ZEDEX The School Networking Solution!

Guide to installing Zedex  

At this point we assume that you already have a Peer-to-Peer network setup.  Need help go to How to Set Up a Peer to Peer Network

If you are using WFW, then use: The Guide to old 16bit version

NEW: Ask questions or offer comments in our new discussion group at Google Groups: http://www.groups.google.com/group/zedex?hl=e

Setting Up the Server:

Watch Zedex in action: Download and run the following Camtasia video: zedex_intro.exe

See the video of Server setup: Download and run the following Camtasia video: setup_zedex_server.exe

If it won't run because you need the codec: Download and run the Camtasia codec: tscc.exe

Choosing the server:

• The server can be any WFW or Windows 95/98 computer on your network. It is best to use a computer with a large hard drive to hold user files. A Windows 98 computer is recommended.  A WFW computer would be limited to very small hard drives and is not recommended.
• The server cannot be a Windows NT , Windows 2000, or Windows XP computer.  You must judge the capacity needed of that machine.  
• Only the network administrator should be able to access the server. 
• It cannot be used as a workstation by users, but it can be the computer for the computer administrator.

Name the computer:

The computer that acts as a server must have the name,"zedex".

• On a Windows 95/98 computer, from Control Panel , choose network , then the identification tab,  and then type the name "zedex" into the name box.
  
  You will have to reboot the computer for these changes to take effect.

Turn on "File Sharing" on the server only.

• On a Windows 95/98 computer, from the Control Panel, select network and then select the File and Printer Sharing button.
  
  Mark these as shared.
  

Create folders in Windows 95/98 that will be the directory space for each user. Use Explorer in Windows 95/98 to do this. It doesn't matter if they are a sub directory of another directory. Organize them in a way that is most convenient for you to manage later. 

The folder names will usually be the login names of the users.

• In a school I suggest that you divide up the students by having a parent or higher directory for each grade level such as group1, group2, group3, etc. and teachers. Then place all student directories for each grade level under one of these groups. Place teachers under the teacher directory.  Therefore if all Grade 8 students (who happen to be the graduating class) are under group1, then at the end of the year, you only have to delete directories under this directory and replace them with the new crop of students who are entering kindergarten. 
• As a school you might create groups identified be the year they graduate (gr2008). In this way, the group stays consistent. Don’t group them by grade 1, etc., as the students in these change each year. If you share the group folder, make sure that you password protect it. Only give the group folder name and password to teachers who needs to access their group to examine their files. They can access student files relatively easy using Zedex.
• Remember that each directory (login) name can have only 12 letters. The password is limited to 8 letters.
• At the high school level, each group could be a class for a particular term.  When their gone, just delete the directory.
  

Mark each of the user folders as shared. 

• In Windows 95/98, while using Explorer, select each folder and then right click. Select Sharing and fill in what is necessary. Each user directory must be marked as fully shared with or without a password.  You may add passwords later if it becomes an issue in your school. 
  

  Note that as these directories become shared, the folders appear with a little hand (the file folder with the little hand) to show that they are shared.  Once you have hundreds of directories/folders shared, due to memory limits, these little hands will start disappearing. Don't worry about it, they are still shared.

  Create the "Logout" folder

  One of the folders must be called "Logout". This directory is a common place where everyone has access to. When they log off,  they actually log on to this file. In that way, if they forget to log on, they will still have saved their work in an area that is accessible and easy to locate. 

  Share this folder, "Logout", as "full" shared and with the password "logout". Don't forget this or Zedex won't work. If you don't want users to leave files in the folder, share it as Read-Only.

  If this directory,"Logout", does not exist on the server, Zedex will not work.

   

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Zedex is based on the KISS principle:

1. Name the server "zedex". 
2. Give each user a folder, and fully share these folders with or without a password.
3. Fully share a folder called "logout" with password "logout".

That's all it takes for the computer that holds everyone's files.
 

Setting Up each Peer Workstation:

Zedex will work on either a Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000 (and I think NT workstation) and Windows for Workgroups (using 16bit version) computer as a peer workstation.

Install Zedex onto each peer workstation (Note that Zedex does not work on the server).  It can be loaded anywhere on the hard drive of each peer workstation but usually a shortcut is placed in the startup folder, and on the desktop.

Run the program.

It will appear in the top left corner of the screen where it can be left.  To log on to a user directory, type any shared folder name in the login box and then hit the enter key. The cursor will drop to the password box.   Type the password (if any) and hit enter. Once you are logged in, the peer workstation is connected to the folder on the server with the drive letter designated as "Z:\".  

Users save to the Z: drive. It's that simple.

The Z:\ drive is where you get the "Zed" in Zedex.

For Windows 95/98,  in Settings, select Taskbar, then the Start Menu Programs tab, Advanced.  When you select each program, right click and select Properties, ShortCut, and then type "z:\" into the "Start in:" box. Select OK.

You will only have to change the working directories for those applications that open or save files.  However,  you will not need to change the working directory for certain programs, such as Microsoft Word or WordPerfect, that have their own File Locations selector in their options. In their options selector, type in "z:\".
There is no need to do change the working directories for applications that do not save files.

Changing the working directories is not necessary but a convenience you won't want to be without.

When the necessary working directories are all set to "z:\" and when a student has logged in, that student or teacher, when they open or save a file, will do so automatically to their folder. There will be no need for them to look for their directory space or worry about such things as drive letters. If they have forgotten to log in, then their work would be saved to the logout folder, and not lost. 

Well if you made it this far, and have made all the necessary changes to the peer workstations, then you are done. Well done! Congratulations. You can now consider yourself a fully qualified Zedex Technician.

 The X:\ drive is the "ex" in Zedex. Just log in to the X:\ drive. Now one user can be on the X: drive, while the other is on the Z: drive, while on the same computer. This is a great way to work on projects together, or to retrieve files from "Logout".

Also remember that a user can double click (or single click an hit the enter key) a file in Zedex, and it will open in the program that Windows has associated with that file.

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