Workgroup / Application Question

[Guest AlvinG]

This is more of an applications question, but thought I'd throw it out here.

 

 

 

I have a small workgroup of about 30 computers running XPPro, which are

physically connected to a large network for Internet access only.

>

This workgroup is a computer lab used to help users prepare personal

documents which contain confidential information. A typical course usually

runs about 4 weeks, so one group of users move on after 4 weeks, and then

another group starts. During the 4 week period, users save their information

to the local drive, which is no security at all because all computers are

configured with the same logon and no password. Instructors need to access

their daily work for review, so they go around to each computer to do so. I

could share folders so the instructors could do this from one computer, but

that doesn't solve the problem.

 

 

 

I need to add security for the user's data where other users cannot access

it, and store it in a centralized location so Instructors can access it. And

keep in mind; I have a turnover every 4 weeks.

 

 

 

The only way I know to do this in a workgroup would be to create user

accounts every 4 weeks on each computer and create shares on another, but

that's not going to happen. The users could save their data to a flash drive

or floppy disk, but then the instructors cannot access it, and or the users

will lose the media.

 

 

 

I posted a question earlier about adding a DC and adding the computers to

the domain, which would make securing the data and creating user accounts

much easier but after thinking about it, it's still a little more overhead

than what I'd prefer to do every 4 weeks. So, I'm looking for an option with

little or no administrative overhead.

 

 

 

What would be nice is to find an application that I could load on a member

server in a workgroup where users could access it from their desktop, and

would allow them to create their own account with a password to store data.

The next day the user would start the application; select his/her name and

enter their password to access their data. It would also automatically add

my instructors to the access list each time a folder/account was created.

And of course, since this is a member server in a workgroup it would work

independently from AD. Anyone seen any applications to accomplish something

like this; or any ideas of how to configure this in a workgroup with server

2K3?

 

 

 

Thanks

[Guest JohnB]

Re: Workgroup / Application Question

 

A real simple solution, that's free, is Google Documents

(https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=true&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F%3Fhl%3Den%26tab%3Dwo&followup=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F%3Fhl%3Den%26tab%3Dwo&ltmpl=homepage&nui=1&rm=false)

 

It's password protected. I've used it before. It works great.

 

 

 

"AlvinG" <georgia_alvin@lacoe.edu> wrote in message

news:%23qNehtwfIHA.4684@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> This is more of an applications question, but thought I'd throw it out

> here.

>

>

>

> I have a small workgroup of about 30 computers running XPPro, which are

> physically connected to a large network for Internet access only.

>

>>

> This workgroup is a computer lab used to help users prepare personal

> documents which contain confidential information. A typical course usually

> runs about 4 weeks, so one group of users move on after 4 weeks, and then

> another group starts. During the 4 week period, users save their

> information to the local drive, which is no security at all because all

> computers are configured with the same logon and no password. Instructors

> need to access their daily work for review, so they go around to each

> computer to do so. I could share folders so the instructors could do this

> from one computer, but that doesn't solve the problem.

>

>

>

> I need to add security for the user's data where other users cannot access

> it, and store it in a centralized location so Instructors can access it.

> And keep in mind; I have a turnover every 4 weeks.

>

>

>

> The only way I know to do this in a workgroup would be to create user

> accounts every 4 weeks on each computer and create shares on another, but

> that's not going to happen. The users could save their data to a flash

> drive or floppy disk, but then the instructors cannot access it, and or

> the users will lose the media.

>

>

>

> I posted a question earlier about adding a DC and adding the computers to

> the domain, which would make securing the data and creating user accounts

> much easier but after thinking about it, it's still a little more overhead

> than what I'd prefer to do every 4 weeks. So, I'm looking for an option

> with little or no administrative overhead.

>

>

>

> What would be nice is to find an application that I could load on a member

> server in a workgroup where users could access it from their desktop, and

> would allow them to create their own account with a password to store

> data. The next day the user would start the application; select his/her

> name and enter their password to access their data. It would also

> automatically add my instructors to the access list each time a

> folder/account was created. And of course, since this is a member server

> in a workgroup it would work independently from AD. Anyone seen any

> applications to accomplish something like this; or any ideas of how to

> configure this in a workgroup with server 2K3?

>

>

>

> Thanks

>

>