[SIMS] SIMS.net and multiple connect.ini files

[NortyUK]

Hi All

We are in the process of setting up an additional SIMS.net database for another part of the school.

We have in the past modified the connect.ini file to show a drop down list of all the different SIMS.net databases.

Does anyone know if it possible to reference the database or a different connect.ini file within a shortcut?

I would like to have 2 shortcuts, one for our main school database and a second for the additional one.

Thanks

Tom

[GREED]

We tried this about a year ago and couldn't get it working very well. Because the software only looks in one place for the connect.ini (assuming using a redirected one) we couldn't get anything special to alter the location it was pointing to, so became a manual job.

[apeo]

Maybe you could use bat files to run SIMS i.e. you have 1 that copies the main connect.ini file to the sims local directory and then runs sims, another that copies the other connect.ini file to the sims local directory and then runs sims. Basically the batch script does what you would have done manually.

[GREED]

We did go down that road, and not until some recent work did we figure out the big pitcure, but security was a big issue for us at that time. Having 2 databases is now not an issue for us so we have not persued it any further. However, we know that that would do the trick because we use a similar batch to enable auto upgrades of SIMS.

[Mcshammer_dj]

This works for me

Change the name to the correct name of the server you want to connect to.


[SIMSConnection]
ServerName=name1\sims2005
DatabaseName=sims
ServerType=SIMSSQL
DatabaseMode=OnLine

[SIMSDatabases]
FriendlyName0=name1
Server0=name1\sims2005
DatabaseName0=sims
DatabaseMode0=Online

FriendlyName1=name2
Server1=name2\sims2008
DatabaseName1=sims_sec
DatabaseMode1=Online


FriendlyName2=name3
Server2=name3\sims2005
DatabaseName2=sims_training
DatabaseMode2=Online

FriendlyName3=name4
Server3=name4\sims2008
DatabaseName3=sims
DatabaseMode3=Online

[GREED]

And so you get... what? A drop down of SIMS servers/installations to choose from on login?

Brilliant!

[Mcshammer_dj]

And so you get... what? A drop down of SIMS servers/installations to choose from on login?

Brilliant!

Thought that you would like that.....

This works within a large domain as well to connect to different machines. The only problem can come with the versions of SIMS

[superfletch]

One more vote for the connect.ini with the friendly database names in. It has one other problem which is people not knowing which sims database they need to run.

As long as that is clear then any workstation with SIMS .net (at the right version) should be capable of connecting to any SIMS database.


The other option is creating separate connect.ini files on a network share for the local one to redirect to. Nowhere near as neat or nice.

[GREED]

I guess you could include some form of pop up (batch) to indicate clearly which database you were about to open, with some friendly text, make it as obvious as possible!

[DarkSithBob]

hi,

is there any way to redirect to this type of file, for example if i copy the contents and modify it to my c:\program....\connect.ini file it works ok. however if i copy this connect.ini file to the s:\sims folder and create a c:\program....\connect.ini file to redirect to s:\sims, the drop down list fails and i can only login to the first DB listed!!! i have a requirement for a terminal server so i cannot rewrite files on the c:\ drive and the drop down list seems to have an issue with more than 10-12 entries.

Thanks,
Gav

[Mcshammer_dj]

I haven't tested this on more that 10 but I don't think that there is a number limit on the connect.ini.
HOwever I am not sure that it will really work in a terminal solution as it will write back the current database as it is used and muliple use will result in exsessive access to the connect.ini.

[matt40k]

You can just add /CONNECT: with the path to a connect.ini.

[Hecate]

I do it by redirecting the connect.ini to the connect.ini on the server. Different shortcuts run batch files which map the SIMS drive (S for us) to the required server and I also incorporate a message in the bat file to remind the user which database they ar econnecting to

[Oops_my_bad]

Thanks for that.

I've just tried modifying my connect.ini file with this however I'm not getting the drop-down box to select another database.

Take it this doesn't work anymore with the current version of SIMS?

[matt40k]

It most certain does still work.