[sims] Sharing SIMS folder on Curriculum network

[realtnt]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm trying to install SIMS' Attendance module on our teachers' laptops and I'm having some problems.

 

We have a curriculum and an admin network and I have no control over over the admin network - it's being administered by the council's ICT services. So, a while ago I asked them to setup a trust, which they did, but I can only see the share from the curriculum server but not from any of the clients.

 

I have verified there's a two-way trust and I can ping the admin server by name. I've contacted ICT services again, but I've been put on hold and I need to sort it relatively soon.

 

Has anyone else had this issue, or have any ideas on what to do? Is there something I could from my end?

 

Thanks

[Joanne]

What OS is the admin server?

 

I used to map S: to the admin server, but if it's on Windows 7, then you won't be able to have more than 10 concurrent connections.

 

So on your curriculum server, map the S drive via group policy. I always set up a security group for SIMS users too, just to make sure the right people get the drive map.

Edited September 23, 2014 by Joanne

[jtoland]

Hi why don't you map a network drive from the curriculum server for staff using one of your admits passwords this worked for us and still is working

[realtnt]

Joanne:

 

The admin server is Win2008R2, the curric server is Win2008.

 

Sorry if I'm being a bit dense, but my issue is exactly that. I can't actually map the drive on any other computer apart from the curric server itself. I have the security groups setup and I was going to deploy it via GPO but I can only see the S: drive (\\adminserver\live$) from the curric server itself. However, the same doesn't work on the teachers' laptops for example (or any other computer on the curric network).

 

jtoland:

 

I'm not exactly sure what you mean.

[matt40k]

You don't need a SIMS drive\folder to take the registers. If you've got a two-way trust then the hard bit is done. If they're setup SOLUS3 you just add the machines into the console and it'll install SIMS. Job done - well other then issuing staff user\pass and doing training.

[realtnt]

Hi Matt,

 

Sorry, I'm a complete newbie with SIMS. How do I tell if they've setup SOLUS3? The instructions I was given by ICT services basically said I need to install SIMS on the teachers' laptops.

[witch]

We have a firewall and a trust as you describe. We don't have Solus at all.

I have my instructions on how to do it if it helps. The laptops have to have reserved IPs - at least ours do

[realtnt]

I'll try that, thank you!

[hallb15]

I think @witch has probably hit the nail on the head. The laptops will probably have to have static IPs within a specific range in order for them to 'see' the admin server. The traditional trust relationship setup, in Leeds schools at least, was to allow only the top 32 IP addrs in the curriculum range to see the admin server.

You said you could ping the admin server by name, but didn't say if this was from the laptops in question. They must be able to ping the admin server.

 

I think @jotland was suggesting using a script to map the required drive letter and passing the correct login credentials to the admin server in that script.

 

I would ask your ICT Services what IP addr you should be using for your laptops, set them up and then let ICT Services know so that they can perform the install - afterall, they are the ones who will be supporting the use of SIMS on the laptops so they should be keen to get it installed in their preferred way.

[sted]

if its anything like lln/ict 4 leeds etup then only certain curriculum addresses can see the admin network (top 32) which usually includes the servers but most workstations are probably lower ips so cant see it. Just try pinging it from a random workstation see if that works if not give it a high manual ip address see if that works

 

sometimes easier than getting other companies/lea to do owt is just shove a 2nd nic (or use one if its there) give it a fixed curriculum range ip and subnet etc (probably best not to give it a default gateway) and curric dns plug this 2nd nic inot the curriculum network and you have bypassed any silly vlan rubbish there may be stopping yor pcs accessing the admin network

[witch]

I had forgotten that - County IT gave me a range of IP addresses that they had set up for SIMS access through the firewall

Have sent you my "how to"

Hope it helps a bit

[realtnt]

hallb15: Yes, I can ping the server by name from the laptop that can't see the share.

 

I have sent a message to ICT Services, however, they say 'due to unprecedented circumstances... etc' my request has been put on hold, so I'm not sure when they'll be getting back to me. But before this, when I asked for instructions on how to install the module, they basically just sent me the instructions on how to install SIMS.

 

witch: Yep, I appreciate it! I've had a quick look but I'm on my way to fix some broken projector, etc and I'll get back to it later. BTW, they never mentioned anything about about an IP range, but I will ask - whether I get an answer, it's another story! :-)

[hallb15]

hallb15: Yes, I can ping the server by name from the laptop that can't see the share.

If you can ping the server, but not access the share, then that sounds like a permissions issue. The user you are logged into the laptop as must have the correct permission to access the share on the admin server. Do you have an account on the admin server with admin rights? If so, check if the correct curriculum staff users have been given access to the shared folder on the admin server. If you don't have an admin account on the admin server, you're going to have to ask ICT Services to check this for you.

[realtnt]

On both the curric server and the laptop(s) I'm logging in with the same curric admin account. On the admin server I only have creds for allowing to run applications in elevated mode and add computers to the domain, that sort of thing. Can't login to the admin server.

[witch]

I don't see the share until that SIMS.bat file is run at startup. Then it appears- I go to Setups and SIMS.inst and install SIMS on the machine

I have to do odd things with connect.ini files then but that could just be the way county has set mine up

[realtnt]

Hi all,

 

Just thought I'd give you an update just in case it helps anyone in the future who finds this thread. The problem - at least in my case - was indeed that I was testing on a laptop and a VM both outside the allowed IP range. I checked the DHCP reservations and found the range and now it's all sorted.

 

Thanks everyone for your help.

[witch]

Haha - great

Told you so....