[sims] Windows 8 64 Bit. Not working

[Gongalong]

Hi folks,

 

Has anyone got SIMS and Windows 8 64 bit working?

 

I've seen mention of it working with Windows 8, but I (stupidly) ploughed ahead and put 64 bit on it. We do run SIMS on a 64 bit session host 2008 R2 server, and that works fine.

 

As background: SIMS installs and inevitably complains about the 64 bit. When I start SIMS it complains about not finding the CONNECT.INI file so I point it to that and.... the window closes and nothing further happens.

 

Any ideas before I go back to Win 8 32 bit?

 

TIA

[Rawns]

Installed it on a test here and it works fine, no issues at all.

 

How did you install SIMS? With a setups folder or with SOLUS3?

[FN-GM]

Works perfect on Windows 8 x64 here. What release of SIMS are you on?

[Gongalong]

Rawns: SIMSINST.EXE from the Setups folder.

 

FN-GM: I haven't updated to the Summer Release yet, so Spring 2013.

[FN-GM]

Worked ok for us on the Spring 2013 release.

[matt40k]

Your SIMSINST is out-of-date most likely.

[Gongalong]

How do I update it?

[matt40k]

Two options. Upgrade to S3 and never have this problem again. Or contact Capita/your la for the latest installable. If your lucky they'll have the link to just simsinst which will save you downloading a 1gb of stuff you already have for 1mb file

[Gongalong]

Silly question, what's S3? Sorry, all I know about SIMS I was in turn taught by a consultant who didn't know much. Basically all I do is patch the server and install the client on the instructions I was given. We're only supported by the LA, nothing direct with Capita sadly.

[Arthur]

what's S3?

SOLUS 3.

[Gongalong]

Is it possible for us to upgrade to Solus 3 if we just have LA support?

 

The thing with Windows 8 is that SIMS does install, but it doesn't seem to go any further once it prompts for the CONNECT.INI. No error, nothing.

[Ghostgame]

Solus3 is part of the core licensing for SIMS so it should be possible.

 

As for the connect.ini you might need to right click SIMS .net and select 'run as administrator'

Have found that it will sometimes not create the .ini unless you run SIMS .net as local admin.

[Gongalong]

Ah yes, I tried as both the user and local admin. No dice with either :-(

 

I've asked the LA, so let's see what they say...

 

(We have an icon called "Update and Run SOLUS" on both the server and clients, but the version that runs is SOLUS 2. I don't know whether LA's customise their SIMS deployments?)

[Rawns]

Solus3 is part of the core licensing for SIMS so it should be possible.

 

As for the connect.ini you might need to right click SIMS .net and select 'run as administrator'

Have found that it will sometimes not create the .ini unless you run SIMS .net as local admin.

 

I've had this too, usually when UAC is enabled.

 

If you want SOLUS3 (if your not aware of it, search Edugeek for threads on it and be wary!), contact you LA if you get support direct from them. They may have a plan to implement it in all supported schools, or may hand out installers and install guides on request.

[Gongalong]

Further stupid question, what *is* SOLUS 3? SOLUS 2 seems to be an updater, so is it just an improved version?

[Rawns]

Ah yes, I tried as both the user and local admin. No dice with either :-(

 

I've asked the LA, so let's see what they say...

 

(We have an icon called "Update and Run SOLUS" on both the server and clients, but the version that runs is SOLUS 2. I don't know whether LA's customise their SIMS deployments?)

 

You tired making the Connect.ini manually?

[Rawns]

Further stupid question, what *is* SOLUS 3? SOLUS 2 seems to be an updater, so is it just an improved version?

 

Improved version? Very debatable really in it's current state! Some people like it and find it OK, lots of people hate it and have endless issues.

 

It's the next variant of SOLUS3 but a lot more complicated compared to SOLUS2. You install it on your server and it consists of a DB, Service and UI. You then configure your "environment" with details like where your SIMS DB is, SA password, BINN folder location, FMS DB etc. You also add every single devices in school to the environment into 'channels'' based on what they have installed (SIMS .net/FMS/Discover). SOLUS3 puts an agent on all of the devices you add, and when you get an upgrade, it "pushes" the files out to all the devices when they are online, rather than SOLUS2's method of "pulling" the installers form the setups folder when SIMS is ran.

[Gongalong]

You tired making the Connect.ini manually?

How would I do that? Does it use the CONNECT.INI from the server to then create something locally?

 

I doubt we'll get SOLUS 3. If the LA haven't put it on it sounds like they don't use it yet.

 

We could always leave the LA and go direct to Capita, but no doubt there are pros and cons to both.

[Rawns]

How would I do that? Does it use the CONNECT.INI from the server to then create something locally?

 

I doubt we'll get SOLUS 3. If the LA haven't put it on it sounds like they don't use it yet.

 

We could always leave the LA and go direct to Capita, but no doubt there are pros and cons to both.

 

Check C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net and if there is no connect.ini file, create a new text file and call it connect.ini. Open it and add the following if you usually redirect to a master conenct.ini:

 

[sIMSConnection]

Redirect=S:\SIMS

 

Or if you usually point SIMS directly at the server:

 

[sIMSConnection]

ServerName=\

DatabaseName=sims

CommandTimeout=1000000

[Gongalong]

Fantastic! I copied the CONNECT.INI from another PC, put it in C:\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS .net, and now SIMS works. Phew, that saves me downgrading to Win 7 (not that I'm enamoured with either Win 8 or Office 2013).

 

Thanks Rawns :-)

[matt40k]

Further stupid question, what *is* SOLUS 3? SOLUS 2 seems to be an updater, so is it just an improved version?

 

SOLUS2 downloads the installer and upgrades the database. When you run SIMS, it runs simsload and pulsar - SIMSLOAD being the updater - basically it looks at it's version then checks it against the one on the server then upgrades. So you get teachers with local admin rights waiting 10-15mins at the start of the day after each upgrade.

 

SOLUS3 is a fully managed solution. You have a console which manages everything - the db, the server components, the clients. From the console you download the updates, you can then schedule them to deploy. It's moving from a pull to a push, so S3 will push the updates out to the clients rather then waiting for the client to update, because of this users don't need local admin rights and they're not waiting for SIMS to upgrade as it's done before they click SIMS, I'm told it now supports WOL so you can wake your desktops up!! You also get some overview of your entire "SIMS" network, so you know where SIMS is actually installed and what kinda hardware\software it's on.

 

The people who don't like it fall into one the follow groups

- Don't like anything new

- I like visiting every* workstation after each upgrade

- Like scripting things and showing off

- Tried it early on and have been burnt (you basically have to manually remove it and start again in most cases)

- Don't want to fix those non-SIMS issues to fix the new SIMS thing - I found we had to sort out alot of issues like DNS not resolving so the server couldn't connect to the workstation, ok the network worked, but it had a lot less errors afterwards!! I even remember having an odd one where IE or Chrome wouldn't work, so they used Firefox rather then fixing the actual issue.

- It's a MASSIVE change and requires more tweaks - I'll let you find the bugs and I'll take it once it's finished - the problem with this approach is Capita aren't likely to change much so if you have something special your pretty much doomed.

- I hate Cr@pita

[DMcCoy]

SOLUS3

 

The people who don't like it fall into one the follow groups

 

It's also got an interface that hasn't been designed by human beings, and has obviously never been used for more than 5 minutes.

 

I would say more, but I have to type my username and password *again*

[matt40k]

I would say more, but I have to type my username and password *again*

 

Eh? You only put your user\pass in when adding a new device - at least it DID!!

Edited August 7, 2013 by matt40k
added "ing"