* Finn-Arne Johansen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [050524 14:24]: > Halvor Dahl wrote: > > Hello everyone. > > > > SLX Debian Labs is starting a project for improving user > > administration in Skolelinux/debian-edu in general and > > wlus in particular. The background for the project is > > mainly feedback from users.
In Summer 2003 we startet in Germany a intensive discussion about the user requierement specification for a school server. Based on the opinions of many German teachers the following quality management paper was developed: http://developer.skolelinux.no/qualityManagement/DQ/requirementsSpecification.html.en Please have a look at 2.1.4 and 2.1.5 concerning user administration. We would really like to see this taken into serious consideration. > > We had a meeting in Oslo on this subject with Andreas > > Schuldei, Ragnar Wisl�ff, Knut, Vidar and myself present. > > What follows is based on conclusions from that meeting. > > > > > > 1. Problem with "junior admin" rights > > ------------------------------------- > > This issue has been raised from (among others) Trond from > > Kongsvinger. Password administration takes too much time, > > and it should be possible to authorise users to change other > > users' password. > > > > Andreas told us that there is already a solution to this, > > although it is not 100% packed and documented yet. > > > > TODO: Ragnar will try the solution out in Kongsvinger and > > report back to Halvor if it works or not. If it does work, > > Andreas will complete a "read me" file or something for > > documentation. we fully agree, see 2.1.4 > > > > 2. Password policy > > ------------------ > > We agreed that the first time a user logs in (with a pre- > > defined password), he will get a message saying that the > > password is expired and be requested to enter and confirm > > a new password (this is similar to Windows). Whether this > > feature will be configurable or not is not yet decided. Why are you thinking this is necessary? Will this feature not consume a lot of time and interrupt the lessons? > > > > Andreas told us that administration of password restrictions > > (length, numbers etc) is already implemented in wlus, including > > a user interface for administrator. > > > > TODO: Andreas will check if pam in our setup can do this. > > > > TODO: Andreas will check if kdm can be used to do the entering > > and confirmation of a new password (it can be done in wlus). > > Also check for samba users - Is the new password set in kde also set for > samba users. What about schools that uses Windows clients, and were > (some) students never would log into kde, but only use Windows > > > 3. Mass import > > -------------- > > Kongsvinger has reported a general problem doing mass import > > of user data into ldap. Ragnar informed us this had to do > > with the general poor performance in entering new users which > > takes approximately 5 minutes per user(!). We do not know > > at the moment the reason for the problem. Kongsvinger has > > around 2700 users in their ldap database. In our experience the time consuming factor is the copy process for example the /etc/skel. > > TODO: Ragnar/Trond will try to increase the cache_size > > parameter in the ldap config file. If that does not help, > > they will try to install ldap 2.2 which should be 10-100 > > times faster than the current version in Kongsvinger (Andreas > > told us that wlus is functioning together with ldap 2.2). > > If that does not help, some serious debugging will need to be > > done. > > > > Update: Ragnar has tried to change parameters in ldap config > > file and it did not work. We made the same experiences. > For that amount of users, I would done this without wlus - as an ldif > instead. While this is possible to script, I know of few who has done > that. (I've lost my script - it was on Ulsrud, and the server is > reinstalled - sorry) Of course ldif is faster, but without refinement of home directories and without copying /etc/skel. > > > 4. Other wlus problems > > ---------------------- > > There has been some general complaints about the user interface. > > This will be addressed later in this summary. Apart from what > > is already covered, there are no known major bugs in wlus. > > But there is no good and updated user documentation. > > > > TODO: Create a new user documentation for wlus. Person to do > > it will be assigned later. > > > > > > 5. Data import > > -------------- > > Knut and Halvor had a meeting with Morten Dahl who is the project > > manager for FEIDE. Based on his recommendations we decided that > > we would use the XML interface developed by Uninett ABC for importing > > data from School Administration Systems (SAS). Further clarifications > > will be done together with Uninett ABC. > > > > Skolelinux will *not* use Cerebrum for anything. Is Cerebrum dead? May you please explain this in a more detailed way? > > > > There are a number of different data formats for student data. Among > > them are Microsoft Active Directory, Novell eDirectory and different > > kinds of spreadsheets. In order to have a documented specification > > we will use the same XML interface for transferring data from external > > systems other than SAS. > > > > TODO: Andreas will do what is necessary to support a new unique > > key in ldap for data import. In Norway this will be "personnummer", > > but the format will need to be generic. > > Note - "Personnummer" is not unique in Norway - there are at least 4 > instances of personnummer with more than 2 users. I have not yet heard > of 2 users with same name _and_ same "personnummer" > > > TODO: Write a program for importing data from XML interface to > > Skolelinux' import format to ldap which is a comma/colon separated > > file. Person to do it will be assigned later. Please consider also German systems. > > > > 6. Data export > > -------------- > > There are a number of systems that may need to import data from > > Skolelinux. Examples are LMSs like ClassFronter, It's Learing! > > and Micrsoft Learning Gateway. We decided to use Uninett ABC's > > XML interface for User Administration Systems (BAS) for exporting > > data from Skolelinux. > > > > TODO: Write a program for downloading data from the Skolelinux > > ldap database to Uninett ABC's XML format. Person to do it will > > be assigned later. Our export is ldif, the import filtering should be done by LMS or M$. > > > > 7. Technical architecture > > ------------------------- > > It was agreed that we need a three-tier application architecture > > for user administration in Skolelinux to be able to support > > different types of user interfaces. WebMin is probably not the > > right tool, and we will decide on a new development framework > > as part of the overall project. We will also create a new KDE > > client covering all operations currently defined as use cases > > in wlus. > > > > TODO: Select development framework. Will be done later. > > > > TODO: Create updated use cases as starting point for new KDE > > interface and user documentation. Person to do it will be > > assigned later. Do we have to install KDE on tjener? What about schools without KDE? > > > > TODO: Create new user administration interface in KDE. Person > > to do it will be assigned later. > > > > TODO: Write new business logic in a three-tier application > > architecture. Person to do it will be assigned later. We dont think that this is very usefull because of two reasons: 1) If it is not usable by browser, it is too unflexible 2) Develop a KDE Application will consume too much manpower > > > > > > 8. Project plan > > --------------- > > SLX Debian Labs will propose a time schedule for the projsect > > after decisions have been communicated to everyone involved and > > reactions from users taken into account. > > > > TODO: Make project plan for new user administration system in > > Skolelinux. Person to do it will be assigned later. Perhaps we should first fulfill the user requirement specification? > > > > 9. +++ > > ------ > > Andreas told us about two other parts of wlus that needs > > be improved: > > (1) regression testing framework > > (2) special permissions for exams > > > > Activities related to this will be integrated into the overall > > project plan. > > > > One problem with wlus, is that it's very skolelinux specific. There are > a number of different applications out there for Ldap User > Adminsistration. When we investigated this ~mid 2003, we found that none > of them was suited for our use. They were to specific. > After that we also have made wlus very skolelinux specific. > My question is if it's possible to be less SKolelinux specific, and > maybe gain further user base within Debian ? > -- > Finn-Arne Johansen > [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://bzz.no/ > Leverand�r av support p�, drift og videreutvikling av Skolelinux-l�sninger Regards/AmicaLinuxement/Viele Gruesse! Kurt Gramlich -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] GnuPG Key ID 0xE263FCD4 http://www.skolelinux.de -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
