Can SIMS.net be installed as part of an image?

[tosca925]

Having a CMiS/ePortal back ground i have small knowledge on SIMS.

 

I am at a school today that has had SQL 2005 installed and a lot of the updates done. THey will soon be using lesson monitor as well on all staff laptops,

 

So can SIMS be instaleld as part of a RIS image or can it be deployed?

 

Any advice on thnis please?

[AnnDroyd]

It can be deployed as part of a disk image (using ghost or similar). Obviously SIMS will update itself on first use if you have done an upgrade since the image was taken.

[FN-GM]

I havn't done it myself but i was told the same as jwood

[Gatt]

got SIMS integrated as part of our WDS images - works great..

[tosca925]

What about RIS?

[damienharrison]

Yes it can be deployed via RIS, we have done this in our school.

[kingswood]

We now deploy SIMS.net through Ghost images and it works fine.

 

Enjoy!

[eejit]

Yes it can be deployed via RIS, we have done this in our school.

 

Did you use RIPREP, or make it part of the GUIRUNONCE or similar?

 

I want to auto install it as part of my RIS build's first boot. What command line switches can I use to make it silent?

 

Cheers guys.

[eejit]

Ooops, ignore me. I found it on a previous thread:

 

http://www.edugeek.net/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=2679

 

Nice work there on page one.

[Oops_my_bad]

Thing is though, I can't see any reason for doing this :? Unless you are staging PC's to go onto a different site. Like most stuff, SIMS can quite easily be put on at install time. But that's just me - I like to keep images as basic as possible = less maintenance. Everything else can then be installed via GPO.

[eejit]

Thing is though, I can't see any reason for doing this :? Unless you are staging PC's to go onto a different site. Like most stuff, SIMS can quite easily be put on at install time. But that's just me - I like to keep images as basic as possible = less maintenance. Everything else can then be installed via GPO.

 

Sorry, I don't know what you mean? What is "at install time"?

 

I just press F12, log in and leave it. The PC joins the domain, auto logs on sets up the software to install and then reboots to install it.

Job done.

[vikpaw]

We use RIS and it works fine.

 

Don't make the mistake of trying to MSI sims and install it on boot up using GPO or some such method.

 

Our esteemed Network Manager tried that, and it worked right up until the monthly(?) SIMS update, at which point the version on the local machine had updated but on boot up was being told it's files were not the correct ones.

 

I'm sure it can be done if the GPO's set to install once and then disabled, but we just do a manual install now, and then avoid re-imaging at all costs.

[eejit]

Yep, just done it here through RIS. Worked great (so far)

[djones]

How did you install it? I need the path to the installer, instructions etc for installing SIMS.net and FMS on new workstations with a view to adding this to the generic boot image I have created.

 

Thanks, Dave.

[djones]

Ok, to answer my own question...theoretically as haven't had a chance to test yet!

 

Install SIMS using '\\servername\adapps$\sims\setups\simsinst.exe' and then specifiy server location of connect.ini.

 

Before doing anything make a copy of the 'FMSApplicationSetup.exe' and 'FMSApplicationsetup.exe.signature' files from within the 'S:\SIMS\Setups' folder as the CD setup will overwrite these with older versions.

 

From the Capita Support site courtesy of Ron Pender:

 

Use the spring 2005 release to install FMS and do the following:

 

Insert disc -> select finance -> FMS6.78 module

Accept the licence box

Select install/upgrade FMS modules

Tick all 4 boxes -> next

Select network -> next

Tick workstation & SIMS applications -> next

For directory put C:\FMS ->next (usually defaults to this)

Select all protocols -> next

For directory put C:\SQLANY50 -> next (usually defaults to this)

For server you will need to use your specific details, in my case I would put

\\servername\adapps$\SIMS\sql -> next

Allow to complete

 

If this is for a new user whoever has Sys Manager rights to FMS will have to add the new user.

 

Before running FMS, copy back the 'FMSApplicationSetup.exe' and 'FMSApplicationsetup.exe.signature' into the 'S:\SIMS\Setups' folder.

 

Last thing to do is ensure the right shortcuts are created and used.

 

Edit: Would I need to perform a manual update using the SOLUS shortcut or will this be automatically detected as it is for SIMS.net?

 

Does this look correct?

 

Edit #2: These steps installed FMS correctly (I used a v6.83 CD from Capita) and on first run updated to v6.85 automatically.

Edited January 22, 2008 by djones

[Domino]

looks fine to me.

 

You shouldn't need to do a manual update, as the first time sims runs it will query the server for updates

[djones]

Thanks for that! What about updating FMS? We are on 6.85 on the existing workstation but the CD will install something like 6.7x on the new workstation. Will this be automatically updated as well on first run?

 

Edit: Capita are sending me v6.83 on CD which is an installable version apparently.

Edited January 14, 2008 by djones

[Domino]

yeah, FMS should find the installer, you've just gotta remember to back up the ones on the server before running the install cd, then replace them again.

 

FMS should then automatically upgrade

 

EDIT: interesting side-note, if you edit the local sims.ini file in the windows directory, you can change the SIMS and FMS upgrade paths- useful if, like us, you're split site and want to have different locations for updates for different sites

Edited January 14, 2008 by Domino