Novell NetWare to Microsoft Active Directory Migration

Information to Students

Overview

The purpose of this document is to communicate upcoming changes in the user logon experience. Information Technology Services (ITS) has undertaken a project to replace the existing Novell Netware Directory Services (NDS) infrastructure with Microsoft Active Directory (AD). This will affect all students. The expected completion date is July 1, 2009.

What is it?

Both Novell NDS and Microsoft AD give every student a user account, granting authenticated access to the following:

• Lab computers
• Technology Classrooms
• Home Directories (i.e. H: drives)
• Shared Directories (i.e. Course submission directories)
• Printing
• Network Applications
• Web access to Home Directories (i.e. myfiles.mymru.ca, also known as Netstorage)

How are students affected?

For your security and privacy, Mount Royal does not store your password in any readable form. In order to use your new account in AD (i.e. to logon to a Student lab computer), you must change your password.

• Effective April 23, a password change period begins. All students are required to change their password via MyMRU.
• Effective July 1, 2009, if you have not changed your password since April 23, you will be unable to logon in any Mount Royal computer lab or access files via the web.
• Effective July 1, 2009, your logon experience in the computer labs will be different.
  • All student shared resources will be located on the Microsoft infrastructure.
  • The prompt for logon will be Microsoft’s client, rather than Novell’s.
  • Your Pcounter balance will remain unchanged.
  • The interface to access your files over the web will change.
  • Your drive mappings will remain the same, with one major exception: Student-Instructor shared data will be standardized to drive I: 

• Effective July 1, 2009, the Novell infrastructure for students will be decommissioned.

How do I change my password?

The password change website is here.

Why migrate?

Reasons for migrating:

1. Cost savings. When comparing the cost of licensing and support, there is a significant savings in migrating to AD.
2. AD is the industry standard in directory services.
3. Application Support. The majority of Enterprise-class applications integrate with AD.

When will it be done?

All students will be cut over to AD at the end of Spring Semester (June, 2009) computer labs will be closed for 1 week during this time. Notices will be posted when labs will be closed.

Summary of Important Dates

April 23, 2009 – password change grace period begins. Students have until July 1, 2009 to change their password.

June 29, 2009 through July 3, 2009 - Student lab migrations begin. Access to Novell ACLAB data will be discontinued and data will be migrated to Active Directory.

July 1, 2009 – password change grace period ends. If you have not changed your password since April 23, you will be unable to logon in any Mount Royal computer lab or access files via the web.

July 1, 2009, Student and Lab migration complete.

Further Information

The Computer Labs website will be updated with new documentation. Please check the site periodically for updated information: Student lab information

If you need clarification or further details on any of the above, please e-mail or call the ITS Help Desk: helpdesk@mtroyal.ca / 403.440.6000