--- Forwarded Message from Daniel Tom <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 09:57:38 -1000
>From: Daniel Tom <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: RE: #7269 Mac vs. Windows
>In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
>Importance: Normal
------------------
Betty,
We have both a Windows lab and a Mac lab. The Windows lab has 23 computers
running Windows XP Professional and the Mac lab has 17 G4s running Mac OS X.
Our Windows lab is far more popular than our Mac lab and there are times
when the Windows lab is full and the Mac lab is virtually empty except for
the lab monitor. We have even extended hours in the Windows lab because of
its popularity and reduced hours in the Mac lab due to less usage. There
are also more instructors reserving the Windows lab for their classes than
the Mac lab.
As far as your technical question is concerned I will forward your posting
to our IT specialist. However, we have not had a problem with the computers
freezing. I think a little more information on exactly what kind of demo
you were doing and what kind of software you were using would help in trying
to answer your question. All of our computers are configured in the same
way and we have not had any problems with back to back classes using them.
Daniel Tom
Language Learning Center
University of Hawaii at Manoa
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
FAX: 808-956-5134
Voice: 808-956-5118
-----Original Message-----
From: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of LLTI-Editor
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 7:52 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: #7269 Mac vs. Windows
--- Forwarded Message from Betty Woerner <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 10:46:57 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Betty Woerner <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #7245.2 Tandberg proprietary network (1)
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>References: <[log in to unmask]>
------------------
DO those of you with Windows labs have any advice for us? This campus is
usually Macintosh only, but it looks like we will have to use a Windows
lab for language teaching because of the paucity of Mac software. The one
demo we did on Windows machines froze halfway through, enough to convince
our faculty that it was not something they wished to pursue. I have heard
that the freezing is caused by some of the machines in the lab having
slightly different updates on them, so that all are not "on the same
page". Doesn't running RevRDist or something equivalent on them before
the class starts get them to be uniform? If classes are contiguous, is it
likely that individual machines will get messed up enough not to work for
the second class? What have your experiences been?
Betty Woerner
Media Librarian
Reed College
Portland, OR
On Thu, 18 Sep 2003, LLTI-Editor wrote:
> --- Forwarded Message from Deanne Cobb <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
> >From: Deanne Cobb <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sender: [log in to unmask]
> >Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 15:51:57 -0600
> >To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: Re: #7245.1 Tandberg proprietary network (1)
> >In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >References: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Disposition-Notification-To: Deanne Cobb <[log in to unmask]>
> >Return-Receipt-To: Deanne Cobb <[log in to unmask]>
> >Priority: NORMAL
>
> ------------------
> We, too, run the ICM Divace Duo lab at our institution
> although without the ClassNet addition. We haven't
> suffered the same problem; however, to simplify matters
> we have created a lab where all of the students use a
> generic username and password and in fact, the computers
> auto log-on (so it eliminates problems due to students
> mistyping usernames or passwords). We also restart our
> computers between each lab so that our security system
> can erase any student saved materials and revert the
> system back to the administrator-set settings.
>
> The only times that we have had problems with the student
> computers losing contact with the ICM have been when A)
> The network fails or B)the CER is turned off at the front
> or C) a fuse is blown in the ICM system or D) the
> network drop that that particular student computer is
> using is faulty. I know that there has been instances
> when I have needed to log onto the front computer using
> my own username and password in the middle of the lab to
> complete some administrative work and this has not caused
> any problems. However, we do have a dual console, so
> perhaps the lack of problems is due to the fact that
> there is always one or the other front computer in
> operation.
>
> There may be another difference in installation,
> however, that might be causing the problem. My
> understanding is that one can choose an installation
> where the media files that a student accesses are stored
> on the front computer CPU or one can choose to have these
> media files stored on the computer network. We chose to
> have the latter. Perhaps, if your choice was the former,
> this may be a source of the problem as restarting the
> front computer would obviously interrupt a student's
> access to these files.
>
> This is a lot to read and understand so if you would like
> to continue speaking off list to clarify anything I may
> have said, I would be willing to speak further with you.
>
> Deanne Cobb
> University of Regina, Canada
>
> On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 15:55:51 EDT LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
>
> > --- Forwarded Message from Judy Shoaf <[log in to unmask]> ---
> >
> > >Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 20:11:55 -0400
> > >From: Judy Shoaf <[log in to unmask]>
> > >Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
> > >User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.4)
Gecko/20030624
> > >To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
> > >Subject: Re: #7245 Tandberg proprietary network
> > >References: <[log in to unmask]>
> > >In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >
> > ------------------
> > Our system is starting its 3rd year and runs Windows 2000, but it sounds
> > like a similar setup. However, we do not have individual authentication
> > for the students and instructor. It is true that the Divace Duos do not
> > function if they can't detect the ICM.
> > However, the shutting and closing of the Divaces, or the restarting of
> > individual computers, should not affect the functioning of the ICM. It
> > certainly doesn't in our lab.
> >
> > If the system is used for drop-in labs or other use, then probably you
> > should have an administrator log in to the instructor computer in the
> > morning and leave it on all day so that the ICM is not closed.
> > If your system is used only for classroom use, you could just have the
> > instructor restart the student computers before he/she logs out--that
> > might maintain the connectivity between ICM and the student computers.
> > IE, the ICM is always turned off after the student computers, and
> > restarted before they come back on.
> >
> > Have you contacted your rep, or Nils Soderberg of Tandberg, who is their
> > national tech guru? They can't always wave a magic wand (too many
> > different kinds of installations) but the problem you describe re. the
> > ICM losing contact with the student computers seems like something they
> > would recognize.
> >
> > Judy Shoaf
> >
> > LLTI-Editor wrote:
> >
> > > --- Forwarded Message from <[log in to unmask]> ---
> > >
> > >
> > >>From: <[log in to unmask]>
> > >>To: [log in to unmask]
> > >>Subject: Tandberg proprietary network
> > >>Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 15:52:48
> > >
> > >
> > > Dear colleagues,
> > > Our Tandberg/Divace Duo language lab consists of PC's and two servers
running
> > > Windows 98. We need suggestions for reconciling network security with
the
> > > requirements of the lab software and for preventing crashes.
> > >
> > > The 21 PC's are connected to a local proprietary network for the
server
> > > running Tandberg's ICM software and ClassNet. The entire lab is also
connected
> > > to a second network for log on, Internet access and drive mappings to
file
> > > servers on the campus network. The campus network connection also
affords
> > > access to a server running Rosetta Stone.
> > >
> > > For security reasons, all lab users including teachers working at the
server
> > > machines must log in and out using their campus domain usernames and
passwords.
> > > This creates a communication problem between the student stations and
> > > the teacher machine, which is the ICM server. When a teacher or
student
> > > user logs out, the ICM and/or Divace software is automatically closed.
> > > When it is subsequently reopened by later users, the ICM server can
no
> > > longer reach out to the student stations. For example, it is not
possible
> > > to launch Divace Duo or to shut down the student machines from the
ICM.
> > > When Divace Duo is open, error messages sometimes appear on the
student
> > > machines warning of communication problems with the ICM, and student
work
> > > is sometimes lost. Has anyone found a solution to this problem?
> > >
> > > Secondly, our lab and its Tangent computers are four years old and
have
> > > unfortunately been plagued since opening with technical problems which
> > > severely limit its use. The most common problem is machines freezing
and
> > > crashing. Up to one third of the lab crashes each day, a problem
which
> > > persists even though the student stations were just reimaged. The
crashes
> > > occur about equally on start up, on shut down and while running during
> > > the day. Our IT department believes that the problem is somehow
caused
> > > by the nature of the proprietary network installed by Tandberg, or by
its
> > > interaction with the campus network. Has someone experienced problems
> > > of very frequent crashes who could suggest some steps to troubleshoot?
> > > Thank you.
> > >
> > > Julia Tebbets
> > > French Teacher
> > > Sewickley Academy
>
> Deanne Cobb
> Language Lab Manager
> Language Resource Centre
> University of Regina
>
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