Moodle and Assessment Manager/Sims

[Mintsoft]

Nice easy topic for a friday now.

The ICT Coordinator has mentioned to me about getting a VLE up and running BUT has mentioned that the RM effort (Kaleidos is it?) integrates itself with SIMS etc for merits, test scores etc etc. I was wondering if anyone has made a module or anything for Moodle that would provide this functionality. I'm really trying to avoid even more RM Crap on this system ;_;

Cheers
Mint

[webman]

Geoff's post in the Moodle vs. Kaleidos thread.

[Mintsoft]

Ah, like that is it :/ There has to be someone who's put in the work to integrate it in some way. Isnt SIMS just running off an SQL server on the admin server? so it cant be that hard to integrate it can it........

[Geoff]

Careful there. I suspect Captia have patents covering that sort of thing. You'll probably invite a lawsuit.

[Mintsoft]

hmm maybe, I'll have to check the licencing agreements etc.
I hate Capita they're just so absolutely CRAP its unbelievable

[CyberNerd]

talking SQL is illegal? what do you mean - We can only access our data through their system and not write your own frontend? what about regularly dumping the database regularly int MySQL then grabbing the data. Surely they couln't patent a database structure?

[Mintsoft]

talking SQL is illegal? what do you mean - We can only access our data through their system and not write your own frontend? what about regularly dumping the database regularly int MySQL then grabbing the data. Surely they couln't patent a database structure?

Who knows, there must be a reason why noone has made one yet. The problem with dumping it out, is I'd need to write to the database as well.

Cheers

[Geoff]

Assuming the patent exists of course, I've not checked.

Anyway, while the patent might not be valid you would still have a lengthy and expensive legal battle in court ahead of you to prove this point and get the patent revoked. Capita would likely countersue for loss of earnings and patent infringment. So if you did lose, you'd be talking hundreds of thousands if not millions in damages.

Alternatively, you could just pay royalties. A much cheaper option

Anyway the patent system is horribly broken.

[CyberNerd]

maybe just the database is complicated. SQL should port straight into MySQL btw. I seen various MSSQL 2 MySQL scripts floating around.
Threes probably not much to be gained from doing it this way, but i've never learned SQL properly:

does anyone know the MSSQL equivilent of

show tables; 
show databeses;

navigating MSSQL on the CLI seems almost impossible (to me)

[webman]

Don't you have to have a developer's license from Capita to be able to legally/officially connect to the SQL DB that SIMS runs on?

[Geoff]

yeah, I'd seriously suggest you check your EULA/Licenses before you go any further.

[mark]

Front ends to the SIMS .net SQL database exist in the form of Pisys and Lisl for example.... connections to the live data. So someone has done something similar.

[CyberNerd]

so let me get this right...
Becta produce a formal specification for VLE's stating that they should be able to talk to the MIS and MIS vendors (SIMS) will only allow licence holders to talk to the MIS. - Which no-one other that licensees of Capita can do.

Or am I completely off track?

[Geoff]

Correct, otherwise you risk patent lawsuits and being sued into oblivion.

[DMcCoy]

If you want to access sims data you need to use the sims APIs. To use the sims APIs you need a license. Have you ever looked the number of tables used by sims? You can use to profiler with sql server to see how huge some of the queries are.

There are 779 tables in the sims database (at least in the version we are running)