[SIMS] Interface DLL for FMS Posting

[dhicks]

Hello All,

I am setting up a user with a freshly installed workstation running Windows XP. I have installed SIMS and FMS, both of which seem to work okay with one issue: when the user comes to update the Fee Billers from inside SIMS, he allocates cheques against the fee-billers accounts and has created the batch, but can't update payers - he gets an error message reading "Interface DLL for FMS posting does not exist" at the bottom of the screen.

Seemingly this is a known solution with a patch available. I've been forwaded an email from my predecessor that I've been told has something to do with this problem with a copy of "FMSFees.dll" attached. There are no instructions with the email, it pretty much just reads "here's the file", so I Googled "FMSFees.dll" and found a document that indicated it should be located in the "C:\WINDOWS\System32" folder. I've logged on as an administrator to the user's workstation, copied the file to that location and run "regsvr32.exe /s FMSFees.dll" to register the DLL with Windows. I initially got an error message (I assume generated by the DLL itself) saying that an FMSConnect.ini file was not present, even though it is present in the default location of "C:\Program Files\SIMS\Finance", so I copied FMSConnect.ini from there to "C:\WINDOWS\System32", re-ran the regsvr32 command and the DLL seemed to register okay. However, we still get the same error message as before (I did also try logging on and running the regsvr32 command as the user themself).

Anyone any ideas? Has anyone else had to patch this same issue with FMS?

[matt40k]

No, reinstall SIMSapplicationsetup and fmsapplicationsetup comes to mine. We're looking at fees billing.

[dhicks]

No, reinstall SIMSapplicationsetup and fmsapplicationsetup comes to mine.

Unfortunatly, this is a machine that's just been re-imaged and had SIMS and FMS freshly installed. My SIMS/FMS install script currently looks like this:

@echo off

echo Installing SIMS...
net use s: \\kssims\SimsShare /PERSISTENT:no
\\ks-nas1\Software\SIMS\install.exe
S:\SIMS\Setups\FMSApplicationSetup.exe

copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\Sims\connect.ini" "C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net"
mkdir "C:\Program Files\SIMS\Finance"
copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\FMS\FMSConnect.ini" "C:\Program Files\SIMS\Finance"
copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\FMS\PDOXUSRS.NET" "C:\"
copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\FMS\FMSFees.dll" "C:\Windows\System32"
c:
cd c:\WINDOWS\system32
copy "c:\Program Files\SIMS\Finance\FMSConnect.ini" .
regsvr32.exe /s FMSFees.dll

s:
cd S:\SIMS\Setups
call simsperm.bat CAMELOT\KS-SEC-ADMIN
call simsperm.bat CAMELOT\KS-SEC-SIMS
call simsperm.bat CAMELOT\KS-SEC-SMT
call simsperm.bat CAMELOT\KS-SEC-TEACH
SubInAcl /FILE "C:\PDOXUSRS.NET" /GRANT=CAMELOT\KS-SEC-ADMIN=F
c:

\\ks-nas1\Software\SIMS\install.exe is a compiled AutoIt script that runs S:\SIMS\Setups\SIMSInst.exe and fills in the appropriate details.

[matt40k]

Just had a look at fmsapplicationssetup and it includes fmsfees.dll, so I guess you're overwriting it with an old version. The one I have is version 6.136.212.0 (which happened in Autumn 10), which would make sense, they've recently updated it, and this would be the first time you've installed a new machine - i guess.

The way I do it at work is to create the sims.ini, that's create not copy (it's safer). Then create c:\sims, then install all the individual sims installers, you can supply the settings on the command line but I prefer it to read them from the sims.ini. Once that's done, I then install FMS (ps: I install to C:\program files\sims\fmssql), I then run a .exe I made that moves the default BDE PDOXUSRS.net to c:\sims (Windows Vista\7 happy). I have a GPO that sets the permissions to c:\program files\sims\, c:\windows\sims.ini, c:\sims\ and c:\documents and settings\all users\start menu\programs\sims applications (or whatever it is). Final step is creating the connect.ini and fmsconnect.ini.

[vikpaw]

Did you try this KB66924 http://support.capitaes.co.uk/websup...66924.xmlFalse

i don't think you need to register it, but it needs to be in the FMS path...? If putting it there fails, i'd try re-running fmsapplicationsetup on top, if you're on windows 7, permissions to the path could have been an issue.

KB repeated below for ease:

KB66924 - Interface dll for FMS Posting does not exist


Created 26/02/2007Last Updated 21/12/2010

Affected Products Fees Billing 7

FMS Notes

Sims .net

Fees Billing

Focus | Fees Billing | Transactions | Update Payers

Error in Posting Interface dll for FMS posting does not exists

Advice

Need to check the path in the sims.ini file for Sims[SPACE]Directory and add if not appearing. The path is C:\Program Files\Sims\FMSSQL or C:\Program Files\Sims\Finance

Within this path there needs to be the latest FMSFees.dll

[vikpaw]

KB79896 - mentions deleting the dll file from system folder and all other locations apart from the FMS location. Also, adding the FMS location to the path environment variable as well as ensuring the version of the dll, matches that of FMS itself.

[dhicks]

Just had a look at fmsapplicationssetup and it includes fmsfees.dll, so I guess you're overwriting it with an old version. The one I have is version 6.136.212.0 (which happened in Autumn 10), which would make sense, they've recently updated it, and this would be the first time you've installed a new machine - i guess.

Yes, this is the first time I've installed FMS on a machine - I've worked my way around the school and re-imaged most of the classroom machines, now I'm getting on to the admin machines. SIMS is up-to-date with the Autumn 2010 release, so you'd think any DLLs installed would be the correct version - I'l check the version number of the DLL on Monday, many thanks for your help.

I then run a .exe I made that moves the default BDE PDOXUSRS.net to c:\sims (Windows Vista\7 happy).

This workstation is still Windows XP - is C:\SIMS the proper location for PDOXUSRS.net on all versions ofWindows, or just Windows Visa/7? When the user first starts FMS they get asked to confirm where the FMSConnect.ini file is located - the batch file above copies it to the correct default location, so all they have to do is click "okay" on FMS' dialog box, but it's still annoying.

[dhicks]

Need to check the path in the sims.ini file for Sims[SPACE]Directory and add if not appearing. The path is C:\Program Files\Sims\FMSSQL or C:\Program Files\Sims\Finance
Within this path there needs to be the latest FMSFees.dll

Right, that looks like the issue - I'll give that a try on Monday and see how I get on. Many thanks.

[dhicks]

Also, adding the FMS location to the path environment variable as well as ensuring the version of the dll, matches that of FMS itself.

Hmm - the email I have with that copy of FMSFees.dll is dated 2009, that's maybe not a good solution after all...

[vikpaw]

It should have installed somewhere as part of fmsapplicationsetup, if you can find it. one of the kbs says to search the pc for that filename and delete all bar one copy. Failing that with the right tool, you can rip it out of the .exe file.

Let us know how you get on, i'm doing some new installs in the next few weeks. Be on win7 though.

[dhicks]

It should have installed somewhere as part of fmsapplicationsetup, if you can find it.

Right: the solution turns out to be pretty much as detailed in the SupportNet article above, i.e. add a "SIMS Directory=..." line to sims.ini. FMS will then complain that a copy of FMSConnect.ini isn't present, so I stuck yet another copy in "Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net". Our installSIMS.bat file now looks like this:

@echo off

echo Installing SIMS...
net use s: \\kssims\SimsShare /PERSISTENT:no
\\ks-nas1\Software\SIMS\install.exe
S:\SIMS\Setups\FMSApplicationSetup.exe

copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\Sims\connect.ini" "C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net"
mkdir "C:\Program Files\SIMS\Finance"
copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\FMS\FMSConnect.ini" "C:\Program Files\SIMS\Finance"
copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\FMS\FMSConnect.ini" "c:\WINDOWS\system32"
copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\FMS\FMSConnect.ini" "c:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net"
echo Sims Directory=C:\Program Files\SIMS\FMSSQL>>C:\WINDOWS\sims.ini
copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\FMS\PDOXUSRS.NET" "C:\"

s:
cd S:\SIMS\Setups
call simsperm.bat CAMELOT\KS-SEC-ADMIN
call simsperm.bat CAMELOT\KS-SEC-SIMS
call simsperm.bat CAMELOT\KS-SEC-SMT
call simsperm.bat CAMELOT\KS-SEC-TEACH
SubInAcl /FILE "C:\PDOXUSRS.NET" /GRANT=CAMELOT\KS-SEC-ADMIN=F
c:

I haven't actually tried that on a fresh install yet, but I've got one user's workstation running FMS okay, so it can't be too far off. Many thnaks to everyone for their help :-)

[vikpaw]

Welcome
Shame we couldn't catch up at BETT, apart from briefly in one of the aisles. I wanted to see what automation scripts you are using.
Will have to catch up in the cloud

[dhicks]

Shame we couldn't catch up at BETT, apart from briefly in one of the aisles. I wanted to see what automation scripts you are using.

Yes, sorry about that - I didn't plan my BETT attendance very well, and just kind of flitted from place to place rather. That's what happens when you're just down the road - you don't plan properly, and instead just turn up and wander around aimlessly :-)

What automation scripts do you mean - the AutoIT SIMS auto-install?

[vikpaw]

That and anything else.
We had a meal in South Ken one night, you should have taken our picked up our social itinerary