[SIMS] [SOLUS3] - Adding the SOLUS3 Agent to a workstation image?

[Rawns]

Is it possible to install the SOLUS3 Agent onto a workstation image? We have a school we are about to roll S3 out to but they are going to be reimaging all devices in the Feb half term so would be an ideal chance to get SOLUS3 out there on their SIMS devices. If it is possible, would any special ammendments need to be made to ensure that the newly imaged device is unique within S3?

[matt40k]

Err... no. You could build the image then add a vbs script to generate a new GUID, however you would duplicate the record in S3 - the new record also wouldn't have any definitions. So some how you would have to query the s3 database to get the original GUID.

I suppose you could generate a new GUID and hope Capita comes up with some sort of merge routine or manually merge them.

I think your best bet would be to roll out S3 after reimaging.

[Rawns]

Err... no. You could build the image then add a vbs script to generate a new GUID, however you would duplicate the record in S3 - the new record also wouldn't have any definitions. So some how you would have to query the s3 database to get the original GUID.

I suppose you could generate a new GUID and hope Capita comes up with some sort of merge routine or manually merge them.

I think your best bet would be to roll out S3 after reimaging.

Thanks Matt. Would this apply though if the school have never had a SOLUS3 setup before? There is no SOLUS3 system on site yet so there would be no original GUID's. They have requested Discover (as we're only using SOLUS3 for deploying Discover), but we realise that we really need to set up a complete school SIMS environment and as they will be re-imaging their workstations, I was hoping we could install the SOLUS3 Agent manually to ensure that all SIMS/FMS/Discover devices have the agent rather than blanketing the school's workstations with the 'Auto-setup' agent. I'd install the SOLUS3 Database and Deployment Services and then manually create an agent installer and get it on the image. Once rolled out, I could quickly add them to the relevant channel in the UI.

[matt40k]

Ah k, nice, build the image with a runonce to run the s3 agent I reckon.

[Stuart_C]

Best not to put anything requiring a unique identifier in the image, Solus3 being one example.

Additionally from personal experience I won't be putting SIMS on my image at all. It's never automatically updated SIMS on a workstation where I've ive had SIMS and installed the agent. I have had to redeploy the update to get it to work. Works fine if there's nothing, drop the agent on and Boom! SIMS!

[The_Windy_Miller]

I suppose the question should be can we create an MSI of a manual agent install so that the MSI can be deployed using scripts?

[matt40k]

The agent is a MSI, from the S3 console you can click the export manual install and it generates the script and puts it into the folder of your choosing. Just stick it on the image, then add a regkey to the runonce bit to run it. Sorted