timbo343 Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 What exactly is POP? We are still using Promissor for Functional Skills. POP - Piece Of Poop... joking aside - it means Pearson Onscreen Platform https://secure.qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/centre-administration/onscreen-testing/onscreen-testing-for-next-generation-btec-firsts.html
benjie Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 What exactly is POP? We are still using Promissor for Functional Skills. POP stands for:"Pearson onscreen Platform". We do not do Functional Skills test, so am unable to comment. When I was initially look for documentation on the POP, I kept on coming across Promissor.
Zourous Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 Just started using this software last week. All went fine for 2 sets of tests except for clients not picking up the invigilator automatically on the 2nd test and had to eventually key in the IP address so it could be found! It could have been our DNS though, I didn't check. The 3rd test of the week all went belly up. The exam officer had the test downloaded but couldn't activate it form the admin console and it returned an error message. The solution form Pearson was to uninstall the ECS from the normal server and then put it back on another new server. It didn't work, although I might have messed it up due to the time constraints at the time. Can't see why this happened when nothing had changed at our end between the first two tests and the third test!
Zourous Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 Just run the diagnostic tool (thanks to this site for pointing it out) it is failing on "Downloading package from the awarding body website" Please check that Port 443 is open Well we haven't changed anything to my knowledge. Last successful exam was on Wednesday, come Friday and it is broken. Anyone else also getting this?
Sean Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 So if the OS I'm running is 64bit windows 7 in the classroom, am I supposed to install the x64 version of the C++ redistributable or the x86 one? I'm probably going to go ahead and install both but I'd like to know which one it actually wants... Cheers
Sam_Brown Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 We've also had issue with the server where when we upgraded it no one could log in. The only solution was to re-install it on a new box.
Zourous Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 Just run the diagnostic tool (thanks to this site for pointing it out) it is failing on "Downloading package from the awarding body website" Please check that Port 443 is open Well we haven't changed anything to my knowledge. Last successful exam was on Wednesday, come Friday and it is broken. Anyone else also getting this? Is anyone else (who has POP installed) able to run the diagnostic tool for me just to verify if it's just us with the problem. The tool is called EDI.Advance.TDP.DT.exe and should be included with the latest POP version. I would have attached it for convenience but for some reason it keeps saying invalid file. RM (firewall providers) are saying the port is open. Pearson are saying it isn't. Have tried a telnet to a address Pearson use to verify connection (which fails), and then RM say telnet won't show correctly from our side, so we're stuck in the middle. In the meantime exam after exam is cancelled this week whilst we try and work it out
kjadams Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 Hi Zourous, just had a look for the diagnostic tool on our server but could not see it. Can you confirm which of the 4 modules you are running it from. Thanks
mpatkts Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 Hello - I have just run this on our exam user's computer - the administrator dashboard is installed on this one - and where is says 'downloading package..' it fails - 'Please check that Port 443 is open'. We have a RM Network and although this has taken ages to install each time we have never had any problems with running a test. I would assume that it is them. But as their support is hopeless/non-existent I would give up if I was you. If we all give up then no school can run this rotten software! 1
Zourous Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 Hello - I have just run this on our exam user's computer - the administrator dashboard is installed on this one - and where is says 'downloading package..' it fails - 'Please check that Port 443 is open'. We have a RM Network and although this has taken ages to install each time we have never had any problems with running a test. I would assume that it is them. But as their support is hopeless/non-existent I would give up if I was you. If we all give up then no school can run this rotten software! Hi mpatkts, I think you're meant to run the diagnostics on the server, not sure if it's different on the admin dashboard. Can you still login to the admin dashboard ok?
themightymrp Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 I can confirm, I'm getting the same error when running the diagnostic on our server 1
Zourous Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 Hi Zourous, just had a look for the diagnostic tool on our server but could not see it. Can you confirm which of the 4 modules you are running it from. Thanks Hi KjAdams, The tool is also downloadable from post 87 on this thread, and I am running the first step.
gillop Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 It sounds like your server does not have https access to the internet via your firewall.
mpatkts Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 I ran the tool from the administrator computer as per the instructions on the tool window - but this was using the download from the first install in June 2013! But it seems that others are getting the same error anyway. I had to check with the Hertfordshire Grid that port 443 was open at the time which it was and we have never had connection problems with any of the exams since. The only problem has been that I have to re install the whole lot each time there is an upgrade because I build a package for the Test Player software. Afraid I won't be back in work till next Tues (part timer!) but obviously will need to check this out for our upcoming exams. I keep pointing out to our SLT that this causes every technician in the country grief but they ignore me, perhaps if we have to cancel an exam they may take notice!
free780 Posted January 22, 2015 Posted January 22, 2015 Love that this thread is still going. Run... Run Now... Was on a old thread about some other Pearson cue software.
kennysarmy Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 We ran a demo test yesterday... Issues: 1. The admin dashboard crashed with windows not responding unless we ran it as an administrator!! 2. The feedback is also that the UI is more confusing than it needs to be.... Pearson - are you reading???
Zourous Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 I can confirm, I'm getting the same error when running the diagnostic on our server @themightymrp can you login to your administrator console as normal? I'm not sure I trust this diagnostic tool. I ran the tool at home: I get a green tick for "Starting the exam centre service" even though I haven't got any Pop software installed and there isn't a exam centre service running I get a green tick for "Checking the user has write permission to the log file folder" again no Pop software installed!! I get a green tick for "Check if .NET Framework(Full version) 4.0 is installed" Well I kinda of discovered I needed this anyway for the tool to even run! I get the red cross for "downloading package from the awarding body website" with the "Please check that Port 443 is open" Obviously at home I'm not on a proxy, but even if I kill the wireless on my laptop I still get the same message so I think this is just a stock answer for I can't communicate with the awarding body website
themightymrp Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 Hmm, I can login yes. It could be that this tool is out of date and is looking for an old server location at Pearson? I don't know how to get an updated version though??
6Foot2 Posted January 25, 2015 Posted January 25, 2015 I took a break setting this up to go to BETT. Before leaving I was told that the exams were to start on Monday the 26th. Leaving for BETT on Tuesday and returning to work on Friday this left one day to install the software at the stations but this did not seem to be a problem because I had a test station working [Yay!] Upon returning from BETT and starting to install the software I found that the POP Player would not connect to the server. The first tests station was still working. I called Pearson only to be told that they do not support the software: They only supply it. [What?] Installing at other stations and restarting the server didn't help. I decided to call Pearson again only to be told that I should uninstall everything and install it all again. Did that but it didn't help as I am still getting the same error: http://i.snag.gy/eV5uN.jpg [Dummy station name used here for illustrative purposes] There is no connectivity to the service. Now I have until tomorrow at 9:00 to get it working. Suggestions?
Sam_Brown Posted January 25, 2015 Posted January 25, 2015 I took a break setting this up to go to BETT. Before leaving I was told that the exams were to start on Monday the 26th. Leaving for BETT on Tuesday and returning to work on Friday this left one day to install the software at the stations but this did not seem to be a problem because I had a test station working [Yay!] Upon returning from BETT and starting to install the software I found that the POP Player would not connect to the server. The first tests station was still working. I called Pearson only to be told that they do not support the software: They only supply it. [What?] Installing at other stations and restarting the server didn't help. I decided to call Pearson again only to be told that I should uninstall everything and install it all again. Did that but it didn't help as I am still getting the same error: http://i.snag.gy/eV5uN.jpg [Dummy station name used here for illustrative purposes] There is no connectivity to the service. Now I have until tomorrow at 9:00 to get it working. Suggestions? Had exactly the same issue last week. Ended up installing from scratch on a new server and that seemed to fix it. 1
6Foot2 Posted January 25, 2015 Posted January 25, 2015 Had exactly the same issue last week. Ended up installing from scratch on a new server and that seemed to fix it. I suppose that this is the only option left open to me now. Looks like I have my work cut out tomorrow morning uninstalling and installing again. Hopefully after reinstall this time it will work: There isn't any more time for testing/troubleshooting.
gillop Posted January 25, 2015 Posted January 25, 2015 I haven't posted how we got on, I didn't want to jinx us, but I manager to run our BTEC engineering exam over 6 sessions, the only problem we had was a pupil who missed the first session was transferred to the last session, it took several attempts to get him added, and we started the last session started 10 minutes late. It was also noted that the pool of questions wasn't as big as promised, with only a choice of 2 8 point questions.
6Foot2 Posted January 25, 2015 Posted January 25, 2015 I have re-installed at a different server, the administrator software at the Exam Officer's admin station, the invigilator software at the teacher station in the room where the exam is to take place tomorrow and I have installed Test Player at a couple of stations all to no avail as I still have the same problem.
gillop Posted January 25, 2015 Posted January 25, 2015 Have you signed in to the Invigilator sowtware, otherwise the test players won't connect. 1
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