Earlier this year, CEIT recommended to the Senior Management Team (SMT) that the college transition its computer network from a Novell platform to a Microsoft platform. SMT accepted our recommendation and CEIT begun to implement a plan that will be sensitive to the needs of our clients. The Project will be managed by Kim Reeves, Acting Manager of Technology Services in CEIT. Supporting Kim will be four Action Teams. These teams will work on different phases of the Microsoft Migration Project. 

Why are we moving to a Microsoft Platform?

The main reasons for moving in this direction are as follows: f

• Novell is not the right platform any more for Douglas College. The future of the software is uncertain.
• Microsoft platform is the most robust and widely adopted.
• Almost all educational institutions have already migrated off Novell to Microsoft or are in the process of doing so.
• It is easy to find qualified personnel and/or external support for the ongoing operations of the Microsoft platform.
• Support from Novell is difficult to obtain and is becoming more expensive.
• All learning and business software applications used by Douglas College integrate much better with Microsoft platform than with Novell.
• Microsoft platform will allow Douglas College to move forward and deploy other desirable applications, for instance Sharepoint portal and other collaboration solution.

What does this mean for our clients?

It means that over the next 24 months we will be decommissioning Novell software and start using Microsoft applications instead. Firstly, we will abandon GroupWise and shift to using MS Outlook and Exchange as our email and calendaring system. Then, the well-recognized Novell login prompt will disappear and we will start using a native Windows login to gain access to the network resources such as our files and shared printers. When these steps are completed, we will be ready to adopt additional, exciting, modern applications that support working more effectively, dynamically and collaboratively in a team-based, customer and service-focused environment.

Although the above may sound relatively simple, the transition to Microsoft is a quite complex and difficult endeavour as it will be a major change in the very foundation of computing technologies we use at Douglas College. Everybody will see some change and be involved. At the very least everybody will have to learn how to use the new tools (not all that difficult or different).

We are committed to keeping our clients informed of our progress and any disruptions that may occur as this project unfolds. We will communicate static information such as timelines and processes through our CEIT website. Timely, current information will be communicated by email and through our CEIT Tech News Blog.

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Project Outline

CEIT has initiated a Microsoft Transition Project and will be working over the next two years on realizing this new vision.

The five phases of the Project have been identified in more detail below:

• Audit and resolve conflicting workstations names
• Implementation and configuration of Active Directory infrastructure
• Implementation of Key Management Services (KMS) infrastructure
• Implementation of internal Certificate Authority
• Implementation of Identity Management infrastructure
• Migration of Domain Name Services (DNS) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) services from FreeBSD to Windows Server
• Implementation of System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) infrastructure

• Implementation of core systems for messaging infrastructure
• Migration of staff workstations to Active Directory domain
• Migration of Novell GroupWise messaging infrastructure to Microsoft Exchange
• Upgrading of internal applications to integrate with Active Directory and Exchange platforms
• Implement new processes for managing workstations and users in a Windows and Exchange environment

• Implement Windows file and print infrastructure for Douglas College lab environments
• Implement new processes for managing students and workstations in a Microsoft Windows and System Center environment
• Develop and implement new procedures for deploying lab images using Microsoft SCCM
• Migrate student file and print network resources from Netware to Windows platform

• Implement Windows file and print infrastructure for Douglas College staff
• Implement remote access infrastructure for staff
• Implement new processes for managing users and workstations in a Microsoft Windows and System Center environment
• Migrate file and print network resources from Netware to Windows platform

• Decommission legacy Netware servers
• Retire and/or redeploy server hardware

CEIT will be providing regular updates on the status of the project. If you have any questions, please direct them to Kim Reeves, Acting Manager of Technology Services in CEIT, who is the Project Manager.