Archive for the ‘apps’ Category
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Troubleshooting Google Apps and Shibboleth
If you receive an “invalid email” error or invalid user then this is probably due to the fact that the username provided by your identity provider doesn’t match the username created in Google Apps. To remedy this check to see if the user account exists in Google Apps, if so then contact your identity provider and ask them to tell you what username they are sending so you can create the relevant account.
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Testing your Primary School Google Apps Education Edition Configuration
You can test your different Google Apps by accessing the below URLS (REPLACE yourdomain.com with the domain name you chose to use and set up):
http://sites.yourdomain.com – Your schools Google Sites
http://docs.yourdomain.com – Your schools Google Docs
By now you get the idea… You can also access your Google Apps (including the admin panel) at (REPLACE yourdomain.com with the domain name you chose to use and set up) http://google.com/a/yourdomain.com
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Configuring Single Sign on for Google Apps Education Edition to Primary Logon
If you use Primary Logon or have a Shibboleth IDP representing your school you can achieve this. Visit http://google.com/a/yourdomain.com ß remember to replace yourdomain.com with your domain
- Login with your username and password
- Click Advanced Tools
- Click Set up single Sign on
- Under Sign-in page paste:
- https://idp.primarylogon.co.uk/idp/profile/SAML2/Redirect/SSO
- Under sign-out page paste:
- http://yourdomain.com or http://primarylogon.co.uk ß remember to replace yourdomain.com with your domain
- Under Change password URL paste:
- https://primarylogon.co.uk/password
- Click Browse to select your Verification Certificate – Type in http://primarylogon.co.uk/idp.crt
- Click Save Changes
- Click Users and groups
- Click Settings
- Put a Tick in the box “Enable Provisioning API”
- Click Save Changes
- Log out of Google apps
- Sign into Primary Logon at http://primarylogon.co.uk
- You need to be admin user on Primary Logon to do this.
- Click Control Panel
- Click Google Apps Docs
- Click Purchase
- Click OK
- Where you see Google Docs near the top you will see an input box. Type your school’s domain In this input box.
- Click the pencil.
- Click OK
- Wait 24 hours for user accounts to be made.
Note: Schools who don’t use Primary Logon will have to a) contact their schools Shibboleth/UK Federation Identity provider(Probably your LA/Council) and request that they add a record to their IDP for your Google apps. Instructions to do this are available at http://www.mclear.co.uk/2009/11/shibboleth-idp-configuration-for.html and b) get the correct Identity Provider Sign in page, Sign out page and Change Password URL from their Identity Provider.
Now you are done configuring you can get to Testing your Primary School Google Apps Education Edition Configuration à
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Registering Google Apps Education Edition for your Primary School
Register for Google Apps Education Account
- Visit: http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/get_apps.html
- Click KS12
- Click Sign Up Now
- Enter your domain name, click Continue sign up
- Fill in the next form and click Continue. Continue filling in forms until you get to your control panel.
- Wait up to a week while Google enable Google Apps Education Edition.
Do not forget your username and password!
I want to use Single Sign On – Take me to the configuration stage à
I don’t want to use Single Sign On – Take me to the Testing stage à
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Configuring DNS CNAME records for Google Apps Education Edition
What am I doing any why?
A DNS entry is required so teachers and pupils can access your Google Apps. A DNS entry is basically a lookup record for your domain that will allow users to type in the URL http://docs.yourdomain.com and access their Google Apps.
Sounds good, let’s get started!
Find out who manages your domain or if you already know log into your Control Panel. If you don’t know then visit http://whois.domaintools.com/ and type your domain in. If the previous website didn’t work for your domain try http://www.nominet.org.uk/ using the whois box on the right to type your domain name into. Your domain name will need to be in the format yourdomain.com NOT http://yourdomain.com. Your domain control panel will be provided by the Domain Registrar
Once you have logged into your Domain Control Panel you will need to create some DNS records. This varies on different providers, but it is the same procedure throughout.
Instructions for DNS record changes (Email this to your DNS provider if you wish that they complete this step).
- Create a CNAME record called “sites” that points to ghs.google.com
- Create a CNAME record called “docs” that points to ghs.google.com
- Create a CNAME record called “chat” that points to ghs.google.com
Any of the above can be skipped if you don’t want to use the corresponding item.
If you chose to use GMail you can add a CNAME called mail, you will also need to configure MX accounts, this task will vary from school to school, again we recommend schools use Primary Email.