[SIMS] FMS & Thin Clients - Crystal Reports not installed

[jamesmay]

I've just moved our SIMS server over to a virtualised one, but in addition to this we have moved our admin machines over to thin clients (Ncomputing on Multipoint 2011). SIMS works fine, but FMS reports that Crystal reports are not installed. When in FMS, reports can be run, but I'm expecting a bararge of calls on Monday morning that I've broken FMS. All the DLLs and Windows folder have been replicated to the users profiles and checked the crystal reports registry settings to ensure that they are pointing at relevant places. Any ideas?

[localzuk]

I had the same issue - Terminal Server, SIMS.net and FMS

[jamesmay]

I saw that, just wondered if anyone had come up with a fix in the last 3 years. It works, but its annoying me!

[dhicks]

FMS reports that Crystal reports are not installed. When in FMS, reports can be run, but I'm expecting a bararge of calls on Monday morning that I've broken FMS. All the DLLs and Windows folder have been replicated to the users profiles and checked the crystal reports registry settings to ensure that they are pointing at relevant places.

I'm just doing the same thing, installing the SIMS and FMS clients to a Windows Server 2008 R2 machine for Remote Desktop Services access. I've done this before on a Windows Server 2003 machine, as noted here:

SIMS under terminal services

One thing I notice from that thread was the line "If you also will be using FMS ensure that Crystal Reports is installed via the simsapplications.exe file, else printing will not work."

Currently, our client machines run SIMS locally. SIMS, FMS and SchoolComms are installed via a batch file:

@echo off

echo Installing SIMS...
net use s: \\kssims\SimsShare /PERSISTENT:no
\\ks-nas1\Software\SIMS\install.exe
copy "\\ks-nas1\Software\Sims\connect.ini" "C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net"

echo ...with FMS...
S:\SIMS\Setups\FMSApplicationSetup.exe
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:\"

echo ...and SchoolComms...
\\ks-nas1\Software\dotNet\4.0\dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe /passive /norestart
msiexec /i \\ks-nas1\Software\SchoolComms\7.2\Schoolcomms72H.msi /qb-

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've ran that same install script on our Server 2008 R2 machine, in "install" mode from the command line, and all install procedures seemed to complete. Time to start testing...

Edit: This thread might also come in handy:

SIMS via TS RemoteApp in server 2008R2

[matt40k]

I've just moved our SIMS server over to a virtualised one, but in addition to this we have moved our admin machines over to thin clients (Ncomputing on Multipoint 2011). SIMS works fine, but FMS reports that Crystal reports are not installed. When in FMS, reports can be run, but I'm expecting a bararge of calls on Monday morning that I've broken FMS. All the DLLs and Windows folder have been replicated to the users profiles and checked the crystal reports registry settings to ensure that they are pointing at relevant places. Any ideas?

You haven't set Windows to install mode.

[jamesmay]

do you mean maintenance mode in MPS. FMS runs and prints fine from what I can tell, just an annoying box at start up saying its not installed, whichi i know the bursar will pick up on first thing monday morning and think there is a problem..

[matt40k]

Run CMD as administrator
change user /install [enter]s:\
s:\setups\fms\fmsapplicationsetup.exe [enter]

Above should sort it. Below is to make sure it runs as the user without any extra permissions (I just need to add to it)

Change the FMS shortcut to "run in" c:\programdata\all users\app data\capita
Change BDE PDOXUSR.NET to c:\programdata\all users\app data\capita

[jamesmay]

fantastic, that seems to of worked, can you explain the second bit of ur post?

[matt40k]

Sorry, was rushing that day... not sure about the paths, I'm still suck on XP here, so have to find a W7 to check it's correct.

Change the FMS shortcut to "run in" c:\programdata\all users\app data\capita

FMS will write files to the "Run In" path, default is the program files\sims\fmssql folder. Change it to somewhere the users does have read\write access then they only need read to the folder - assuming your doing the upgrades\using SOLUS3

Change BDE PDOXUSR.NET to c:\programdata\all users\app data\capita

By default BDE config file is located in the root of C:, you need to put it in a folder that all users have read\write too... and is local.

• Open BDE Administrator from Control Panel

Tip: You may need to switch to Control Panel to Classic View

• Select Configuration tab
• Expand Configuration > Drivers > Native
• Select PARADOX
• Change the NET DIR to [NEW PATH]
• Click Object > Apply
• Click OK to confirm saving changes.
• And OK to confirm message.
• Close BDE Administrator

[dhicks]

S:\SIMS\Setups\FMSApplicationSetup.exe
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:\"

Right: so I'm no getting the "Create User DSN Has Failed" error message whenever I try and start FMS. I've searched Google and these forums, and have of course come accross this post:

Create User DSN has failed

However, trying the solutions in that thread has not, so far, given a succesful result. I've tried installing the SQL Native Client driver and manually creating a User DSN called "SIMS_FMS_DATABASE", but I still get the same error message. Is there some other fix I can try, or am I missing some part of FMS' setup? In particular, I don't get how manually creating a User DSN is going to help - surely that's what FMS tries (and, currently, fails) to do when it starts? Isn't FMS trying to create SIMS_FMS_DATABASE for the current user on startup and finding it can't for some reason?

[matt40k]

David - Scripting #CapitaSIMS FMS installation #Windows7 | Matt40k

[dhicks]

David - Scripting #CapitaSIMS FMS installation #Windows7 | Matt40k

Many thanks. Unfortunatly, I've already moved the PDOXUSRS.NET file to C:\Paradox and manually changed the settings via the BDE Administrator in the Control Panel appropriatly - still no luck. I think I'm going to try a complete reinstall of SIMS and FMS from scratch - I seem to have SIMS install folders split over "Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)" which is probably causing some confusion.

[matt40k]

Is this when you login? Did you set it to install mode? Do you have a default printer?

[dhicks]

Is this when you login?

Login? You mean as a particular user (in my case, of course, with admin rights, which might cause some confusion)? I've logged in to the server as myself, the network administrator account and I've had one of the accountancy staff log in to test FMS. All login accounts get the same result when they start FMS, an eror message reading "Could not create user DSN".

> Did you set it to install mode?

Oh bother. I did originally, but I've just done a resinstall and forgot that step. Theorectially, Server 2008 R2 is meant to be able to spot install operations and react accordingly, I guess we'll see how well that actually works...

Do you have a default printer?

No, but it's a good point, I'll set one up.

I've now got SIMS, FMS and SchoolComms reinstalled from scratch, this time making sure everything installs in "C:\Program Files (x86)" instead of half in "C:\Program Files". I've kept PDOXUSRS.NET in a separate folder, not the root of C drive, and made sure the BDE Administrator knows where it is. FMS now seems to be working - I'll just nip down and get the accountancy staff to see if they can run it.

Edit: Yes, all seems fine. Hooray!

[matt40k]

I think they might be fixing the printer issue -

1105-******
Description: If a default printer is not present FMS fails to login

[31/05/2011] Progress Update: The case is under investigation.
[21/06/2011] Progress Update: The application build has been prepared and is now under review with a senior developer.

Roll on the Autumn 11 release?