Nepal:School Server Specification

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XS Server Specification for Nepal Deployment

The School Server is still under development and it is unlikely that all of the planned features will be ready by Nepal's OLPC pilot, to start in early April 2008. This below specification represents what we hope to implement given the functionality currently stable in the school server.


School server specifications:

The School Server Hardware Specification currently is out-of-date

Here is what we intend to use in Nepal for the school server hardware

Server:

  • Intel or AMD at least 2 g, at least 300gb hard rive, USB ports, DVD or CD ROM drive.
  • OS: Fedora Core 7
  • XS Server build: OLPC_XS_150.iso (This is the latest image so far.)


Network Modules:

  1. Domain Name Service (DNS)
  2. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) (the ip range should not overlap if there is more than one XS.)
  3. Mesh Network specification. (How many mesh ports? How many XO's are designated for each mesh?)
  4. Active Antennas (One for each mesh)
  5. Internet connection needs a router (wireless can add access for normal laptops), and is provided through Wifi or VSAT.
  6. Network Cables (cat5, cat6 with RJ45 connectors, and 5m USB cable for active antenna (the antenna comes with the cable attached).
  7. Power adapters. ( A detailed specification needs to written on power solution for the XS, especially in a school environment, and the classroom environment, (district level?)--get help from Joshua?)


Network Software:

  1. Apache server
  2. Required php modules
  3. MySql for database.
  4. Samba??
  5. Moodle(moodle-1.8.3) for collaboration. (Martin Langhoff can help)
  6. HTTP caching—squid?


Things that needs to be solved:

  1. Get Id manager to work (Contact Ivan Krstic) for the authentication (SSO) to manage all network logins.
  2. Test the range of XO-XO, and XO-XS wireless range? (Some report up to 1 Km range, James Cameron <quozl@laptop.org>, in rural Nepali village setting this might go down to 500m.)
  3. Understand the school setting. We need to know where to physically place the active antennas as this might affect the range. Outside the building (see how guys in Peru did it) inside the class room, the exact location etc.
  4. How do we provide internet access to the XS (or school)?
  5. Test squid with school server.


Test Results:

  • XO-XS connectivity through a wireless (Belkin) router works.
  • DNS works.
  • Apache web services works.
  • Moodle works (more work on moodle).
  • DHCP through the server needs testing. Need active antennas to test mesh.
  • XO-XO communication works, testing needs to be done for range.

Ideas for Moodle on school server:

  1. Understand the use of Moodle in a (Nepali) teaching-learning process. How to use it? Is going to add a sense of burden for teachers? If so how do we integrate it to the existing philosophy of pedagogy of the teacher?
  2. How to make it simple enough for students so that they feel comfortable using it?
  3. Implementation?

Authentication:

Use auto-login so that students dont have to remember their login info and/or how to get to the course page.

I am using a simple HTML to do that:

<*html><head></head><body>

<form action= "http://www.sugaroffice.ole/moodle/login/index.php" method="post">

<input type="hidden" name="username" id="username" value="olenepal" />

<input type="hidden" name="password" id="password" value="olenepal" />

<input type="submit" value="Login" />

</form> </body>

</html>
This HTML page will be added to the sugar-interface of the XO. When clicked by user: olenepal, it will take him to the group course page that he belongs to. Security is not a concern here (I think) because student wont have a personal page. It will be use more like a community forum, and all students within a group will have the same login. Separate groups will have separate login. Drawback of doing so: This HTML file has to be manually added to all the XO's.


- Simplify the UI. Take out modules that are not needed for a particular group.
- For authentication use a mysql database. Account will be manually created by Moodle administrator prior to student using this feature. Teachers have the “role” of a editing teacher in Moodle. Self registration to Moodle, and into courses (for those have login) is disabled.
- The teacher-training package being developed by OLE Nepal team will not include for the first phase of training. Will be deployed a month later.
- SSO and Id manager can greatly improve the overall auth feature. We can then use the id given by the Id manager to login to moodle as well as others.

School Server Use Cases

Networking School Server Related Files

See Files: /home/sulo/xs_networking_local.doc
/home/sulo/xs_networking_regional.doc
/home/sulo/doe_wireless_plan.doc

Teachers Training for the Pilot: See Files: /root/Desktop/Teacher_Training_Course_Outline_improved_Jan_08.doc
note: will extract and add to new Wiki page soon **

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