[sims] Powershell script to update SIMS (Fake SIMSLoad.exe)

[Arcath]

I have written a script to update SIMS Posted here on my Blog

 

From my testing it seems fine, just wondering if any of you guys have anything similar or can see any problems with it?

[matt40k]

I don't get it. SOLUS3 does is and you get a central report of the version no's, log files etc.

[Arcath]

I don't get it. SOLUS3 does is and you get a central report of the version no's, log files etc.

 

All the schools I work in are still using SOLUS2, I have enquired about SOLUS3 in the past but it never got anywhere so this is my attempt to make the best of the situation

[matt40k]

If your supporting a few primaries with SIMS and the SIMS server is running Windows Server, it's worth asking for the installers. Poke @PhilNeal if you have any trouble getting hold of it. It's getting beyond a joke now, it's been out for ages. It seriously is worth the hassle. I've been almost tempted to setup a SIMS maintainance company because if you've got SOLUS3 up and running you can pretty much forget about SIMS (from techy point of view anyway) especially if you've got Redstor for your backups.

[vikpaw]

That's cool. I still see a need for this sort of thing in specific environments.

I wrote one yonks ago in VB to capture the need for update on wireless clients, so they got a prompt and could choose to plug in to the wired network if required.

 

I'm not quite sure how you're catching the correct line in simsload.ini by just ignoring those with 'last' but i may have mis-followed the code. In my simsload i have lines for simsmanualsetup and amparksetup and others, so in mine i specifically looked for the simsapplicationsetup line. I probably just missed how you're doing it.

 

For modifications, you might need to check the PC to see if it's 32 or 64 bit and modify the local file location variable.

Also, does it work okay for FMS? Upgrading that is best done under an admin account as even with permissions, most users seem to fail due to a couple of files that need going to deep locations and / or registry stuff.

 

Chucking a section of my code below, the whole thing was quite a bit bigger as i had a lot of comments and pop up message boxes to interact with the client.

 

Try
                   For j As Integer = 0 To afile.GetUpperBound(0)
                       Dim param As String = afile(j)(0)
                       If param = "SIMSApplicationSetup" Then
                           sLver = afile(j)(1)
                       End If
                   Next
                   If sLver = "" Then
                       'test for param match and throw exception if not found
                       Throw New ArgumentException("Parameter not found exception")
                   End If
                   Try
                       Dim Info = FileVersionInfo.GetVersionInfo(sRemote)
                       sRver = Info.FileVersion
                       Dim result = String.Compare(sLver, sRver)
                       'if both values are same then version is up to date and no upgrade required
                       If result = 0 Then
                           Button1.Text = "No upgrade required"
                           runSims()
                           Me.Close()
                       Else ' upgrade required
                           Dim upgrade = MsgBox("An upgrade is required before you can use SIMS." & vbCr & "This is very slow on wireless. You can plug in a network cable now to save time." & vbCr & "Click YES to start SIMS update." & vbCr & "Clicking NO will cancel loading SIMS.", MsgBoxStyle.YesNo, "SIMS Upgrade Check")
                           ' 6 is yes, 7 is no

[matt40k]

Trust you @vikpaw. Out of interest why haven't you taken the plunge into SOLUS3? Surely downloading the update to wifi clients prior to apply the release would make it worthwhile

[vikpaw]

That was for another school about 8/9 years ago. We don't have wifi SIMS clients now.

I have no issues with SIMS updates, so no need for the hassle of SOLUS 3 - so no matter how good it is, whatever little teething problems it comes with, i can avoid, and since they've increased the lifespan for SOLUS 2 and made commitments to provide an MSI wrapper. I'll keep trying to avoid it as long as i can )

 

It was a very nice program, but no-one really showed much interest in it (

[matt40k]

Fair enough, I wish you well on your endeavor. I'm sure you'll be happy with Discover ISOs, MSI wrappers and extra manual work

[Arcath]

That's cool. I still see a need for this sort of thing in specific environments.

I wrote one yonks ago in VB to capture the need for update on wireless clients, so they got a prompt and could choose to plug in to the wired network if required.

 

I'm not quite sure how you're catching the correct line in simsload.ini by just ignoring those with 'last' but i may have mis-followed the code. In my simsload i have lines for simsmanualsetup and amparksetup and others, so in mine i specifically looked for the simsapplicationsetup line. I probably just missed how you're doing it.

 

For modifications, you might need to check the PC to see if it's 32 or 64 bit and modify the local file location variable.

Also, does it work okay for FMS? Upgrading that is best done under an admin account as even with permissions, most users seem to fail due to a couple of files that need going to deep locations and / or registry stuff.

 

I check everything allowing for updates to stuff other than the application, why install the manuals again if they haven't been updated?

 

From a permissions point of view this runs during machine startup not as the end user so its running as a full administrator (which is why you need to alter the permissions for the SYSTEM account)

@matt40k I've asked the LEA about SOLUS3 will see how it goes...

[matt40k]

Good luck.

 

Out of interest how do you get around the whole SYSTEM account doesn't have access to the share? Do you share the SIMS setups directory separately then grant everyone (read) permission?

[Arcath]

As I explained in the post, you put all the computer accounts into a group then give that group read access to the sims share as well as SYSTEM

[matt40k]

I think you might want to edit that. SIMS Share and SIMS Setups are two different things.

 

SIMS Setups - worse case scenerio - oh well Capita application appears on a few torrent sites.

SIMS Share - legacy system use this - attendance, FMS (so like payroll), exams (unlikely in a primary), school photos often appear in there.

 

Make sure your crystal clear it's just the setups folder that is exposed not any of the other folders.

[vikpaw]

I'm not saying update manuals. I just can't work out how the script ignores the manuals or it is that it checks every setup file against server? That makes sense now.

 

My script only ever checked to see if the app needed updating and then called simsload to manage it all. I think simsload won't even bother with manuals these days as it's all online and been split off.

 

As for setups ours live in the main sims share so access to share could give access to setups. My last LA always said to give full control over the share and never even mentioned security . We obviously tied it down loads.

[Arcath]

I think you might want to edit that. SIMS Share and SIMS Setups are two different things.

 

SIMS Setups - worse case scenerio - oh well Capita application appears on a few torrent sites.

SIMS Share - legacy system use this - attendance, FMS (so like payroll), exams (unlikely in a primary), school photos often appear in there.

 

Make sure your crystal clear it's just the setups folder that is exposed not any of the other folders.

 

The LA's "stock" SIMS system is to have S:\ got to the Admin share, with then S:\Sims and S:\Sims\Setups. I have moved stuff out of the root of S:\ so its just S:\SIMS and S:\Batches now which is a bit better, might move the Setups off into my MSI/Deployments shares.

 

There is a lot of work needed on the SIMS systems I have taken over, to give an example the sysman password was a few letters in alphabetical order, and even worse than that its the same at every school!!!!!! So you can imagine how badly configured the systems are.

[matt40k]

I feel your pain. By the way SIMS password are case insensitive.