WELCOME
www.msdnaa.net
Dear Faculty Member,
Welcome to the MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDNAA), providing academic institutions, faculty, and students with leading-edge tools and technologies.
Your membership in the MSDNAA program provides access to the latest developer tools, servers, and platforms from Microsoft, and you will receive new releases throughout your subscription term of the products and services available as part of your membership, including:
- Visual Studio
- SQL Server
- Expression Studio
- ...and much more
This guide will help you get started with your MSDNAA membership and serve as a convenient reference in the future. The guide outlines the benefits of the program, provides an overview of the tools and technologies, and offer tips on administering the program.
It also includes an FAQ and an Appendix with information you may wish to redistribute. You may make copies of this guide for yourself, faculty, and staff members.
IMPORTANT: The information in this Member's Guide is provided for your convenience. Please refer to the MSDN End-User License Agreement (EULA) and the MSDNAA License Amendment for specific license rights. We strongly urge you to make them available to faculty and students.
We hope the MSDN Academic Alliance will be more than a software subscription program for you. We want to help you make the most of the tools and technologies. Our Web site features a rich collection of technical articles, documentation, and code samples. Additional member benefits include the following:
We look forward to working with you and your colleagues this year. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Thank you for your support of the MSDN Academic Alliance!
Most sincerely,
The MSDNAA Program Team
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BENEFITS OF THE MSDN ACADEMIC ALLIANCE MEMBERSHIP
The MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDNAA) provides the latest developer tools, servers, and platforms from Microsoft to faculty and students of academic institutions at a very low cost. The program operates in conjunction with the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), which is the premier resource for developers of applications using the Microsoft Windows and Microsoft .NET platforms and technologies. We hope this program will prove to be a valuable resource for your department and your students.
OVERVIEW OF BENEFITS
The annual membership in the MSDN Academic Alliance provides departments in technical fields such as computer science with the leading-edge tools from Microsoft. The following is a list of the benefits that members of the MSDN Academic Alliance receive:
- Software shipments with updates on a regular basis
- Special MSDNAA License Amendment
- Community Web site for faculty members at www.msdnaa.net
- Special offer tailored for faculty and students
- Private faculty newsgroups monitored by MSDN Academic Alliance program team
- Four (4) Product Support Services (PSS) technical incidents (2 for High School memberships)
- Regularly scheduled Webcasts with engineers and technology evangelists
- MSDN newsletter via e-mail
The most significant benefit is the MSDNAA License Amendment, which permits departments to install the software on any number of lab machines and permits faculty and students to install the software on their personal computers. We hope this comprehensive package of resources will help you train the next generation of software developers. Please refer to the corresponding sections for more information on the benefits listed above.
Your MSDN Academic Alliance membership includes a wide range of tools and technologies, either on DVD-ROM or via electronic access to MSDNAA download servers. The number of tools and applications (more than 300, in the case of the Developer AA subscription) may seem overwhelming at first, but they can be classified into two major categories as shown below.
TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES*
Developer Tools and Applications
- Microsoft Visual Studio Professional
- Academic: Student Tools and Faculty Tools
- Platform tools
- Microsoft Visio Professional
- Expression design tools
Platforms and Servers
- Windows client operating systems
- Windows Server
- .NET Enterprise Servers including SQL Server, Exchange Server, BizTalk Server, Commerce Server, Systems Management Server, Mobile Information Server, Content Management Server, and more.
- Windows Resource Kit SDKs, DDKs, and References
- Platform SDK (Software Development Kit), Windows DDK (Driver Development Kit), and other SDKs
- MSDN Library reference
- Service Packs, updates, and betas
* This example shows the Developer AA subscription. Other subscription offerings vary. For more details, see the MSDN Academic Alliance Memberships Comparison page at http://msdn.microsoft.com/academic/bb676724.aspx
Please contact MSDNAA Customer Support if you have any questions or problems with your subscription or other membership benefits. The support representatives can only assist you with membership issues. The faculty newsgroups and the provided technical support incidents are intended for technical and program-related questions.
IMPORTANT: In order to bring the academic community the latest Microsoft tools, some of the applications may be beta or prerelease versions, which should be used at your own risk.
SUBSCRIPTIONS INDEX
The Subscriptions Index contains a searchable database of the tools and technologies. This Index also ships with the regular MSDN Subscriptions, so it will include information on software not available in your MSDNAA membership. However, it is still useful for locating a specific product or disc.
MSDNAA LICENSE AMENDMENT
Membership in the MSDN Academic Alliance provides your department with a special License Amendment, designed specifically to address the needs of educational institutions. The MSDN Academic Alliance helps your school make the latest Microsoft development tools, platforms, and applications available to its faculty and students at a very low cost. The MSDNAA License Amendment offer the following benefits:
Permits the following individuals to install MSDNAA software on their personal computers for use in coursework and personal non-commercial projects:
- Students taking at least one for-credit course offered by the member department
- Faculty members of the member department
- Staff directly responsible for administering the MSDNAA program
Authorizes a member department to make the software available using these two methods:
- Create up to 50 copies of MSDNAA discs for check-out
- Make the contents of MSDNAA discs available via a secure download server
Enables a member department to install MSDNAA software on any number of departmental lab machines for instructional and research purposes only.
Program Restrictions
- The software tools and technologies provided by MSDNAA are restricted to instructional use and non-commercial research only.
- The software that is part of the MSDNAA program may not be used to run the infrastructure of the department or the school. Prohibited uses of MSDNAA software include storing student records, hosting e-mail servers, and running actual e-commerce applications.
- Windows may only be installed to support MSDNAA tools and technologies.
- Only a department that is a member of MSDNAA may use the software. It may not be shared among other member or non-member departments.
- The designated program administrator may not be a student or teaching assistant.
- Software that is part of the program may only be made available to students who are taking at least one for-credit course within the member department.
- After the membership has expired (and not been renewed), the department may not make MSDNAA software available to students, faculty, and staff. Software installed prior to the expiration of the membership may continue to be used for the purposes consistent with the license terms.
- Students may not keep the CD or DVD media they borrow except for the MSDN Library CDs.
| IMPORTANT: This synopsis is provided for your convenience only. Please refer to the MSDN EULA and the license terms provided with the software you download or install for specific license rights. |
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COMMUNITY WEB SITE
The MSDNAA Web site tailors its technical content for the academic community. We are very committed to providing faculty members with the resources necessary to fully utilize the tools and technologies. New content is posted to our Web site weekly, so we encourage faculty and staff members to check the MSDNAA Web site regularly. Here are a few highlights.
- Faculty Resources. We organize our technical content in a searchable database categorized by type, and we encourage faculty members to post additional resources. With this design, it is easy to search for code samples written in Microsoft Visual C#, for example.
- Technical Content. Every week, we feature new articles, white papers, news highlights, and samples. We select and create content that is appealing to the academic reader, such as articles on the inner workings of a technology.
- Special Offers. The Web site features a list of special offers for MSDNAA members, which may include free software, hardware discounts, and discounted magazine subscriptions.
- Members’ Area. This is a special area for program administrators to request additional product keys, view members-only special offers, and obtain membership information.
- Flash Newsletter. We send out an e-mail newsletter highlighting technical articles, special offers, online events, and program-related announcements. Program administrators automatically receive this newsletter. Faculty members can sign up for it at msdn.com/flash
PRIVATE NEWSGROUPS FOR FACULTY MEMBERS
The program hosts a set of private newsgroups for MSDNAA faculty and staff members to post questions and comments about MSDNAA and the included tools and technologies.
In addition, the newsgroups are meant to serve as a forum where faculty members can share curriculum ideas and developer resources with their colleagues. Your colleagues can also answer your questions and share their experiences with the program, software development, and system administration. Our hope is that the newsgroups will promote a tightly knit and useful community for faculty members.
We invite all faculty and staff members to join the MSDNAA newsgroups, and we strongly encourage program administrators to distribute information about the newsgroups to their colleagues.
There is a useful handout titled Joining the MSDNAA Faculty Newsgroups in the Appendix, which includes instructions on configuring a newsreader. It includes the content from this section.
Monitored Newsgroups
We monitor the newsgroups and answer technical and administrative questions.
We will have the [msdnaa] designation beside our names. This is a great opportunity for you to interact with us directly and give us feedback.
Accessing Our Newsgroup Server
To connect to the MSDNAA newsgroup server, you will need to enter the information below in a newsreader application such as Windows Live Mail, Microsoft Outlook Express or Program for Internet News & Email (Pine).
| Server: | news.msdnaa.net | | Newsgroups: | microsoft.private.msdnaa.announcements | | | microsoft.private.msdnaa.general | | Username: | faculty | | Password: | dnahelix |
|
PRODUCT SUPPORT SERVICES (PSS)
MSDNAA membership provides departments with four professional support incidents for technical questions. Program administrators should check their local Microsoft website for PSS contact information relevant to their country. The support incidents may be used for questions related to setup and installation, software development, and system administration. The engineer will collect information about the particular issue and will contact you later with an answer or a resolution.
The program administrator may authorize a faculty member to use a PSS incident. The person calling should have your MSDNAA membership number and all the details related to the question or problem.
We suggest you seek assistance in the MSDNAA faculty newsgroups before using a PSS incident, which should be reserved for difficult, highly specialized issues.
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TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES INCLUDED WITH THE MSDNAA MEMBERSHIP
The MSDNAA membership includes a wide range of developer tools, operating systems, resource kits, server software, and reference documentation. This is an overview of the tools and technologies in MSDNAA and how they can be used in your department’s Computer Science and Information Technology courses.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Here is a brief overview of some of the key tools and technologies included in most MSDNAA memberships. For more detailed information about these products, please visit the MSDN Web site or the product Web site.
Microsoft .NET Framework
The .NET vision moves toward a component-oriented model for software development where services are exposed through interfaces and may be invoked over the network. The .NET Framework consists of the Common Language Run-time (CLR) and the .NET class library. The run-time provides the infrastructure for running .NET applications such as the Just-in-Time compiler and the garbage collector. The framework itself must be installed to run .NET applications.
The .NET Framework Software Development Kit (SDK) includes all the tools you need to develop .NET applications with the Visual C# and Microsoft Visual Basic compilers, or other languages supported by Visual Studio.
Microsoft Project Professional
Microsoft Project Professional is the Microsoft Office project management program intended to be used with Microsoft Project Server for enterprise project management.
Microsoft Project helps you manage schedules and resources, collaborate on projects, and analyze project information.
MSDN Library
The MSDN Library contains articles, documentation, resource kits, and code samples, which are simply essential for any serious developer. This reference is integrated with Visual Studio. The documentation on the .NET Framework class library, the Win32 API, and the specification for Visual C# and Visual Basic is invaluable.
In Visual Studio, the Dynamic Help window presents content from the MSDN Library that is relevant to the code or the task at hand. This permits quick access to documentation.
Platform SDK
The Platform SDK is a comprehensive resource on Windows programming and Microsoft technologies. The SDK includes header files, code samples, libraries, and documentation for developing Win32 applications and using technologies such as SQL Server and DirectX. There is even information on developing for the 64-bit Itanium platform.
Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 and Visual C++.NET install an older version of the Platform SDK, and the MSDN Library includes the documentation included with the Platform SDK.
SQL Server Developer Edition
Numerous research projects and e-commerce applications rely on databases, and SQL Server provides the database infrastructure. Developers can use the Enterprise Manager in SQL Server to edit tables, diagrams, views, stored procedures, indexes, and user-defined functions. To utilize the XML features, you should install SQLXML and the SQL Server Web Services Toolkit.
Visio Professional
Visio Professional is a powerful technical diagramming tool that can assist you in visualizing and communicating ideas, information, and systems. Any large project requires careful planning and design, and Visio is ideal for diagramming database schema, creating technical schematics, planning networks, and designing software applications. MSDNAA provides Visio in order to assist faculty members in teaching students good design techniques.
Visual SourceSafe
Microsoft Visual SourceSafe is a version control system that is tightly integrated with the development environment of Visual Studio. The server can track code changes, support parallel development, visually merge conflicting code changes, and log all changes to the code base. Management and version control is simply essential to software engineering, and Visual SourceSafe may be useful for large projects in Computer Science courses.
Visual Studio
Visual Studio is the comprehensive tool set for rapidly building and integrating XML Web services, Windows-based applications, and Web solutions. This development studio features a source-code editor, resource editor, documentation, compiler, and debugger in a single integrated environment, which greatly streamlines the software development process.
The package consists of Visual C++, Visual C#, and Visual Basic. The Visual C++ compiler features many improvements and also supports Managed Extensions, which allow developers to create C++ applications that take advantage of .NET. Visual C# and Visual Basic are two languages that ship with the .NET Framework and are supported by Visual Studio.
Microsoft Visual J# is not supported in Visual Studio 2008 or later.
Windows Server
Windows Server provides a wide range of services including Terminal Services, an HTTP server, Microsoft SharePoint Team Services, Microsoft Windows Media streaming, a DHCP server, and a DNS server. It can also host a number of applications such as SQL Server and Exchange Server. Microsoft Active Directory provides the services for managing and administering a domain.
EULA INFORMATION: Windows Server may only be used to support teaching and research involving MSDNAA tools and technologies. It cannot be used for infrastructure purposes.
Windows client
Windows serves as a solid platform for developing applications and for using new technologies such as the .NET Framework and Speech SDK. Available in 32-bit and 64-bit editions, Windows offers greater stability and reliability and is excellent for running Visual Studio. It also ships with a Web server as part of Internet Information Services (IIS).
EULA INFORMATION: Windows client operating systems may only be installed on departmental machines used to support other tools and technologies included with MSDNAA. See Section 3 of the License Terms for details.
TABLE OF APPLICABLE CS/IT COURSES
We have assembled this table as a general recommendation of the tools and technologies that may be applicable to CS/IT courses, perhaps as a case study or as a primary development tool. This is intended only to be a starting point for investigating how the software can be used.
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PRODUCT UPDATES AND ADD-ONS
The MSDN Academic Alliance delivers major software updates such as service packs to member departments; additional updates, patches, and add-ons may be downloaded from the Microsoft Web site. We strongly recommend installing the latest patches, particularly security-related fixes. For deploying Windows patches over a network, please visit the Windows Update Catalog.
TECHNICAL RESOURCES
Microsoft makes a wide range of developer resources available online, and MSDNAA focuses on topics more academically oriented.
We encourage you and your colleagues to participate in the MSDNAA faculty newsgroups. It is an excellent forum for discussing and posting questions on software development and system administration. Please refer to Joining the MSDNAA Faculty Newsgroups in the Appendix.
The MSDNAA program administrator is responsible for managing the membership benefits for the department and making the software tools available to faculty and students. We hope the following sections will help you get started with the program and answer common questions.
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INFORMATION ON MSDNAA PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
PROGRAM USAGE
| ACCEPTABLE | UNACCEPTABLE |
| The tools and technologies provided through the MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDNAA) program may be used for instruction and non-commercial research only. Please refer to the definitions of instructional and research use that follow. | The software that is part of the program may not be used for infrastructure purposes whatsoever either in the classroom, the lab, or administration. It must directly support the teaching of or research involving MSDNAA tools and technologies. |
| Students who are taking at least one for-credit course may check out or download the software and install it on their personal computers. | Students who are in a member department but are not taking for-credit courses are not eligible to obtain MSDNAA software. |
| Faculty members as well as staff directly involved in administering systems and providing support for MSDNAA software may install the software on their personal computers. | Staff members who are not directly involved with system administration related to MSDNAA such as administrative assistants may not install the software on their personal computers. |
| Microsoft Windows may only be installed to facilitate the use of other MSDNAA software and technologies such as Microsoft Visual Studio for instruction or research. | Windows clients may not be used only as a terminal for accessing a Unix telnet server. Windows Server may not be used to host an e-mail server even if the e-mail software was purchased separately. |
| Multiple departments in an institution may join the MSDNAA if each department meets the qualifying requirements. | Software that is part of the program may not be shared among member or non-member departments. |
| The designated program administrator must be a full-time employee of the member department and is responsible for administering, managing, and enforcing the guidelines set by the MSDN End-User License Agreement (EULA) and the MSDNAA License Amendment. | The designated program administrator for the member department may not be a teaching assistant or a student. |
| Every copy of the software must be a true and complete copy and it must include all copyright and trademark notices. All software made available from the download server must include all of the files on the CD. | The software provided by MSDNAA may not be sold, rented, leased, or transferred to any third party including contractors, consultants, other companies, and other department’s personnel. This includes entities working on joint research projects. |
| The program administrator must authorize any access to the Members’ Area of the MSDNAA Web site by other faculty members with the department. | The program administrator may not allow other faculty members to place orders for additional product keys on the MSDNAA Web site. |
| If a department decides not to renew the MSDNAA membership, it can continue to use the software installed prior to the membership’s expiration for the purposes described herein. | Students, faculty, and staff may not check out or download MSDNAA software after the expiration of the membership. |
Examples of Acceptable Instructional and Research Use
A department may use the software and technologies provided by the MSDN Academic Alliance to teach or conduct research on the concepts or theory behind the following:
- Operating systems, using Windows client or server operating systems
- Database structures and database administration, using Microsoft SQL Server
- Programming languages and algorithms, using Visual Studio
- Messaging or collaboration, using Exchange Server
- E-commerce applications, using Commerce Server and/or Microsoft BizTalk Server
A department may use Windows as the operating system to run Visual Studio, SQL Server, and other software development tools included in the MSDNAA membership.
Examples of Unacceptable Use
- The software may not be checked out to faculty who are not officially members of the department or to students who are not taking a for-credit course from the department.
- The software may not be used in a lab that is not affiliated with the member department and/or does not facilitate the teaching of the products or concepts related to the products.
- Windows may not be used as the operating system in a lab that is not used to facilitate the teaching of development concepts and theories in conjunction with other software in this program.
- The software may not be used on any computer that supports the operations of the institution such as accounting, admissions, facilities, information technology, etc.
- Exchange Server may not be used to set up internal e-mail systems for the department.
- SQL Server may not be used to set up a department-wide internal database.
- Commerce Server may not be used to run e-commerce applications for the institution.
- BizTalk Server may not be used to run supplier-enablement functions.
The Information Technology staff may not use the software and technologies to develop applications for the academic institution’s infrastructure.
Definitions of Instructional and Research Use
Instructional purposes are defined as conducting educational classes, labs, or related programs for teaching and/or learning the Products or concepts related to the Products that are part of this program.
Research purposes are defined as conducting not-for-profit research projects.
Definition of Department for the MSDNAA Program
The MSDNAA License Amendment is not intended to be a blanket agreement for multiple departments or divergent disciplines, but to be an agreement for closely related disciplines that are almost always aggregated in a single entity such as a department or unit that is a recognized academic discipline. These specific entities may also be easily recognizable or identifiable through the institution’s course catalogs.
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GETTING STARTED WITH THE PROGRAM
The range of software and services available to you as part of your MSDNAA membership may seem overwhelming at first, but management of the membership can be broken down into these general responsibilities:
- Make students and faculty aware of the MSDNAA program benefits.
- Establish the infrastructure for checking out software or for downloading it from a secure file server.
- Keep track of the total number of installations by students, faculty, and the department.
- Enforce the usage guidelines for the software.
- Inform faculty members of technical support options such as the MSDNAA newsgroups.
- Encourage faculty to sign up for the MSDN newsletter.
- Remain up-to-date on program announcements and special offers.
The most challenging aspect of administering the program is setting up the infrastructure for making the software available to students and faculty members. To guide you in accomplishing this, we have assembled information about product keys, secure file servers, and duplicating discs. If you ever have questions, please refer to How to Contact the MSDN Academic Alliance.
MSDNAA Newsgroups
We strongly encourage you to make your colleagues aware of the MSDNAA private newsgroups.
We are very excited about getting to know faculty members, and it is an excellent forum for seeking answers to technical or administrative questions and for collaborating with other faculty members.
Feel free to copy and distribute the handout Joining the MSDNAA Faculty Newsgroups, found in the Appendix.
Record-Keeping Requirements
We require program administrators to report twice a year the number of lab machines on which you have loaded the software and the number of students who have downloaded or checked out software. An e-mail reminder will be sent to all program administrators, who will be asked to report the information using a form on the MSDNAA Web site. Please establish an infrastructure for checking out or downloading software that allows for easy collection of this data.
This information will be used to better understand the level of usage within member departments and to fine-tune the program accordingly. We feel that personal privacy is of utmost importance, and we will never ask you for the personal information of students and faculty.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if you have concerns about personal privacy.
PRODUCT KEYS AND VOLUME LICENSE KEYS (VLKS)
The software in MSDNAA subscriptions may require a 10-digit or 25-digit product key, which is available in your media shipment (if your subscription includes this) and the members-only "MSDN Subscriptions" Area of the MSDN Web site. You may provide students with these keys when they check out or download the software. At times, the product key may be printed on the label of the original disc.
NOTICE: The Volume License Key for Windows, Visio, and Microsoft Project are not to be distributed. See below.
Windows client, Visio, and Microsoft Project
Member departments with applicable subscriptions will receive two versions of certain software titles, such as Windows, Visio, and Microsoft Project: a retail version and a volume version. The retail version is intended for student check-out and download, whereas the volume version is intended for installation on computers in departmental labs only. The next two sections discuss the differences between these two versions.
Product Keys for Windows client, Visio, and Microsoft Project
For Media+Online subscriptions, the initial shipment of MSDNAA software contains 50 individual product keys each for Windows, Visio, and Microsoft Project on stickers, which may be given to eligible students who request the software. After installing the software, the student will be prompted to activate the product when he or she runs it for the first time. It can be activated over the Internet or over the telephone.
Each key permits installation of the software on one machine. A student may install the software using the same product key an unlimited number of times on the same machine. However, installing the software on a different computer will cause product activation to fail. If the student changes machines, he or she may call the clearinghouse to explain what happened. If there is a legitimate reason, the support representative will issue a confirmation number.
The program administrator may request additional product keys from MSDNAA Customer Support by calling the numbers listed in How to Contact the MSDN Academic Alliance.
IMPORTANT: Please do not provide a second product key unless the student has a compelling reason.
Volume License Keys for Windows client, Visio, and Microsoft Project
We provide members with a volume version of Windows client, Visio, and Microsoft Project so that system administrators can avoid having to perform product activation on machines in departmental labs. The volume version requires the use of a single VLK, which is included in a separate mailing concurrent with the initial shipment. After installing the software, you will not be prompted to activate the product.
The installation process and the use of the volume versions are no different than that of the retail versions. Please seek assistance in the MSDNAA faculty newsgroups if you have questions.
| IMPORTANT: Please keep the VLKs in a safe location and do not make the volume version of Windows, Visio, or Microsoft Project available to students. |
DUPLICATION OF CDS AND STUDENT CHECK-OUT
The first software distribution option for member departments is to duplicate up to 50 copies of each MSDNAA disc to create a lending library for students and faculty members.
Duplicating MSDNAA discs
You will need a DVD-R drive to create copies of the MSDNAA discs. Most computers with DVD-Recordable drives include a Disc Copy utility, which you should use to duplicate the discs. Please seek assistance in the MSDNAA faculty newsgroups if you have questions or problems. We recommend that you assign each disc a “set number ” for the purposes of record-keeping.
Student Check-out
It is important to maintain a system to organize and track the distribution of MSDNAA software to remain in compliance with your license terms. Some departments have asked libraries to handle the check-out process, and they provide the libraries with a list of eligible students.
To check out the software, the student is required to sign the Student Use Agreement, included in the Membership Kit as well as the Appendix, and agree to any department policies regarding the use of the software. We strongly encourage program administrator to provide students with a copy of the MSDN EULA and MSDNAA License Amendment as well as the Student Use Agreement.
You or the people responsible for checking out the software should keep track of the name of the borrower, the date borrowed, the due date, the discs borrowed, the set number, and the return date.
PRODUCT KEYS: You will need to provide the student with the relevant product key to install the software. Certain software such as Windows client, Visio, and Microsoft Project require unique product keys.
Creating Bootable Discs
MSDN physical media subscriptions may include multiple editions of certain operating systems on a single disc titled to reduce the number of discs. However, such discs are not bootable and faculty members may want to create bootable discs.
Please consult resources on the Internet for step-by-step instructions on how to create a bootable disc. You will need the boot sector for the desired edition. The process is fairly simple but it is not supported by Microsoft.
Please post questions about creating bootable discs in the MSDNAA faculty newsgroups. Please do not contact Product Support Services regarding this issue. They cannot assist you with this procedure.
NETWORK DOWNLOAD SERVER
The second software distribution option is via a secure file server, which reduces or eliminates the need to duplicate the MSDNAA discs and manage the check-out process.
| IMPORTANT: Program administrators are responsible for maintaining proper security, preventing unauthorized use of the software, and auditing user activity. |
Overview of the Download Server
Your file server should run Windows XP Professional or newer, or Windows 2000 Server or newer and should use the NTFS file system because of important security considerations. Please do not use Microsoft Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition or the FAT16 or FAT32 file system.
The instructions below will walk you through how to configure a secure download server.
TECHNICAL NOTE: Windows 2000 Professional,Windows XP Professional, and more recent Windows client operating systems are limited to 10 simultaneous connections. You may want to run your Download Server on Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server, or newer instead.
Managing User Accounts
You should assign a user account to each eligible student and faculty member who requests access to download the software and has signed the Student Use Agreement. This holds each end user responsible for his or her use of the secure file server.
1. As an administrator, start Computer Management under Administrative Tools.
2. Select the Groups folder under Local Users and Groups.
3. Click the New Group menu under Action. Name the group “MSDNAA” and click Create.
4. Now select the Users folder above the Groups folder.
5. Create a new user for a student by clicking New User under the Action menu.
6. Double-click the new user and add the user to the “MSDNAA” group on the "Member Of" tab. Click OK.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for each eligible user.
QUICK TIP: Double-click the group instead to add a large number of users to the group.
Sharing the DVD Images
You should create a single folder on your file server to store the DVD-ROM images. You will also need to properly secure the NTFS permissions to prevent unauthorized access.
- Create a folder for the shared directory. Right-click the new folder and select Properties.
- On the Security tab, click Advanced.
- Uncheck the “Inherit from parent” option and click Remove when prompted.
- Remove any other entries in the permissions list. Click OK.
- Click Add and specify “Administrators” and “MSDNAA” separated by a semicolon. Click OK.
- Grant Full Access rights to Administrators and Read & Execute rights to MSDNAA.
- On the Sharing tab, select Share this folder and specify a share name (e.g.,“msdnaa$”).
- Click Permissions.
- Remove the “Everyone” entry and add “Administrators” and “MSDNAA.”
- Grant Read access to both Administrators and MSDNAA. Click OK.
- Click OK to commit the changes.
Once the shared folder is configured, you may copy the files from the relevant MSDNAA discs into the folder. You will want to organize them by disc, and group similar discs such as Visual Studio.
RECOMMENDATION: You may want to create a text file in the shared directory with the common product keys. Unique product key for Windows client, Visio, and Microsoft Project must be handled separately.
Configuring Auditing Options
For security purposes, you should configure Windows to audit user access to the shared folder. You may want to inform your students that all activity on the server is logged.
- Start the Local Security Policy editor (secpol.msc).
- Select the Audit Policy folder under Security Settings | Local Policies.
- Modify “Audit account logon events” and “Audit object access” to audit for Success and Failure.
- Close the Local Security Policy editor.
- Start Windows Explorer. Right-click your shared folder and select Properties.
- On the Security tab, click Advanced.
- Select the Auditing tab. Then click Add. Select the “MSDNAA” group from the list.
- Check at least the “List Folder/Read Data” auditing setting.
- Select the “Apply these auditing entries…” check box at the bottom.
- Click OK until the property pages have been closed.
To audit the activity on the file server, you should start Computer Management and view the Security log under the Event Viewer. You should look for suspicious activity such as numerous logons by one user.
User Information
After you create a username and password for an eligible student, you will want to provide him or her with the following instructions for accessing the file server.
- Select Run from the Start menu.
- Enter the shared directory’s path (e.g.,\\your-intranet.net\share, \\127.0.0.1\share). Click OK.
- When prompted, enter the username and password.
- Browse to the desired DVD image and run the Setup program (i.e., setup.exe).
TECHNICAL NOTE: On Windows 98 and Windows Me clients, one must log on to the client with the same username as the account on the server because Windows 98 and Windows Me always send that name as the login.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM
MSDNAA Customer Support handles all administrative inquiries about your membership. Our support representatives can assist you with locating and resending missing shipments, requesting more product keys, and changing your contact information.
For technical questions, please refer to How to Contact the MSDN Academic Alliance for information on the MSDNAA newsgroups and other resources.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have collected the most common questions about the program, the tools and technologies, and the administration of the program. We encourage you to post any other questions you may have to our faculty newsgroups. Also, please visit our Web site at www.msdnaa.net for the complete FAQ.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
1. How long does a membership in this program last? Membership cycles in the MSDNAA run either from July through June or from January through December depending on when you join the program.
2. Does our membership expire in June/December regardless of when we join? We have two membership cycles (July–June and January–December) so your membership expires either in June or December depending on which cycle you are in. However, your students can still greatly benefit from the software, even if you join in the middle of a cycle. You still receive all the benefits that you would have received if you had joined at the beginning of the membership cycle.
3. Is the MSDN Academic Alliance available internationally? This program is currently available in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The telephone numbers of local Subscription Centers are listed on the MSDN Subscriptions Web site at msdn.microsoft.com/academic/bb250634.aspx.
4. How can I refer a faculty member of another department? Please send them to the MSDNAA Web site, www.msdnaa.net, for more information about the program. They can obtain the membership details and fill out the application online.
INCLUDED TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES
1. How often will I receive update shipments? When you choose an MSDN Academic Alliance "Online+Media" subscription, you receive an initial Welcome Kit that contains all the software. After the initial shipment, you will receive software updates approximately once per quarter. The shipment schedule will vary according to release dates of software included as part of your membership benefits. The schedule of past and upcoming shipments is posted on the MSDN Subscriptions Website at msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/index.
2. What is the approximate value of the software in the membership? To justify the department’s membership in MSDNAA, program administrators have frequently asked us for an estimated value of the tools and technologies. The best source of this information is the Microsoft Product Information Center at http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/, which lists the retail pricing. In addition, there is the intangible value of the support services provided through the PSS incidents and the faculty newsgroups, and of the development resources such as the Platform SDK, the betas, and the development tools for embedded devices.
3. Does the membership include Windows XP Home Edition? The Developer AA membership includes Windows XP Home Edition as well as Windows XP Professional (which is is a superset of Home Edition). Windows XP is not included with Designer AA subscriptions.
4. Does the membership include Microsoft Office? No, the membership does not include Office. The focus of the MSDNAA is on providing departments, faculty, and students with the tools necessary for specialized research and study in software development and testing. Thus, we provide products and technologies such as Windows, Visual Studio .NET, SQL Server, and Platform SDK. Office is not in line with the program’s goals, since the MSDNAA program is primarily focused on high-end technologies rather than basic consumer applications. As a side note, the MSDN Library does include developer documentation for Office. However, departments may obtain Office and other products at academic discounts through existing licensing programs from Microsoft. Please visit the Microsoft Education Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/education/license/howtobuy/ for more information.
5. Which version of SQL Server should I use? MSDNAA ships both the Developer and the Enterprise Editions of SQL Server. The Developer Edition may be installed on Windows NT–, Windows 2000–, or Windows XP–based workstations or server for the purpose of development. The SQL Server Enterprise Edition can only be installed on the server editions of these operating systems. We recommend that you install the latest Windows Service Pack. The Developer Edition is very useful if you or your students need an installation of SQL Server on every client machine. However, if you have a Windows Server available for hosting a central SQL Server, you should consider installing the Enterprise Edition.
6. What is the Microsoft Platform SDK? The Platform SDK provides the header files, libraries, and documentation for developing software for a wide range of Microsoft products and technologies. The SDK includes resources for writing applications for Windows, SQL Server, DirectX, Speech API, ASP, and ADO. It is updated regularly as new products and technologies are released. MSDNAA members with physical media subscriptions receive the Platform SDK on disc and can also download it from the Microsoft Web site.
7. Does MSDNAA include Microsoft Services for Unix? Yes, we include Microsoft Services for Unix with MSDNAA to help departments with their Unix networks use Windows machines. This software package provides common Unix utilities and programs such as Grep and Perl that run on Windows. Clients with these services installed are able to access resources on Unix networks easily. For more information on Microsoft Services for Unix, please visit the product Web site at http://technet.microsoft.com/library/bb463212.aspx.
8. What beta software do we receive and what are the usage terms? Members receive beta software that is in line with the goals of the MSDN Academic Alliance. Under the MSDNAA License Amendment, beta software may be used in the same fashion as other MSDNAA software. Therefore, faculty members and students may check out and install beta software on their personal computers. We do not recommend the installation of beta software on production machines.
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
1. Where do I find my MSDNAA membership number? Your membership number is located in the initial “confirmation of registration” e-mail sent to program administrators after we process your registration.
2. Where can I find a listing of the contents of each MSDNAA shipment? You should have an Index CD, which includes a list of the contents of each disc shipped to you. Since this Index CD is also part of the regular MSDN Subscriptions, certain items in the shipping contents may not be applicable to MSDNAA members. In addition, we post the contents of recent shipments on the MSDN Subscriptions Web site at http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/index/default.aspx
3. Who is entitled to call Product Support Services for the technical support incidents? The program administrator should authorize any use of the four Product Support Services incidents, because they are for the entire department. We encourage you to seek help in the support newsgroups offered by MSDN and MSDNAA before using your four support incidents.
4. Who may have access to the Members’ Area on the MSDNAA Web site? Only program administrators should have access to the Members’ Area on our Web site, because it contains administrative functions such as requesting additional product key. However, there is useful information in the Members’ Area that may be shared with other faculty and students. Examples include special offers, program materials, and special downloads.
5. How do I update my contact information? If you need to update your mailing address or the name of the contact person for the department, please e-mail the Customer Service department for your region, as noted on the Worldwide Customer Service page at http://msdn.microsoft.com/academic/bb250634.aspx
6. Can I receive MSDNAA software on DVDs instead of downloading it? This is an extra-cost fulfillment option for Developer AA memberships. Please see the Developer AA page on the Academic Alliance Web site at http://msdn.microsoft.com/academic/bb250623.aspx
7. When and how can I renew my MSDN Academic Alliance membership? You will be able to renew your MSDNAA membership at least 60 days prior to your membership expiration. Please check the MSDNAA Web site and newsgroups periodically for announcements and further details. We will also notify program administrators through our e-mail newsletter when we open up for renewals.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
1. Are students allowed to keep a copy of the MSDN Library discs? Yes, eligible students may keep a copy of the MSDN Library discs to access the online Visual Studio documentation without installing the reference, which in its entirety requires more than 1 GB of hard-disk space. However, please understand that this provision does not extend to other MSDNAA software.
2. Do students need to uninstall the software at the end of the course? No, students are allowed to keep the software they have installed, but they may not check out or download additional MSDNAA software unless they continue taking courses from a member department. Regardless, they are still bound by the terms of the MSDNAA License Amendment. The department is responsible for informing students of the usage limitations governed by the MSDNAA License Amendment, and the department should periodically remind students of those conditions.
3. Can I request permission to make more then 50 copies of the discs? If you have a large number of students in your department and require more than 50 available copies for student check-out, please e-mail us, explaining your circumstances and specifying the number of discs you would like to be able to create. We will then send you authorization to duplicate additional discs to meet your needs. Please ensure all discs are returned after being checked out and remain in the possession of the program administrator or person otherwise designated to manage their distribution.
4. Can professional support staff for departmental labs check out software? Yes, professional support staff whose primary responsibility is to maintain department labs are eligible to install MSDNAA software on their personal computers for non-commercial use. The MSDNAA License Amendment defines “Staff ”as any personnel duly engaged by the Qualified Educational User to teach or instruct Students and/or to conduct non-commercial research or other development related activities on behalf of Qualified Educational User.
5. Can faculty members taking departmental courses obtain the software? Yes, if the faculty member is officially enrolled in the course, he or she is eligible to install MSDNAA software on their personal computer for non-commercial use.
6. Are there any record-keeping requirements for this program? We require departments to report to us twice a year the number of lab machines on which you have loaded the software and the number of students who have downloaded or checked out software. An e-mail reminder will be sent to all program administrators, who will be asked to report the information using a form on our Web site. This information will be used to better understand the level of usage within member departments and to fine-tune the program accordingly.
7. Have you considered the privacy issues involved in the record keeping? We feel that personal privacy is of utmost importance, and we would never ask you for records of who checked out software. We only need to know how many students have downloaded or checked out software. We will never ask you for the personal information of students and faculty. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have concerns about personal privacy.
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
1. What are the minimal permissions necessary to run Visual Studio? Membership in Users, Debugging Users, and VS Developers is necessary to run Visual Studio for most development purposes. With those permissions, students should be able to create Windows Forms applications and ASP.NET Web applications. Specialized technologies such as Microsoft Active Directory will require additional privileges. Visual Studio 6.0 requires only membership in the User group for most software development. However, Visual Basic 6.0 will need to generate .OCA files in the system32 directory when using an ActiveX Control for the first time. You can precreate the .OCA files by running as an administrator and creating a project with all necessary controls loaded. To include domain users in the Debugging Users and VS Developers groups on local machines, you will need to make the domain group a member of the local groups. You can make the change remotely using the Users and Groups tool in Computer Management. Please refer to the product documentation for additional information on this issue or seek assistance on specific issues in the MSDNAA faculty newsgroups.
2. Can I install the latest MSDN Library during Visual Studio setup? Yes, we recommend that you install the latest edition of the MSDN Library. The integrated Help system available in Visual Studio will work with the latest edition of the reference library. With Visual Studio, you should install it without the included reference libraries. After the installation is complete, you can install the latest MSDN Library by inserting Disc 1 and running Setup.
3. What does it mean to slipstream a Windows Service Pack? Windows Service Packs can be installed on top of the original Setup files. This feature allow you to update the installation files, thus saving you the time of installing the Service Pack separately after you install the operating system. This is particularly useful for deploying Windows and a Service Pack at the same time on a large set of machines. Many guides are available on how to slipstream a Service Pack into Windows installation files.
4. How do I configure clients to delete the cached copies of roaming profiles? If you have a network where user profiles are saved on a server (roaming profiles), the workstations will cache that user profile by default. For example, on Windows 2000– and Windows XP–based machines, these profiles are located in the “Documents and Settings” folder. Network administrators may configure the clients to delete the cached versions of roaming profiles using the Group Policy Editor. Many guides are available on how to enable and configure roaming profiles for a Windows domain. In addition, the Delprof tool included in the Windows Server Resource Kit is useful for remotely deleting user profiles from client machines. Occasionally, client machines will not delete cached copies of user profiles. This may happen if the computer is restarted while a user is still logged on.
5. Why do newsgroup messages “disappear” in Outlook Express? By default, Outlook Express is set to delete news messages five days after you download them, since a number of newsgroups are very large and consume a lot of space on your hard disk. You can disable this feature by going to the Maintenance tab in the Tools | Options menu. Uncheck the “Delete news messages” option and click OK. To re-download the deleted newsgroup messages, simply right-click the newsgroup folder in question and select Properties. Then click Reset on the Local File tab. When you view the newsgroup, the messages will be downloaded again. (Note that you will lose your watched messages and the reply marker when you reset the newsgroup.)
6. Where can I obtain information on known security issues? Microsoft is committed to doing everything possible to make certain that every customer can work, communicate, and do business securely over the Internet. The Microsoft Security Web site at www.microsoft.com/security provides the latest information on known security issues and how to properly secure your systems, including patches, checklists, and much more.
7. Where can I find information on common technical questions and issues? Microsoft Product Support Services at support.microsoft.com maintains a vast Knowledge Base of articles on common questions and issues with Microsoft products. We encourage you to do a quick search of the Knowledge Base by keyword before seeking technical support. Often, you will find that other people have experienced similar issues or have had roughly the same question.
8. Where can I obtain answers to other technical questions? Please post your questions to the MSDNAA newsgroups for faculty members. We personally visit the newsgroups regularly, and usually reply within one business day. In addition, MSDNAA members have access to the MSDN Subscriber newsgroups, which are monitored by Microsoft Product Support Services technicians.
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HOW TO CONTACT THE MSDN ACADEMIC ALLIANCE
Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have questions, problems, or comments about the program. We appreciate your feedback and will work with you to resolve any problems.
MSDNAA Customer Support
Please contact MSDNAA Customer Support for administrative questions regarding the membership and the installation of the program software. You can inquire about missing shipments, order additional product keys, and change your contact information by contacting Customer Support.
Private Faculty Newsgroups
You can post technical and administrative questions to the MSDNAA faculty newsgroups. We monitor the newsgroups regularly and usually reply within one business day. Your colleagues may also be able to help out. The newsgroups offer an excellent opportunity to collaborate with your peers and members of the MSDNAA program team. Please refer to Joining the MSDNAA Faculty Newsgroups in the Appendix.
Web Site Questions
If you have questions about the MSDN Academic Alliance Web site and its resources, please send e-mail to msdnaa@microsoft.com. You can expect a reply within one business day.
Product Support Services (PSS)
MSDNAA membership includes four professional support incidents for difficult technical questions on software development and system administration. Program administrators should check their local Microsoft website for PSS contact details relevant to their country. We strongly encourage you to seek assistance in our newsgroups before using a PSS incident. We can help resolve many common issues in the newsgroups, reserving your support incidents for difficult, highly specialized issues.
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APPENDIX
JOINING THE MSDNAA FACULTY NEWSGROUPS
The program hosts a set of private newsgroups for MSDNAA faculty and staff members to post questions and comments about the MSDN Academic Alliance and the included tools and technologies.
In addition, the newsgroups are meant to serve as a forum where faculty members can share curriculum ideas and developer resources with their colleagues. Your colleagues can also answer your questions and share their experiences with the program, software development, and system administration. Our hope is that the newsgroups will promote a tightly knit and useful community for faculty members.
We invite all faculty and staff members to join the MSDNAA newsgroups, and we strongly encourage program administrators to distribute this information to their colleagues.
Monitored Newsgroups
We monitor the newsgroups and answer technical and administrative questions. We will have the [msdnaa] designation beside our names, as shown below. This is a great opportunity for you to interact with us directly and give us feedback.
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Accessing Our Newsgroup Server
To connect to the MSDNAA newsgroup server, you will need to enter the information below in a news reader application such as Outlook Express or Pine.
Instructions for configuring either newsreader are listed below.
| Server: | news.msdnaa.net | | Newsgroups: | microsoft.private.msdnaa.announcements | | | microsoft.private.msdnaa.general | | Username: | faculty | | Password: | dnahelix |
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Instructions for Configuring the Newsreader
Below are instructions for configuring two popular newsreader applications. If you have problems accessing the newsgroups, feel free to contact us at msdnaa@microsoft.com.
Windows Live Mail or Microsoft Outlook Express
Please follow these step-by-step instructions to gain access to the newsgroups from Outlook Express on any Microsoft Windows-based computer.
- Select Tools | Accounts from the menu. Click Add and select News.
- Enter your real name and your e-mail address.
- Enter the NNTP server and select the check box because it requires you to log on. Click Next .
- Enter the username and password. Leave the SPA box unchecked. Click Finish.
- Now you can select which newsgroups to subscribe to.
Program for Internet News & Email (Pine)
Please follow these instructions to access the newsgroups with the Program for Internet News & Email (Pine) from the University of Washington, version 3.90 or later:
1. Press [S]etup at the Main Menu screen and select [C]onfig from the options.
2. Move down to “nntp-server” and press [A]dd Value.
3. Enter the NNTP server and append “/user=” followed by the username. For the MSDNAA newsgroups, please use “news.msdnaa.net/user=faculty.”
4. Press [E]xit Setup and answer [Y]es to save changes.
5. Select Folder [L]ist from the Main Menu, select the new server, and enter the password.
6. Press [A]dd to subscribe to a newsgroup. Press ^[T]o All Grps to view a complete list of newsgroups.
7. Highlight the desired newsgroup and press Enter twice.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 to subscribe to more. Now you can access them like mail folders.
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PROGRAM USAGE GUIDELINES
| ACCEPTABLE | UNACCEPTABLE |
| The tools and technologies provided through the MSDN Academic Alliance (MSDNAA) program may be used for instruction and non-commercial research only. Please refer to the definitions of instructional and research use that follow. | The software that is part of the program may not be used for infrastructure purposes whatsoever either in the classroom, the lab, or administration. It must directly support the teaching of or research involving MSDNAA tools and technologies. |
| Students who are taking at least one for-credit course may check out or download the software and install it on their personal computers. | Students who are in a member department but are not taking for-credit courses are not eligible to obtain MSDNAA software. |
| Faculty members as well as staff directly involved in administering systems and providing support for MSDNAA software may install the software on their personal computers. | Staff members who are not directly involved with system administration related to MSDNAA such as administrative assistants may not install the software on their personal computers. |
| Microsoft Windows may only be installed to facilitate the use of other MSDNAA software and technologies such as Microsoft Visual Studio for instruction or research. | Windows client operating systems may not be used only as a terminal for accessing a Unix telnet server. Windows Server may not be used to host an e-mail server even if the e-mail software was purchased separately. |
| Multiple departments in an institution may join the MSDNAA if each department meets the qualifying requirements. | Software that is part of the program may not be shared among member or non-member departments. |
| The designated program administrator must be a full-time employee of the member department and is responsible for administering, managing, and enforcing the guidelines set by the MSDN End-User License Agreement (EULA) and the MSDNAA License Amendment. | The designated program administrator for the member department may not be a teaching assistant or a student. |
| Every copy of the software must be a true and complete copy and it must include all copyright and trademark notices. All software made available from the download server must include all of the files on the CD. | The software provided by MSDNAA may not be sold, rented, leased, or transferred to any third party including contractors, consultants, other companies, and other department’s personnel. This includes entities working on joint research projects. |
| The program administrator must authorize any access to the Members’ Area of the MSDNAA Web site by other faculty members with the department. | The program administrator may not allow other faculty members to place orders for additional product keys on the MSDNAA Web site. |
| If a department decides not to renew the MSDNAA membership, it can continue to use the software installed prior to the membership’s expiration for the purposes described herein. | Students, faculty, and staff may not check out or download MSDNAA software after the expiration of the membership. |
Examples of Acceptable Instructional and Research Use
A department may use the software and technologies provided by the MSDN Academic Alliance to teach or conduct research on the concepts or theory behind the following:
- Operating systems, using Windows client and Windows Server
- Database structures and database administration, using Microsoft SQL Server
- Programming languages and algorithms, using Visual Studio
- Messaging or collaboration, using Exchange Server
- E-commerce applications, using Commerce Server and/or Microsoft BizTalk Server
- Design or Web site development, using Expression Suite
A department may use Windows as the operating system to run Visual Studio, SQL Server, and other software development tools included in the MSDNAA membership.
Examples of Unacceptable Use
The software may not be checked out to faculty who are not officially members of the department or to students who are not taking a for-credit course from the department.
The software may not be used in a lab that is not affiliated with the member department and/or does not facilitate the teaching of the products or concepts related to the products.
Windows may not be used as the operating system in a lab that is not used to facilitate the teaching of development concepts and theories in conjunction with other software in this program.
The software may not be used on any computer that supports the operations of the institution such as accounting, admissions, facilities, information technology, etc.
- Exchange Server may not be used to set up internal e-mail systems for the department.
- SQL Server may not be used to set up a department-wide internal database.
- Commerce Server may not be used to run e-commerce applications for the institution.
- BizTalk Server may not be used to run supplier-enablement functions.
The Information Technology staff may not use the software and technologies to develop applications for the academic institution’s infrastructure.
Definitions of Instructional and Research Use
Instructional purposes are defined as conducting educational classes, labs, or related programs for teaching and/or learning the Products or concepts related to the Products that are part of this program.
Research purposes are defined as conducting not-for-profit research projects.
Definition of Department for the MSDNAA Program
The MSDNAA License Amendment is not intended to be a blanket agreement for multiple departments or divergent disciplines, but to be an agreement for closely related disciplines that are almost always aggregated in a single entity such as a department or unit that is a recognized academic discipline. These specific entities may also be easily recognizable or identifiable through the institution’s course catalogs.
STUDENT USE AGREEMENT
Click here for a printable Student Use Agreement, which you should get each of your students to review and sign.
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