[sims] Sims 2013 Upgrade Issues

[Solus]

Morning All, Couple of issues regarding the new Spring Update 2013, Our team currently look after around 54 schools around our region, half of them are on central SIMS which have been upgraded no issues, the other half had to be done manually i.e. remote onto there servers log into SIMS, tools, check for updates and run the upgrade etc. All was going well until the last 2 schools. One of which when logging onto there server log into SIMS I got a Incompatible Database error(Same on there clients as well), this school has Solus3 so I thought ill go into Solus3 and deploy the new spring updates to clients and the server, but the Spring update wasn't listed or there I checked solus3 for updates but it didn't find any. Not sure whats going on, I restarted the solus deployment service which usually will then pull the updates down but that didnt work either, the school has been authorised ok on our central solus box etc. The other school doesn't have Solus3 so it was just a case of SIMS, tools, install the update which it did fine. When I then log back into SIMS it throws up this message 2 seconds after username and password has been entered " column current tier does not belong to table Table" then closes.?? Any help would be appreciated. As these 2 schools wont be able to access SIMS on Monday. Regards Edited April 28, 2013 by Solus

[vikpaw]

That error is usual of version inconsistency somewhere and incompatible database happens when the client version doesn't match the server version.

Something has gone wrong somewhere. Sorry not too au fait with SOLUS 3. Is it possible the client has updated but not the server or the other way around? Something could be corrupt.

 

I'd say you need to get the updates and reapply to both sides. Maybe that means starting with SOLUS 3 again from scratch, or sacking it and reverting to S2.

 

There was a follow up version to Spring to include some Ampark stuff, but i don't think it changed the version number but that could be a factor.

[PhilNeal]

A wild guess but we did have an issue with schools that had previously defined tiers and then stopped using them. There is a patch available to fix this.

Our desk opens @ 8:00

[Solus]

Thanks for the replys guys, Vikpaw Ill have a go at that I've ran the fileserver upgrade manually and not through solus3 and its still reporting incompatible database, @PhilNeal your previous post is that regarding the second issue with " column current tier does not belong to table Table" again thanks for the replies.

[vikpaw]

If the server is up to date, run dbupgrade to see if it finds any of the files and upgrades the system.

The incompatible db errors is normally a client side error.

You could force the client to update / or just reinstall to make sure it runs it. We always get incompatible DB, when the users fail to click YES to the UAC prompt asking if they want to allow the update. On rare occasions it just gets stuck because the simsload.ini has been updated so won't run the update anymore.

[Solus]

Ive tried the dbupgrade and this is the message it presents me with :-

You are logged into the database using: SQL Server based Authentication

Your current SIMS database version is 3.61.873

There are no files valid for this database version.

What if I run the workstation setup from sims\setups would this then force the client

[vikpaw]

yeah, try just reinstalling the client with simsinst - but if you're on the server pick the options carefully.

actually, look at simsload.ini at the version of simsapplicationsetup and check the actual version of that file, will tell you if the client side needs updating.

[Solus]

Ok thank you, I've managed to sort it all now, by running the setups. On the second issue I had I have now found a patch for that error hopefully, do I use dbattach or dbupgrade to apply the patch.. regards and thanks again

[vikpaw]

dbupgrade for patches. It should back up first, but making your own is always wise too.

[PhilNeal]

Glad you're sorted!

[edutech4schools]

You can also get that error if the sims.ini file on the c/windows drive is pointing to \\server\sims$ when it is better to point at S:\Sims (edit)

 

Reinstalling using the sims installer files may have just changes the Sims.ini file.

[ConradJones]

If the server is up to date, run dbupgrade to see if it finds any of the files and upgrades the system.

The incompatible db errors is normally a client side error.

You could force the client to update / or just reinstall to make sure it runs it. We always get incompatible DB, when the users fail to click YES to the UAC prompt asking if they want to allow the update. On rare occasions it just gets stuck because the simsload.ini has been updated so won't run the update anymore.

 

we use app-v and package the SIMS client with that, because if the app-v client is working on the machine sims will work (and all other app-vd apps), no inconsistencies between machines.

It does take longer at upgrade time (later today, *fingers crossed*) i.e. an hour or two to package it and is a little fiddly especially to get things like exams and NT6 to work, you really do have to sacrifice to the gods to get it to work,

 

but there is no worrying / running round machines that users have managed to

a. cancel the upgrade

b. redirect the shortcut so it points straight to puslar.exe

c. also removes the need to give the users full control over HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Classes_Root (CAPITA YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES FOR THIS, simsperms.bat)

[vikpaw]

It's a major PITA that Windows 7 will quite happily create a 'SIMS' shortcut to pulsar and call it SIMS and the user won't even know they did something wrong.

I'm happy with our manual updates and SOLUS2, for the most part it works fine. It's usually the primary school where they use SIMS 1 week of the year where they don't bother to update when told to and have this issue.

[ConradJones]

It's a major PITA that Windows 7 will quite happily create a 'SIMS' shortcut to pulsar and call it SIMS and the user won't even know they did something wrong.

I'm happy with our manual updates and SOLUS2, for the most part it works fine. It's usually the primary school where they use SIMS 1 week of the year where they don't bother to update when told to and have this issue.

 

How do you feel about hkey_classes_root ?

[vikpaw]

How do you feel about hkey_classes_root ?

I'm indifferent. Is that in your SIMSPERM? It's not in mine, plus we don't use it. We just gave permissions to certain files and folders on the C drive by Group Policy, works fine. The UAC prompts are a pain but safer that way.