[sims] Discover Instances on Training Data

[JonTMac]

We have SIMS training data installed on stanalone machines. All of them have Gaccom and Weccom attached but we only seem to be able to have Discover on one or the other. Does anybody know of a way that we can have Discover for both.

[Rawns]

We have SIMS training data installed on stanalone machines. All of them have Gaccom and Weccom attached but we only seem to be able to have Discover on one or the other. Does anybody know of a way that we can have Discover for both.

 

No, you can only have one Discover install pointing to one database. I'd suggest separating them both into two virtual machines. This will allow you to have one GA VM with SIMS and Discover, and one WE VM with SIMS and Discover.

[JonTMac]

I had thought of that but unfortunantly we are for a variety of reason not allowed to do that. I seem to remember from a SIMS meeting somewhere that their is a script somewhere but for the life of me I can't remember who had it.

 

But thanks for the suggetion.

[HannahBuist]

There is/was some gubbins on Supportnet that guided you through setting up to have two instances of Discover on one machine. It's not pretty though, and I found the services didn't work particularly well with it. But I'm sure there are people using it successfully in their training environments.

I used it for a time, but tbh with limited success and I soon gave up and we moved to independent images for our secondary and primary courses, with one instance of Discover on each.

[Rawns]

I had thought of that but unfortunantly we are for a variety of reason not allowed to do that. I seem to remember from a SIMS meeting somewhere that their is a script somewhere but for the life of me I can't remember who had it.

 

But thanks for the suggetion.

 

Any specific reason? If its cost, we use virtual box which is free to use and works a treat.

[matt40k]

Any specific reason? If its cost, we use virtual box which is free to use and works a treat.

 

I can think of three reasons why this wouldn't "work"

 

1/ Licensing - wouldn't you need extra Windows licenses for the virtual machine? Also MS Office?

 

2/ Corporate policy - you'd need AV in the virtual pc etc, you've doubled\tripled your maintanance costs

 

3/ Hardware issues - USB drives wouldn't work (as well), performance - would need higher spec.

 

So really, it isn't free.

 

 

PS: Suprised @GREED hasn't appeared and coughed about a certain MIS system that doesn't have these issues.

[GREED]

PS: Suprised @GREED hasn't appeared and coughed about a certain MIS system that doesn't have these issues.

 

*Comes running is arms flapping all over the place...*

 

Actually the job has been done for me!

[Rawns]

I can think of three reasons why this wouldn't "work"

 

1/ Licensing - wouldn't you need extra Windows licenses for the virtual machine? Also MS Office?

 

2/ Corporate policy - you'd need AV in the virtual pc etc, you've doubled\tripled your maintanance costs

 

3/ Hardware issues - USB drives wouldn't work (as well), performance - would need higher spec.

 

So really, it isn't free.

 

 

PS: Suprised @GREED hasn't appeared and coughed about a certain MIS system that doesn't have these issues.

 

It is effectively "free" if:

 

1/ You already have licensing for VM's

 

2/ You already have AV on your VM images

 

3/ Not sure why USB drives is an issue if the VM is just for running training data? Discover runs fine for both Green Abbey and Waters Edge on my VM's and my host PC is not powerful by any means.

 

VirtualBox is free to use.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Rawns

[superfletch]

We have the same problem.

 

Although it wouldn't help with the MS / AV licensing type issues could a dual boot (one primary and one secondary) be a better bet? The machine shouldn't take a performance hit from running a VM that way - useful since Discover is a demanding application.

[ial]

I reckon there is some hidden code in SQL that recognises what database it is connected to, as have "issues" with Discover on our training laptops immediately after replacing out of date SIMS training datasets. I have got it to run I SIMS but have difficulties running the Transfer Utility (especially the larger GA database).

 

The idea is that you have 2 versions of all the Config files in Discover Services and "Discover.Designer.Desktop.exe.local.config" in the C:\ProgramData\Discover folder - 1 each for GA & WE, where they include SIMS & Discover variables. You stop the Discover services, overwrite said files with the appropriate copies for the database you are accessing, then restart the services. I have also found that it works better if the laptop is set as a hosted SQL server.

[JonTMac]

That sounds like a good idea. How do you have 2 versions of the Discover.Designer.Desktop.exe.local.config in the Discover folder and what did you do to have versions of the Config Files in the Discover Service. Sorry if this is obvious but I'm only any good when it's step by step (Its an age thing).

[ial]

Once you have both GA & WE SIMS/Discover databases on your SQL server and can see them in the Administration Utility it is just a matter of making copies of the files and changing the database details, one for each school (I kept them is a separate folder but as long as the names are changed, that bit is up to you - you could simply renamed them GA_Discover.Designer.Desktop.exe.local.config & WE_Discover.Designer.Desktop.exe.local.config and likewise for the other config files.

Then use a DOS batch file to delete the current config files and copy and replace the files with those above. I started the DOS command by stopping both of the Discover services first and then once the files are replaced, starting them again. It's not all perfect at present and I would like ideas on why I can connect to both GA & WE Discover databases in the Administration Utility but I can only transfer data currently on the WE database. The GA appears to time out - this is regardless of which school is set to run in the config files.