[sims] Any Solus 3 gotchas?

[Esteban_Child_of_the_Sun]

If you do have issues with WMI, I've found salvagerepository on each affected workstation can fix most of the issues. I wrote the following script in PowerShell (usual disclaimer about understanding scripts before running them on live systems, etc.) which reads a simple line per computer list of workstations stored in the computers.txt file and using psexec.exe executes the generated batch file on each of them.

 

 

Set-Location C:

 

 

$pathS3 = "D:\SOLUS3"

$arrComputers = Get-Content $pathS3\computers.txt

 

 

$wmiBatFile = @"

whoami > "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

Echo %date% %Time% >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

c:

cd "C:\Program Files\Solus3"

dir >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

 

 

net stop "IP Helper" /Y >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

net stop "Windows Management Instrumentation" /Y >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

 

 

winmgmt /salvagerepository >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

winmgmt /resetrepository >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

 

 

net start "IP Helper" >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

net start "Windows Management Instrumentation" >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

net start "Security Center" >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

net start "SMS Agent Host" >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log" 2>&1

 

 

Echo %computername% >> "C:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.log"

"@

 

 

foreach ($strComputer in $arrComputers) {

 

 

if (Test-Connection -Computername $strComputer -BufferSize 16 -Count 1 -Quiet) {

 

$output = "\\$strComputer\c$\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.bat"

$wmiBatFile | Out-File -Encoding Default $output

$psexec = $pathS3+'\psexec \\'+$strComputer+' -s -h -i cmd /c "c:\Program Files\Solus3\FixWMI.bat"'

Write-Host $psexec

Invoke-Expression $psexec

 

 

$user = gwmi win32_computersystem -comp $strComputer | select Username,Caption,Manufacturer

 

 

if ($user.Username -eq $null) {

write-host “Online:” $strComputer “no-one is logged in, sending re-boot command"

Restart-Computer -ComputerName $strComputer

} else { write-host “Online:” $strComputer "user" $user.Username “is currently logged in, please manually re-boot machine once it is free” }

 

 

 

 

} else { Write-Host “Offline:” $strComputer ", no WMI fix could be preformed"}

}

[kennysarmy]

 

Not the best of starts

 

Using the SA password provided to me by the LEA !

[kennysarmy]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]35682[/ATTACH]

 

Not the best of starts

 

Using the SA password provided to me by the LEA !

 

Which apparently they changed when they migrated our SIMS Server to a new virtual server running 2012R2 last year!

[kennysarmy]

Haha

 

and now I don't have the file "SOLUS3DeploymentService.exe" !!!

[Barcrest]

Did you download it from here?

 

https://myaccount.capita-cs.co.uk/Notifications/SIMS-Release-Download-Links/

[kennysarmy]

Did you download it from here?

 

https://myaccount.capita-cs.co.uk/Notifications/SIMS-Release-Download-Links/

 

No, the LEA remoted in to my server and copied the files over. - or not!

[Barcrest]

No, the LEA remoted in to my server and copied the files over. - or not!

 

That is the full install on there so will extract out all you need. It's the latest solus 3 release.

[pastymaster]

I'll be watching this thread with interest! I've got to do mine over the coming days!

[pastymaster]

I've got this paragraph in the email that I've received from the LA and was wondering if any of you have carried on using the SIMSLOAD.EXE method?

 

"After installing the SOLUS3 server components the guide takes you through installing agents on all of your workstations, these agents will automatically look for and pull across any updates downloaded to your server. If you do not want to use agents on the workstations for the updates there is a facility that can be set to automatically extract the files into the old Setups folder and the current simsload.exe can continue to be used for updating the workstations. Please be aware that if an agent is installed and is running on a workstation it disables the simsload facility for that workstation."

 

To be honest I'd quite like to stick with using SIMSLOAD as it's always worked well for us.

 

Does anyone still do it this way?

[kennysarmy]

Maybe it's RTFM blindness but....

 

I'm struggling with setting up the email alerts

 

The instructions state:

 

1. Select Settings | Alerts to display the ALERTS page. DONE

 

2. Select the Email settings tab. DONE

 

3. In the Server name field, enter the name of the SMTP server that will send

out alert emails. DONE

 

4. In the Port field, enter port number of the SMTP server that will send out alert

emails. The port number defaults to 25. LEAVE AS 25

 

5. In the User name field, enter the user name for the account that will be

sending the alert notifications. WHAT? Does it mean create a new email account on our mail server?

 

6. In the Password field, enter password for the account that will be sending the

alert notifications. Eh? Our email client uses passwords set in A.D.

 

7. In the Sender email field, enter the full email address for the account that will

send alert notifications. Is this not the same question as no. 5

 

8. Click the Send test email button to test your configuration. Failure generates

the error message Failed to send test email to [email protected]. Success

does not generate a message.

 

9. Click the Save button to store your changes.

[kennysarmy]

Maybe it's RTFM blindness but....

 

I'm struggling with setting up the email alerts

 

The instructions state:

 

1. Select Settings | Alerts to display the ALERTS page. DONE

 

2. Select the Email settings tab. DONE

 

3. In the Server name field, enter the name of the SMTP server that will send

out alert emails. DONE

 

4. In the Port field, enter port number of the SMTP server that will send out alert

emails. The port number defaults to 25. LEAVE AS 25

 

5. In the User name field, enter the user name for the account that will be

sending the alert notifications. WHAT? Does it mean create a new email account on our mail server?

 

6. In the Password field, enter password for the account that will be sending the

alert notifications. Eh? Our email client uses passwords set in A.D.

 

7. In the Sender email field, enter the full email address for the account that will

send alert notifications. Is this not the same question as no. 5

 

8. Click the Send test email button to test your configuration. Failure generates

the error message Failed to send test email to [email protected]. Success

does not generate a message.

 

9. Click the Save button to store your changes.

 

 

 

I originally put the server name in as http://x.x.x.x/ changing it to just x.x.x.x solved the problem.

Under username & password I just put "annoymous"

[kennysarmy]

I've now tested an agent deployment.

 

First it caught me out as I put in the "Username" box just the admin account details without putting the domain name first!

 

I'm now rolling the agent out to PC's which have contacted the Sims server in the past 12 months.

 

Seems to be working OK.

[aleach2]

I just got Capita out to setup SOLUS3. Best £300 I have ever spent. If anyone is thinking of doing the same, ask for Kevin Carter. Really good engineer who knows SOLUS3 inside out and explained everything as he was going through installing it.

[Barcrest]

I just got Capita out to setup SOLUS3. Best £300 I have ever spent. If anyone is thinking of doing the same, ask for Kevin Carter. Really good engineer who knows SOLUS3 inside out and explained everything as he was going through installing it.

 

 

£300, I would remote in and do it for £200 LOL. It really is pretty straight forward.

[kennysarmy]

£300, I would remote in and do it for £200 LOL. It really is pretty straight forward.

 

I'll do it for £195

[kennysarmy]

OK so this is what I still don't understand.

 

When running SOLUS2 the Server get's upgraded and then the clients get auto-upgraded when the users open SIMS.net - nice and simple - rarely goes wrong.

 

How does SOLUS3 work?

 

When an update becomes available and I upgrade the server, does that not mean none of the clients will work until they are also upgraded.

I can see issues where the user machine is off so we can't upgrade it, they then come in and turn the PC on and attempt to use SIMS which fails as they are not running the latest version, so then they have to wait while we push it out to them.

 

Is the idea that we would only do SIMS upgrades out of term time so we can go round ensuring all the PC's are switched on before we push out the upgrade? How is this better?

 

Or have I got things muddled?

[TomHD]

Or have I got things muddled?

If you have deployed the update it should happen the next time the machine is turned on. Can you not WOL those machines that have been turned off?

[Gibson335]

OK so this is what I still don't understand.

 

When running SOLUS2 the Server get's upgraded and then the clients get auto-upgraded when the users open SIMS.net - nice and simple - rarely goes wrong.

 

How does SOLUS3 work?

 

When an update becomes available and I upgrade the server, does that not mean none of the clients will work until they are also upgraded.

I can see issues where the user machine is off so we can't upgrade it, they then come in and turn the PC on and attempt to use SIMS which fails as they are not running the latest version, so then they have to wait while we push it out to them.

 

Is the idea that we would only do SIMS upgrades out of term time so we can go round ensuring all the PC's are switched on before we push out the upgrade? How is this better?

 

Or have I got things muddled?

 

My understanding - and we have yet to put it to the test - is that provided the devices have the agent on them, when you deploy the update those agents will simply pick that up as and when they come online - so will push it out at that time.

[kennysarmy]

If you have deployed the update it should happen the next time the machine is turned on. Can you not WOL those machines that have been turned off?

 

No never been able to get it to work through our vlan !

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

My understanding - and we have yet to put it to the test - is that provided the devices have the agent on them, when you deploy the update those agents will simply pick that up as and when they come online - so will push it out at that time.

 

OK.

 

That makes sense, the PC's update in the background once the PC's come online.

 

I hope there is a recovery method should they go to "sleep" or be turned off in the middle of the silent installation!

[TomHD]

No never been able to get it to work through our vlan !

 

I hope there is a recovery method should they go to "sleep" or be turned off in the middle of the silent installation!

 

That's a shame as that sort of control is so handy for remote working

 

If the machine powers off or sleeps the deployment will time out, I'm not sure if it auto retries or if you have to initiate the retry yourself! Anyone know?

[Gibson335]

OK.

 

That makes sense, the PC's update in the background once the PC's come online.

 

I hope there is a recovery method should they go to "sleep" or be turned off in the middle of the silent installation!

 

I must confess, that's my concern as well.

[sparkeh]

Ideally I would do the upgrade during the holidays, but or LA always seem to release the updates at the start of term and require to have them done in a couple of weeks :/

 

Therefore for each upgrade we agree an afternoon where everyone is happy to not use SIMS so the upgrade can take place. Everyone is logged out of SIMS and the machines are all on. Updates seem to go well that way. Though not using SIMS for an afternoon is a bit annoying.

[Gibson335]

Ideally I would do the upgrade during the holidays, but or LA always seem to release the updates at the start of term and require to have them done in a couple of weeks :/

 

Therefore for each upgrade we agree an afternoon where everyone is happy to not use SIMS so the upgrade can take place. Everyone is logged out of SIMS and the machines are all on. Updates seem to go well that way. Though not using SIMS for an afternoon is a bit annoying.

 

We do pretty much the same thing, but only from around 2.30-2.45. That way we do capture the majority of machines while they are on. The issue for us revolves around staff who are not in or do switch off prior to the deployment. Currently, the way we do things is simple enough so that the next time they run SIMS it updates...Solus3 should be the same, but I do wonder what happens if there is a problem mid-deployment.

[pastymaster]

Those are my thoughts exactly Gibson. I don't think there is a problem with the way it runs at the moment where after an update, they double click the SIMS icon and it updates them then.

 

My LA notes do seem to make out that this is possible though, so I'm contacting them again later this morning to ask.

 

"After installing the SOLUS3 server components the guide takes you through installing agents on all of your workstations, these agents will automatically look for and pull across any updates downloaded to your server. If you do not want to use agents on the workstations for the updates there is a facility that can be set to automatically extract the files into the old Setups folder and the current simsload.exe can continue to be used for updating the workstations. Please be aware that if an agent is installed and is running on a workstation it disables the simsload facility for that workstation."

[Gibson335]

Those are my thoughts exactly Gibson. I don't think there is a problem with the way it runs at the moment where after an update, they double click the SIMS icon and it updates them then.

 

My LA notes do seem to make out that this is possible though, so I'm contacting them again later this morning to ask.

 

"After installing the SOLUS3 server components the guide takes you through installing agents on all of your workstations, these agents will automatically look for and pull across any updates downloaded to your server. If you do not want to use agents on the workstations for the updates there is a facility that can be set to automatically extract the files into the old Setups folder and the current simsload.exe can continue to be used for updating the workstations. Please be aware that if an agent is installed and is running on a workstation it disables the simsload facility for that workstation."

 

Yes, indeed I have been told that we can carry on as before, using Solus 3 to download, move the relevant files to the relevant place, and then SIMS will pick them up as before. However, now that we have actually taken the step to get the agents on, we're going to use Solus 3 entirely for the Spring update. Only after I've assessed the results of that will we decide whether to stick with it or uninstall the agents and go back to how we were using it previously.