NZ school ditches Microsoft and goes totally open source
- 25 January, 2010 06:03
- Comments 30
At Linux.conf.au 2010 in Wellington, deputy principal Mark Osborne and staff from Open Systems Specialists demonstrate Albany Senior High School's firewall system, using pupil Shane to represent a packet.
A New Zealand high school running entirely on open source software has slashed its server requirements by a factor of almost 50, despite a government deal mandating the use of Microsoft software in all schools.
Albany Senior High School in the northern suburbs of Auckland has been running an entirely open source infrastructure since it opened in 2009. The 230-pupil school was set up to follow open learning principles, offering large "learning commons" areas where multiple classes interact rather than conventional classrooms and setting aside one day each week for pupils to work on self-driven research projects.
Albany SHS' unorthodox approach is also reflected in its IT infrastructure. Deputy principal Mark Osborne was determined to use open source software throughout the school, even though planning for that process began less than two months before the school opened.
Ditching Microsoft is highly unusual within the NZ education sector, as a long-standing contract with the national government means the software giant is paid for technology for the school even though none has been used. Microsoft's dominance also means that most planning documents for education presume an Microsoft infrastructure.
"The education space is Microsoft-focused and heavily subsidised by government," said Patrick Brennan, lead engineer from Open Systems Specialists, which led the IT project at the school, during a presentation at Linux.conf.au in Wellington. "Every reference plan is based on Microsoft technology."
The tight time frame -- two weeks for evaluation, one week for design and two weeks for implementation -- didn't create too much disruption, Brennan said. "Although everything wasn't as polished as it could have been, when the school opened all of the core functionality was there. And it's been running for a year with no significant intervention. It hasn't really been touched in any fundamental way since then."
The implementation uses Ubuntu on the desktop and Mandriva for four key servers (one firewall, one storage and two KVM hypervisors). Mandriva was selected because of the ease of using Mandriva Directory Server to manage the school's LDAP directory, but Brennan said either desktop or server OS could easily be replaced.
The network is not restricted solely to Linux desktops. "We wanted students to be able to bring devices in, whatever they were, and connect them to the network and expect them to work and use it as a learning tool," Brennan said. Hardware ranging from PSPs to Macs has been connected, with a "hostile network" approach used to ensure security. NFSv4 is used to connect users into the system, allowing them to remotely mount into their home directory on the server via Kerberos.
Applications used within the school include OpenOffice, Google Docs, Moodle for managing education content, and Mahara for student portfolios. The Koha software used by the school library was also customised to integrate more closely with the LDAP security system and to allow book recommendations. While Koha was paid to make those changes, the resulting code will be freely available to all New Zealand schools -- an approach Brennan contrasted with Windows software, where modifications are typically charged separately for each school.
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Comments
Anonymous
a rather disingenuous article
"an almost 50-fold saving"? Get real. Just because the racks could hold 48 servers per does not in the least mean that this was the plan. What about patch panels? switches? UPSes? Cable management panels? Growth?
The planning for this school was done in a matter of days. Doesn't sound like a terribly complicated setup frankly, regardless of the systems used. Who's to say they couldn't have done the same with 4 Windows servers? Did they even examine this option to make a valid comparison? Doubtful given Osborne's predisposition.
This sounds like this article was written by an open source fanboy rather than a real journalist.
OS software is good stuff and I use some of the same packages at my school. But if it is better than MS software then let real facts speak to that, not hyperbole and insinuation.
Anonymous
Astroturfing?
A nicely written article, showing many of the advantages of using OpenSource instead of proprietary systems (take a look at the paragraph on music software, for instance, or Koha development), and all you can come up with is that their set-up must have been a simple one as they got it working in two months? And then you complain of lack of quantization of hardware savings?
Come on, are ms astroturfers so disingenuous now?
Mark Osborne
Comment on anonymous post
Just to refute a couple of points made by the anonymous poster:
1) "The planning for this school was done in a matter of days... Did they even examine this option to make a valid comparison?" The information systems RFP process for the school took three months and included 4 large NZ IT providers. Companies were invited to put forward proposals using both proprietary and open source software, the the open source solution better met the school's needs.
2) The savings from the longer lifespan of hardware not running Windows and from a absence of software licencing is in 6 figures for the school.
Anonymous poster is welcome to visit the school to look at our not "terribly complicated setup". It's state of the art.
Brown Bunny
Schools are good business...
Interesting to see the turf / astroturf wars ! here :)
What it all tells me is that:
There is much to defend when it comes to schools...it is a lucrative market !
Anonymous
Sorry, you lost me...
"...including four racks each capable of holding 48 servers for its main systems. The main infrastructure only requires four servers, suggesting an almost 50-fold saving on hardware requirements."
Stupid statements like the one above serve only to damage the point the author is trying to make.
Nevyn
Anyone else want to spread some FUD?
I've had the opportunity to visit the school and it is definitely not a half arse job.
Okay so that 50-fold saving comment was a little tongue in cheek. The point to remember here is that the savings made make absolutely no effect on the amount of money the MOE gives to MS (I say "gives" because the process goes something along the lines of 1. Make the deal 2. do an audit to make sure the deal covers all of the computers in use).
But lets get down to the real issue here. It's not MS vs. Linux. It's what it enables the students to do. The savings are a bonus. One student there has had the chance to make a digital billboard system using FLOSS as well as a rather impressive youtube style site (transcodes on the fly allowing for full quality video to still be downloaded).
I didn't get to see much of the other activities but am aware that the school also uses FLOSS video editing software, sound editing software, image editing software etc. Under Windows using proprietary software, you'd be spending hundreds, if not thousands to enable this sort of functionality.
Students also have access to a vm environment allowing them to try other computer related activities.
Personally, I would rather see my tax dollars going on enabling students rather than stifling them in aid of "donating" money to MS.
Anonymous
Some people are fools Some things are cheep to do with Linux.
Mon, 25/01/2010 - 18:08 — Anonymous (not verified)
Lets take some basics lets create some music with formal sheet music for a band to use. http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/ One problem this is the open source software that can do it perfectly well. It only works on one OS Linux.
http://musescore.org If you want windows a free with less function it this one that is only in Beta and not officially stable.
Its not a highly complex setup. The idea that it had to be is wrong. Its a pure access to software matter that makes the 50 times saving before starting on the hardware. Composing software is normally not giving to schools for free.
I don't mean to be mean here but items like Windows 7 are pigs on resources to get jobs done. So about half the size in clients will equal the same performance.
4 windows servers do that same load as 4 Linux. I am sorry to say not. There are some major differences. The 4 Linux servers can be clustered to load balance at no extra cost. Even better each of the servers can pick up the load balance role. To do that with windows servers you need data center versions that schools don't get cheap. Even so Linux has support for caching clustered file-systems on a local drive out box.
The other thing to be aware of it is possible for Linux clients to be used in clusters by particular groups. So losing the need for a decanted render farms for particular groups.
Not forgetting that virtual copies of windows require less maintenance work than ones installed on real hardware.
There are a lot of savings. Sorry 50 times saving could be more than right.
Ken
Exactly
Capacity of the data center does not equal the configuration of the data center.
If they bought 2U servers, would that reduce the savings to nearly 25-fold? NO.
How many servers does the standard state-mandated design require? That is the baseline you need to calculate hardware savings from.
A 230 student school isn't very big - the smallest elementary school in my district is twice as big.
Also, the school is not "totally open source" - <b>notice they run remote sessions to a Windows-based student management system?</b>
<b>Transferring MS Office users to Open Office, Google Docs, etc. isn't really that big a feat, IMHO.</b>
Ken
The headline is wrong
From the sub-head:
"A New Zealand high school running entirely on open source software"
No, they run Windows servers to manage student records.
"has slashed its server requirements by a factor of almost 50,"
No, the are only using a fraction of the total specified RACK SPACE
"despite a government deal mandating the use of Microsoft software in all schools."
No, they are paying for software but MS takes no opinion/makes no requirement the school actually USE the software.
Every item in your subhead was wrong/misleading - bravo!
Anonymous
What about all the "doesn't quite work" linux problems
I've been put off large scale linux roll outs by all the bits that don't quite work. For example I wanted an NFS server with clients having the users home directories NFS mounted after ldap authentication. Worked ok, except a number of applications I found did not play nice with NFS, most notably the evolution email client. Also firefox had issues, if a session bombs out then firefox leavs the lock on the user file and tries to create a new profile when started. Sever side was rock stable, but client side im still not convinced. In some respects linux feels like an eternal beta.
Ken
No understanding of MS Licensing for schools
"4 windows servers do that same load as 4 Linux. I am sorry to say not. There are some major differences. The 4 Linux servers can be clustered to load balance at no extra cost. Even better each of the servers can pick up the load balance role. To do that with windows servers you need data center versions that schools don't get cheap. Even so Linux has support for caching clustered file-systems on a local drive out box."
Windows servers can be clustered without buying extra components/licenses (Enterprise or Datacenter).
Schools can get all versions at steep discounts - BTW, around here, most school districts are buying large VM servers from Dell, HO, others, and running Windows Server 2008 Datacenter edition to SAVE on licensing fees - see, Datacenter allows for any number of Server VMs for no additional cost (Enterprise edition allows for 4 VMs per hardware server license, Standard only one).
Windows servers allow for very robust/functional filesystems for sharing, incluidng Shadow copies, etc.
Your bias towards the solution you know is obvious, you should take another look at what Windows Server 2008 actually provides...
Schools can get any/all MS products at steep discounts...
Russ Rutan
Osboure offered the invitation
Don't believe it? Well, go see it for yourself. Mark Osbourne has offered the invitation. So, put up or shut up.
Anonymous
Boy learn the different forms of clustering before answering.
Sorry read someone should read what 2008 truly provides. I said clustered and load balanced. With auto pickup of the load balance.
Datacenter have a load balance and its the only one of the 2008 line that has it. Enterprise 2008 does not. Yet a lot of services on windows are not designed to work in a load balanced environment sharing data files on a cluster file-system between machines. So sorry there are tech problems.
Fail over clustering is not the clustering I am talking about. That is the clustering standard 2008 has. And MS is forced to use fall over due to the fact the services are not designed to work on clustered file systems with part of the service running on other machines.
I am talking about true distributed load clustering. This gets higher usage on average out the cpu cores so less idle cpu times.
Be aware to the network when 4 Linux boxes are clustered they can all appear just to be 1 machine to the rest of the network. Even Samba the windows file and print sharing for Linux supports running this way. Not routing client side as the windows solution.
Please before saying windows 2008 can do the same please read the specs more closely.
Let alone people forget DFS of MS 2008 has a limited size journal that runs out of space and stuffs up. Its only a half functional cluster file-system. Where the cluster file-systems of Linux don't suffer from this nightmare. You are mad to cluster the windows 2008 servers due to technical weaknesses. Since of that madness to cluster you end up running more servers with 2008 to handle spike loads on particular services that there was more than enough cpu time to handle if the load had been spreed between the servers. Basically 2008 is wasteful in cpu usage.
Basically until MS improves there base tech they cannot really match Linux servers that are clustered. Let alone the extra license costs.
Anonymous
Let's stick to the facts
<strong>
2 Windows servers = 1 Linux server,
See the benchmarks:
http://gwan.ch/
</strong>
US National Software Company
You funny little Kiwis!
Don't you know the US owns all computing? Now stop making trouble for our national software company. When you need Linux, we'll tell you. And be sure to keep those payments coming!
The USA
US National Software Company
US to NZ: When you need Linux we'll tell you.
You funny little Kiwis. Enough playing. Let's just go ahead and put in Windows like we told you. We didn't say you could do this. Funtime's over.
The US
Mark Osborne
It's not about the money
Something that's been a bit lost in the discussion is the fact that ASHS's decision to go open source was about maximising learning opportunities for students, not about saving money:
<a href="http://theopensourceschool.blogspot.com/2010/01/free-as-in-freedom-not-as-in-free-beer.html>http://theopensourceschool.blogspot.com/2010/01/free-as-in-freedom-not-as-in-free-beer.html</a>
swiss company
You funny "americans"
I congratulate your school for going that path. In Switzerland we are getting there as well, albeit slowly.
As for the US: Keep your essentially useless product that is bloated, over licensed, under secured full of holes anyone can get through and will be a 3rd rate product by the time these kids hit collage. so yes keep it. The rest of the world is going into the 21. century while you are still stuck in 1989.
Cheers to the kiwis :)
Ha!
You funny Americans
You own computing do you? Say that to ARM and Canonical who are breaking into the market with great speed.
Uncle Sam
Lol, no you must use our cr8pware, because no one else here really wants it, and we must make money. Your country is small and puny, and could barely afford to stop any of our evil American agendas. Muahahahahaha...fail...no soup for you.
Anonymous
""...including four racks each capable of holding 48 servers for its main systems. The main infrastructure only requires four servers, suggesting an almost 50-fold saving on hardware requirements."
Stupid statements like the one above serve only to damage the point the author is trying to make."
This just means you can't do math. 4 racks of 48 servers would mean the server room is built to support 192 servers. That is 48 times the number of servers the school is using, thus an "almost 50 fold savings" in hardware cost. Not to mention the power and cool savings.
Steven White
"Real-world" products
"There's a perception that students should train with real-world products,"
Just a comment about the above concept.
It has been my (limited) experience that going from Microsoft Office 2003 to the current 2007 version was as confusing as it would have been to go from Office 2003 to Open Office. Therefore, the idea of using "real-world" products (supposedly for the experience one would have upon graduation) is not relevant, because by graduation time, Microsoft might have released a new version, and that experience with the prior version would be no more relevant than experience with Open Office. In school, the concepts are more important than the details.
Mark Osborne
It's even more confusing when something you created in 2007 at work won't open in 2003 at home. It's what Ben Mako Hill calls an 'antifeature': http://wiki.mako.cc/Antifeatures. This is odd given that Open Office.org can open 2007 and 2003 documents without problem.
'Real-world products'? 'Industry standard software'? I learnt to use Word Perfect when I was at school. Find me an industry that uses it now.
Blanchy
Mandated Microsoft?
How can you justify saying what you did in the opening paragraph when the NZ Government, through the Ministry of Education, has funded 700+ NZ schools to install and use Linux OS Servers?
"A New Zealand high school running entirely on open source software has slashed its server requirements by a factor of almost 50, despite a government deal mandating the use of Microsoft software in all schools."
Since when have MS applications been mandated in NZ schools? Some MS applications are free to use for NZ schools and similar deals have been struck with Adobe and Apple. There is and always has been freedom of choice.
Anonymous
you know, most drug dealers give out the first dose for free
Ken
Antifeature or failure to understand
Mark Benson said:
"<i>It's even more confusing when something you created in 2007 at work won't open in 2003 at home. It's what Ben Mako Hill calls an 'antifeature': http://wiki.mako.cc/Antifeatures. This is odd given that Open Office.org can open 2007 and 2003 documents without problem.</i>"
How in the world do you expect a software package released in 2003 to open files in a new format devised four years later? By adding the 2007 converter package from MS?
OpenOffice that came out after Office 2007 can open both formats, just like Office 2007 can open 2003 format documents, but cna OpenOffice (circa 2003) open Office 2007 documents? I think not.
THe package you are looking for is called "Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack" and it is available as a free add-on for office 2003 users:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en
Your ignorance of what MS offers is a very weak indictment of their products...
Jason
bring out the soup-nazis
It would seem like we have a ton of fanboys here who are attacking superficial things sorta like you have grammar and spelling nazis that come alive BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO LOGICAL POINTS to post.
Come on folks, stop with the bruised egos.
Please keep in mind that regardless of how this was written, the underlying point is giving choice. There are great economic points to remember in a true free market where you are not locked in due to some bureaucrat's stupid decision.
Perhaps some of you have never experienced this problem?
This reminds me of Windows only admins who say stupid things about Linux or Unix yet are not qualified to as they have not the requisite SIGNIFICANT amount of experience with said UNIX and Linux systems and environments.
Additionally, and this is another flaw of the Microsoft mentality of fanboys, if you truly like Microsoft products then rejoice in the free market. Competition will strengthen those products you love and make them even better.
Adapt. Improvise. Overcome... and STOP WHINING.
ASHS Student
They have 4 servers:
3 Dell
They have 4 servers:
3 Dell Poweredge 1950's - one is firewall, two are KVM hypervisors
1 Dell Poweredge 2900 - File server with 7 terrabytes of storage
Rocky
I feel truly sorry for the students who are the pawns and victims really in their vice principal's leanings towards the open source. In his enthusiasm to promote linux, he deprived his students gaining experience in the more popular software used by most businesses around the world. He touts the open source mantra but there is nothing open source when he is mandating the use of it in his school rather than giving students a real choice.
Me
"I feel truly sorry for the students who are the pawns and victims really in their vice principal's leanings towards the open source. In his enthusiasm to promote linux, he deprived his students gaining experience in the more popular software used by most businesses around the world. He touts the open source mantra but there is nothing open source when he is mandating the use of it in his school rather than giving students a real choice."
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