ELMS

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MSDNAA (MSDN Academic Alliance)

What is MSDN Academic Alliance?
This program gives students and faculty access to the latest development tools, operating systems, server software, documentation and technical references. In addition, students get complete access to these tools on their home PCs, so keeping up to speed is easy

Q: Is my school/department part of the program?
A: Find out here!

ELMS Software Center

Attention MSDNAA Program administrators!
https://www.e-academy.com/IT_MSDNAA_main.cfm

The MSDNAA Software Center is an e-academy ELMS (e-academy License Management System) that each Program Administrator can tailor to departmental needs. ELMS is offered as a free member benefit to MSDN Academic Alliance member departments worldwide. ELMS for MSDNAA takes care of all the administrative functions of the MSDNAA Program while offering an easy-to-use, 24x7 service to your users with the latest most up-to-date MSDNAA software programs. All MSDNAA software is available to students/faculty at no cost.

Benefits of Using ELMS

  • A private website accessed only by you and your faculty/students.
  • Organizes MSDNAA software in browse-able online product catalog.
  • Requires end-user authentication prior to enabling distribution.
  • Distributes software via many delivery methods:
    • Campus Hosted Download: local download server hosted on campus
    • CD Check-Out: library reserve model for loaning CDs
    • Secure Network Install: installation from campus network share points
    • Customized software distribution: allows you to customize your own distribution method (ie. students can burn software on a CD in a lab setting).
  • Distributes all product keys (activation codes) required for installation.
  • Distributes Student Use Guidelines and tracks student agreement during ordering process.
  • Tracks all software distributed to students and faculty.
  • Meets all Microsoft compliance requirements.
  • Respects your students' and faculty members' privacy.
  • Over 500 MSDNAA products available to you.

Set Up Instructions

The key points are:

  • Setup your individual ELMS site here: https://www.e-academy.com/IT_MSDNAA_main.cfm
  • Make .iso files available to the students who are allowed them, and they write their own CDs
  • Students obtain a licence code from ELMS.
  • Instructions for students – Look at Student Section
  • NEW: Students can now download tools directly from ELMS site

Making .iso Files Available
Write .iso files from the CDs Microsoft sends you or the ones you download that are relevant to your students. These .iso files are then put in a directory which can only be accessed by students enrolled in at least one of the core papers, and accessible in student labs.

ELMS Administration

Managing Users

To keep things simple use a single group, and use "Import List" to add eligible students at the start of each semester. "Import List" takes the form of a text file with the first line "UID" then a list of student user codes one per line.

UID
moafd070
najki616
omnbe588
patbr495
reppe167

This list is generated from a student records system and doesn't matter if it has duplicate items. At the start of each semester set "Import Type" to "Full" this replaces the previous list with the current one. Later in the semester if you wanting to add other students, e.g. late enrolments, then set "Import Type" to "Partial" which just adds the students to those already added earlier. Students can then register, and the instructions for them can be found in the Student Section below.

Note: the email address the students use to register becomes their username. This applies to administration as well as to the student when logging in. So if you're looking for a student in ELMS later e.g. to change a forgotten password, you need to know the email address they used when registering. This is why we suggest they use their student email address.

Subsequent administration is very little but sometimes involves checking the current students on the list - choose "Export List" and note students who are registered appear as their username i.e. their email address. Usually you need to do this because of a late enrolment and sometimes it is necessary to go to "User Support" (not under "User Management") if a student has forgotten their password. Also under "User Support" you can add additional license keys (e.g. if the student has more than one computer).

Product Management

For each .iso file you make available:

  • Go to Product Management / Configuration
  • Choose the matching CD from the "Select Product" drop down box. Software you have already configured will be bold.
  • Choose "Customize Software Distribution"
  • Select "Yes" for "Enable" and for "Show on Storefront"
  • Add instructions telling students how to create their own CD. Look at Student Section.

This is repeated for each .iso file and it is not always obvious which product CD is the correct one. When software is no longer available go back to the same place, and clear the "Enable" box.

Student Section

Inform students the number of cd’s required to copy software.

For example:

  • SQL Server 2005 Developer - 2 CDs
  • Visual Studio 2005- 2 CDs for program plus 3 CDs for documentation
  • Windows Server 2003- 1 CD
  • Windows XP Pro - 1 CD
  • Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System 2003 - 1 CD
  • InfoPath 2003 Toolkit for Visual Studio Tools for Office 2005 - 1 CD
  • Windows Vista - Business Edition - 5 CDs
  • Project Pro 2007 - 1 CD
  • Visio Pro 2007 - 1 CD

Writing the Software to CDs

Indicate to students the location of .iso images and provide them access to a burning center. Provide them with instructions on how to copy images.

For example:

  • Copy the ISO image(s) that you wish to write to CD down to the hard drive of the local computer, in either the 'C:\Temp' or 'C:\Users' folders.
  • You will need to use the 'Nero Burning ROM 6' application to burn the image.
    • When the Nero application has started, click the 'New' button on the dialog that appears.
    • From the 'Recorder' menu, select 'Burn Image'.
    • Now choose the ISO image you wish to burn, from the 'C:\Temp' or 'C:\Users' folder, and hit 'Open'.
    • Click the 'Burn' button to start the CD writing process.
    • The Nero software will ask you to put a blank CD in the CD drive, if you haven't done so already.
    • After you have finished burning the software to CDs, please delete the ISO file(s) from either 'C:\Temp' or 'C:\Users', depending on where you copied them to.

Using ELMS to get a Valid Licence Code

The licence keys are obtained from your personal site setup by ELMS. This will be supplied be ELMS.

Registering and Logging in

If this is your first time using ELMS then choose "Register"

  • "Student Identifier" is your User-code. E.g abcde123 NOT your student ID number.
  • "Email Address" Please use your student email address to avoid problems later although another email address will work. ******* NOTE: It will also become your ELMS username *******
  • "Password" This is the password you will use in ELMS - it doesn't need to be the same as any other password you use elsewhere but can be if you like.
  • You should now be able to log into ELMS using the email address as your username along with the password you chose.

Choosing Software (Ordering Software)

You should see something like the screenshot below after choosing the "Software" tab (circled in red) and then the drop down list "Search by product titles

You will need to choose the CD you want and you can only choose one program at a time.

Windows Vista, SQL Server and Visual Studio are more than one CD but you only need to order CD1 for each. (While both SQL Server and Visual Studio do not actually need a licence code to work you are still required to order them through ELMS.)

On the next page choose "Add to cart", then agree to the terms of use. This takes you to the "View Shopping Cart" page where you should either choose "Continue Shopping" if there are more products you want or “Check Out” when you have selected all the products you want a licence code for. A couple of pages later you'll see your "Order Details". You don't need to print this because of the way we are distributing the CDs and you can find this page again if you need it. If you click on the product name for additional download / installation information you'll get to see the licence code!

Finding the Licence Codes

From the "My Software" tab on the left side of the page you'll get a list of the software you have "ordered". Clicking on the Invoice number will take you back to the "Order Details" page. If you click on the product name for additional download / installation information you'll get to see the licence code!

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