Dr. Slator: I know it might seem like we're 'looking the proverbial gift horse in the mouth' but I do have a few concerns regarding the file server install... 1. I was expecting that the server might just be one of our normal classroom workstations running a simple server "tool" during the class and shut down when class is over. The configuration you're proposing clearly involves a separate server box. We would have to "find" such a box. We do have some older equipment available but I'd need to know minimums for processor, RAM, hard drive space, operating system, etc. **we answer, no, we thought of this as just being one of the machines in the cluster, not a dedicated machine. We could provide a dedicated machine if needed but we designed this so that would not be necessary** 2. Will we need to give this server a public IP number so it can be accessed from NDSU? Our district sits behind a firewall and if we have to "open" that wall for this server's public number, the operating system and open ports on the server are of major importance to us. We are concerned about viruses and hacker attacks. I'd like final say on the server OS as it will be up to us to protect it. If it's behind our firewall and protected from outside sources, we can more easily handle our own "in-district" hackers. **we answer, no, both the server and clients would be behind your firewall and would not have a connection to the outside world.** 3. Who will be expected to have "root" password or administrative access to this server? How much training will Mr. Erickson require to provide basic administration of the server application? In the long-term, what kind of server OS support will be expected? **we say, for this short term project, one of my students would need administrative access in order to do the installation. Similarly, my students would do the basic day-to-day administration as needed. In the long term, our plan would be to shut things down at the end of the school year, and then evaluate everything. Although we hadn't discussed it, this could include un-installing everything from the machines, if that were what was wanted** 4. I'm also concerned about long-term data backup issues. Ideally, we'd like the server to somehow access the database as stored on our production servers so the data gets backed up in our enterprise. We may be able to implement an automated ftp solution of some type, but we need to consider this and other long-term support issues during the testing period. **we say, from our point of view, we are only HOPING that Fargo Public Schools will want to continue with this project after the end of this school year. If your evaluation leads to that, then, yes, there are long terms solutions that need to be worked out. For now, the thinking is to complete this short-term project and then stop and think about next steps** 5. Our help desk support for supplemental curricular applications in the school district is limited due to small staff size and a large network plant. We ask departments who wish to adopt dedicated applications to be a lot more self-sufficient in managing those applications than we ask for adoptions that are district-wide. I have a concern that we may not be able to dedicate the amount of time and energy this server might require and wonder if Mr. Erickson or others in his area would want to develop that expertise. As usual, I've been very verbose in saying simply that, "This server better be easy to manage, rock-solid and bullet-proof." **we say, yes, this is part of the evaluation we propose to make at the end of this short-term effort. This is one of the reasons I want my students to do this work, so that NO workload is added to FPS, and so my students can learn what is needed for maintenance, and write a manual for the sake of future users** **Brian Slator** John