based on content (Mime Type, Java, Javascript, HTML
Tags, Virus scanning).
2.1.2.2.9.6: Security/Stability
2.1.2.2.9.6.1: SSL protocol support
2.1.2.2.9.6.2: Load Balancing (optional)
2.1.2.2.9.6.3: Remote administration possible
2.1.2.2.9.6.4: Automatic client configuration (optional)
2.1.2.2.9.6.5: Detailed access logging of clients with
version-related statistical data
2.1.2.2.9.6.6: Performance Indices
2.1.2.2.9.6.7 and sub-paragraphs
There is no such section, apparently he meant:
2.1.2.2.9.7: Network Integration
2.1.2.2.9.7.1: Functionally independant to a Web Server.
2.1.2.2.9.7.2: WebDAV support
2.1.2.2.9.7.3: Cooperates with all popular Web Browsers, at least
with Microsoft Internet Explorer,
Netscape Navigator and Mozilla.
2.1.2.2.9.7.4: Cooperation and interoperability with similar
applications in the SCH.gr prefecture network infrastructure
(OS Solaris and Squid).
2.1.2.2.9.6.5: Support for WCCP v2.0 for use as Transparent Proxy
(optional)
2.1.2.2.9.6.6: Web based Administration (modify proxy parameters,
access statistics, etc) with the use of any browser
anywhere on the internet.
WWW server
2.1.2.3.8.4: WebDAV support
2.3.2.3.8.7: Web page access restriction based the HTTP Header
(IIS Lock or equivalent).
Hard Disk Backup Software
These features must be present in the Backup Software:
2.1.3.3.3.1: The ability to backup files to CD/DVD-ROM, of the
Server's hard disks (all partitions included)
in the form of compressed file/files, and to restore
the hard disks of the Server in their initial state,
recreating their partitions. (Detailed explanation of
the procedure, so that it can be performed by non-skilled
personnel).
2.1.3.3.3.2: The ability to backup files to CD/DVD-ROM, of each
Workstation's hard disks (all partitions included)
in the form of compressed file/files, and to restore
the hard disks of each Workstation in their initial state,
recreating their partitions. The procedure must not
require the Server to interrupt its operation. (Detailed
explanation of the procedure, so that it can be
performed by non-skilled personnel).
2.1.3.3.3.3: Use of relevant partition (see Server-2.1.2.1.1.2) for
temporary file storage (if this is required by the
application)
2.1.3.3.3.4: The ability to restore one or multiple Workstations
from the Server by using the multicast protocol, without
the Server interrupting its operation. (Detailed
explanation of the procedure, so that it can be performed by
non-skilled personnel).
2.1.3.3.3.5: Compatibility with the optical drive of the Server, so
that direct backup to CD/DVD disks will be possible, that
is without intermediate usage of storage space on the
hard disk.
Anti virus software
2.1.3.7.2: The license of the Anti Virus software must be included
and it must be valid for at least 3 years,
and it must include updates (patches, liveupdates) of
the software as well as the anti-virus database.
It must support all the workstations and the server in
the school lab.
Office Automation software
2.1.3.8.2.7.1: Both Greek and English language support
In Debian/Skolelinux it is already supported, there is
some work needed to ensure that the thin clients
also support writing in Greek properly.
2.1.3.8.2.7.2: Accents (tonoi) for Greek
Included already, also support for polytonic.
2.1.3.8.2.7.3: Spell-checking support for Greek
Already included in Debian, easily included in
Skolelinux
2.1.3.8.2.7.4: Hyphenation for Greek
Exists already, it remains to be included in Debian
(which is real soon)
Database Administration System
2.1.3.8.4.1: Must offer latest version available
2.1.3.8.4.2: Fully documented (both in printed and in CD/DVD-ROM) to
ensure satisfactory performance and
functionality. (if printed, let it not be a photocopy,
but a printed version of the official and only
official documentation)
2.1.3.8.4.3: Offer Greek tutorials In addition to the English ones
(optional)
2.1.3.8.4.4: Must be distributed in all formats available that are
necessary for installation.
2.1.3.8.4.5: Must offer ability to reinstall the Database
Administration System using a simple procedure and the
aforementioned installation formats (must be fully and
analytically documented, so that this procedure
can be performed by non-skilled personell).
2.1.3.8.4.6: All requirements of the Database Administration System
must be fulfilled by the hardware to ensure proper
funcioning.
2.1.3.8.4.7: Must have the following features:
2.1.3.8.4.8: Ability to interchange data with commonly used Office
automation software.. This means the ability to
import/export data from/to the following formats:
2.1.3.8.4.9: Text file
2.1.3.8.4.10: CSV
2.1.3.8.4.11: Others (optional, list)
2.1.3.8.4.12: On line help
2.1.3.8.4.13: Must be compliant to the following standards:
2.1.3.8.4.14: SQL
2.1.3.8.4.15: Others (optional, list)
2.1.3.8.4.16: List included software
2.1.3.8.4.17: Include |icense, unlimited use (mention type and terms)
2.1.3.8.4.18: Analytically describe the features of the included
software according to:
2.1.3.8.4.19: Data storage (tables)
2.1.3.8.4.20: Data Relations
2.1.3.8.4.21: Searching (queries, filters)
2.1.3.8.4.22: Display and User Interaction (forms)
2.1.3.8.4.23: Status printouts (reports)
2.1.3.8.4.24: Data Import/Export with other popular Database
Administration System software
2.1.3.8.4.25: Data Import/Export with Spreadsheets
2.1.3.8.4.26: Automization ability (macros, embedded programming
language) (optional)
2.1.3.8.4.27: Other features (optional, list)
Counter Attack:
2.1.3.7.1 (Antivirus software)
For a Linux based Network this is absolutely useless.
This is a photographic requirement
that will automatically exclude all non-Windows
solutions.
