timbo343 Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 Im having trouble installng SIMS on a new server. I have got the up to date setups folders/files, copied my existing files from the SIMS share to the new server and tried to install SIMS on the server using SIMSInst. Been through the setup procedure and attached the database from a back off the live server but its refusing me to log in to SIMS. I must be missing something. My existing (live) SIMS is running SQL2008 and im trying to run it on SQL 2014. Do i need to upgrade the database too? Has anyone got any install documents that they can share with me or even explain what i need to do please as im struggling. Thanks
3s-gtech Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 That's quite a jump - skipping 2008 R2 and 2012. It may be worth doing an intermediate step, and SQL 2012 is still more than up to the job. That would be my first thought, we went from 2008 R1 to 2012 and it was very straightforward - detach, move, reattach. 1
timbo343 Posted July 10, 2015 Author Posted July 10, 2015 Might i be better off firing up a vm stick SIMS and SQL2012 moce my database over and then once thats working move my database over to SQL2014? For a start, im not sure if ive got the sims install right, surely it cant be that hard can it?
Cache Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 (edited) Are you using the migration tool for moving the database? Admittedly I did 2008 to 2012 (both server and sql) but had no issues doing that. Installing SIMS wasn't particularly hard, I copied the files across from our existing share first and then ran the last full install iso and the upgrade iso's to our current SIMS version (since Solus 3 meant I didn't have an up to date setups folder) to refresh the setup files before going along and running SIMSINST to install the server and other required bits and pieces. Then did the migration after that. Edited July 10, 2015 by Cache 1
timbo343 Posted July 10, 2015 Author Posted July 10, 2015 No ive not used the migration tool, maybe thats something im missing, infact where can i get it from? Luckily ive just got it set on a test VM at the moment. Also, im waiting to go from Solus2 to Solus3.
Edu-IT Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 https://myaccount.capita-cs.co.uk/Notifications/sql-migration-tool-update-may15/ 1
matt40k Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 @timbo343 no problem going from SQL 2008 to SQL 2014. To be honest, you're better off throwing a few hundred pound at your LA\a third party to move it. Save you weeks of hassle, not only can they move SIMS, Discover, FMS if you use it, they can setup SOLUS3, they can check you have valid backup method, make sure the b2b link with the LA is working so you don't stop meeting your legal requirements, help move across any third party apps and remove old legacy things. The training course for actually doing the move SIMS is a day course, trying to compress the information into a static document is foolish and to be honest, if you're only doing it for your school, it isn't worth going on the course. If you're making a few schools its worth doing, might be worth booking a trainer for the next ANME meeting maybe? 2
Cache Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 (edited) Well to be fair I stood over the engineers sholder when the 2005 -> 2008 migration was done and reading the documents and watching him didn't seem that complicated which was why I did it myself for 2008 -> 2012 and was quite happy with it. I also did it when I did so that if there was an issue I could roll the system back to where it was (snapshot and backup of the VM) and nobody would be any the wiser and if there was something major then the school was aware they would need ot pay for an engineer to come out. If you search My Account for migrating sql 2014, "Migrating SIMS FMS and Discover to SQL 2014 mini guide applicable to 7.160 onwards" should appear top of the documents and if you follow those steps you shouldn't have any issues. The only thing I had to tweak was our discover migration and our Solus 3 but a bit of common sense to each of those worked. (Can't remember the exact discover steps, the Solus 3 one was using SA details on the original server rather then leaving it as Windows auth which the guide didn't make clear or mention I believe). It's a little while back now since I did do the migration (Feb 2014, but doesn't seem that long ago...), but if you want to drop me an email with any questions more then happy to try and answer them. Edited July 10, 2015 by Cache
howartp Posted July 11, 2015 Posted July 11, 2015 but its refusing me to log in to SIMS. Set your connect.ini to the new server correctly?
timbo343 Posted July 12, 2015 Author Posted July 12, 2015 Ive being working on this for most of the weekend but not got very far. Ive used the SQL2014 migration utility on a .bak file of the database but not having much luck logging back into SIMS when i try and test it. Ive tried detaching and re-attaching the database using DBAttach but still nothing works. My connect.ini file points to the correct instance and database.
speckytecky Posted July 12, 2015 Posted July 12, 2015 Personally I'd call on the services of Capita's server install expert Kevin Carter. Top chap and most certainly a visit from Kevin is money well spent.
matt40k Posted July 12, 2015 Posted July 12, 2015 @timbo343, if you've spend the weekend trying to get it to work (sounds like you've missed the firewall), you could of saved yourself a lot of hassle and just paid someone to do it for you. It should only take only a few hours, any more and you've got a problem. Most of the technicians I've spoken with over the years always say they can't afford it, yet when you speak with the business manager\bursar, they are quite happy to fund a few hundred pounds to get a external company in to complete the move - its a one time per 3-5 year cost. It's very rare you have to point out the fact that their £30k investment in a MIS system could be undermined by a minor cost saving. reading the documents and watching him didn't seem that complicated You sound like my old manager, he thought a receptionist could install a domain controller. There is a big different between following instructions and understanding them. One fails over at every. single. minor. problem, the other just works.
Cache Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) You sound like my old manager, he thought a receptionist could install a domain controller. There is a big different between following instructions and understanding them. One fails over at every. single. minor. problem, the other just works. True, but that said when the Capita engineer did our migration to 2008 we were left with a different backup method because dbattached crashed when schedule and B2B that didn't work for 3 weeks or so which I eventually worked out why (passed on to capita and they called me back a week later and told me my solution).... I only had one minor hiccup when I did the migration following the instructions. I would never say a receptionist could install a domain controller, you still need some level of skill and knowledge to do these things, however I had far more faith in my own abilities then someone else's at that time and I did leave the backup option there to get someone in to do it don't forget. Edited July 13, 2015 by Cache
matt40k Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I could point out I said LA, not Capita You've just demo'd the large corporation problem, it can be hit or miss with the quality of engineer you get. Ideally you want to have a named person and a conversion with them prior to the visit so you'll have a good idea of how knowledgeable they are (bonus points if they appear on EduGeek) and they should be the person who was giving you free advice when you were looking at spec'ing the hardware. Nothing worse then turning up and finding the school has purchased a server with a single slow sata drive and they also have Exchange running on it.
Cache Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 True, I'll give you that. Another thought along a similar chain @timbo343. Did you transfer the logins to SQL when you did the backup? Could be the passwords have all been reset. Our backup command: osql -S[b](server)[/b]\[b](instance)[/b] -E -n -Q"exec sims.sims.db_p_transfer_login" "F:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.sims2012\MSSQL\Binn\DbAttach.exe" /BACKUP /AUTO /SERVER=[b](server)[/b]\[b](instance)[/b] /DATABASE=sims /USER=sa /PASSWORD=[b](password)[/b]
timbo343 Posted July 13, 2015 Author Posted July 13, 2015 True, I'll give you that. Another thought along a similar chain @timbo343. Did you transfer the logins to SQL when you did the backup? Could be the passwords have all been reset. Our backup command: osql -S[b](server)[/b]\[b](instance)[/b] -E -n -Q"exec sims.sims.db_p_transfer_login" "F:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.sims2012\MSSQL\Binn\DbAttach.exe" /BACKUP /AUTO /SERVER=[b](server)[/b]\[b](instance)[/b] /DATABASE=sims /USER=sa /PASSWORD=[b](password)[/b] ...... ah!
kennysarmy Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Our LEA refused to give us any migration support as we don't pay for "Hardware support" - I thought that was a bit off - but it's only costing us £200 for them to come in and move us up from Server 2008 to Server 2012 R2. Money well spent I think!
timbo343 Posted July 13, 2015 Author Posted July 13, 2015 True, I'll give you that. Another thought along a similar chain @timbo343. Did you transfer the logins to SQL when you did the backup? Could be the passwords have all been reset. Our backup command: osql -S[b](server)[/b]\[b](instance)[/b] -E -n -Q"exec sims.sims.db_p_transfer_login" "F:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.sims2012\MSSQL\Binn\DbAttach.exe" /BACKUP /AUTO /SERVER=[b](server)[/b]\[b](instance)[/b] /DATABASE=sims /USER=sa /PASSWORD=[b](password)[/b] For the command db_p_transfer_login do i need to do anything special? When i run it against my database, i get could not find stored procedure.
matt40k Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 sims.sims.db_p_transfer_login {DB}.{SCHEMA}.{OBJECT} You've cut off the schema, check you've connected to the correct database as well
timbo343 Posted July 13, 2015 Author Posted July 13, 2015 my database is called shssims but when i put in shssims.sims.db_p_transfer_login it says database SHSSIMS does not exist when it clearly does.
matt40k Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Yer, you're hitting that point we made where we said about getting your LA \ third party to do the move for you. Without remoting in you're gonna end up wasting a lot more time. Remember, your time isn't free.
timbo343 Posted July 13, 2015 Author Posted July 13, 2015 I realise that, just wanted to see if i could have a go myself but looks like im hitting so many brick walls. My LA support are now on holiday until 21st July unless its an absolute emergency, looks like im going to have to book them in to come do it for me.
Banjo Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I don't think the migration tool works across servers. Deattach the DB's from the old server and copy and paste it to the root of your new server. On your old server move the DB into a new folder and reattach to 2008. On the new server attach the DB's and make sure the ini points to 2014. Login, and then setup the docserver and attach a blank text files to a student’s record to test. Copy the old documents across into the new 2014 folder that will have been created. If you use Discover you can use the backup utility to create a backup that you can then restore on the new server. Don't use sims dB attach or fms attach for this. The client updates will be a pain and its a config file rather than a .ini to update. If you use FMS then you will need a patch to enable filestream on the new instance. You can use the same process to migrate as Sims, but you may have to change quite a few workstation FMSConnect.ini files depending on how its configured. Good Luck! 1
timbo343 Posted July 13, 2015 Author Posted July 13, 2015 Ive tried that, but i cannot log into SIMS, that's the problem im having even though i can see all the logins, passwords arent been exported. Im not too worried about discover at the moment, only a few members of staff use it.
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