Workstream 1
Servers & Infrastructure
New Windows Server 2022 DCs deployed. Workstations standardised on Windows 11 23H2. VMware settings retained to minimise disruption to virtualised services.
Case Study · Education
Exmouth College: CC4 to Vanilla Microsoft Servers
A full legacy RM CC4 network migration to Windows Server 2022 — delivered on time, over summer, without disrupting a single critical service.
Overview
Legacy RM CC4 network holding back modernisation.
Exmouth College had been operating on a legacy RM CC4 network for a number of years. While the CC4 framework had served the college well historically, it had become a barrier to modernisation — increasingly difficult to manage, expensive to maintain, and incompatible with the direction the college needed to move in.
We delivered a clean migration to a modern Microsoft Server 2022 environment without losing any of the critical services the school depended on — cashless catering, telephone systems, and classroom technology all continued working throughout and after the migration.
The challenges
Complex legacy dependencies across critical services.
- AD Connect synchronisation needed careful management to prevent accidental deletion of cloud accounts during Azure AD sync.
- Meraki Wi-Fi configuration required updating to work with the new Server 2022 domain controllers.
- Smoothwall and Papercut both needed reconfiguring to point to new DCs without breaking internet filtering or printing.
- Legacy member servers — including phone systems and cashless catering — had to be verified for compatibility before go-live.
- RM Unify had to be cleanly removed without leaving orphaned dependencies.
What was delivered
Six workstreams. One clean outcome.
Workstream 2
Data Migration
Shared areas retained with original drive letters and permissions intact. User data migrated to OneDrive for seamless cloud access from any device.
Workstream 3
Users & Security Groups
All user accounts and security groups migrated with all memberships preserved — ensuring shared drives and permissions remained unaffected.
Workstream 4
Software Deployment
Standardised builds deployed across all workstations — Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Teams, SIMS, Google Chrome, SketchUp, MakerBot Desktop, and specialist teaching apps.
Workstream 5
Printing & Peripherals
All printers retained on existing servers, managed through Papercut. A FollowMe print queue created to maintain printing access for all users.
Workstream 6
OU & GPO Structure
Active Directory modernised with a clean new OU structure — staff by role and department, students by year group, with dedicated OUs for exam students and test accounts.
Technology stack
Modern Microsoft foundation with legacy compatibility.
Windows Server 2022
Windows 11 23H2
Active Directory
Azure AD / Microsoft Entra
Azure AD Connect
OneDrive & SharePoint
Meraki Wi-Fi
Papercut MF
Smoothwall
SIMS
Adobe Creative Cloud
Outcomes
Modern. Stable. Fully documented.
Modern stable network
Windows Server 2022 and Windows 11 throughout — a clean, supportable foundation for years to come.
Uninterrupted data access
Shared drives retained, user data in OneDrive — staff and students experienced no loss of access.
Standardised builds
Every workstation running a consistent, documented software build — easier to maintain and faster to rebuild.
Printing restored
Consistent printing through Papercut.
AD & cloud integrated
Security groups and permissions preserved throughout — no disruption to access control.
Fully documented
Device build processes, software deployment, and network management all documented for the internal team.
Ready to modernise?
Book a free, no-obligation IT review and we'll show you exactly what a migration could look like for your school without the disruption.