[sims] SIMS Reporting Error

[SIMSimian]

Getting an error when attempting to run a report

 

'Unable to open report: object reference not set to an instance of an object'

 

It also does this when opening in design report

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

[dobsonl]

We are getting the same issue as well... did you get anywhere with finding a solution?

[SIMSimian]

Yes, I contacted Capita and they gave an explanation on how to fix that I passed along to our IT department

 

Essentially the problem was IT had moved some SIMS files/folders over the holidays, so SIMS couldn't reference the files when trying to open a new report because they were in a new location

 

Steps to fix below:

 

The issue commonly occurs after migrating SIMS to a new server. It occurs due to the software being unable to locate the corresponding report file within the DOCSTORAGE folder located on the server. This could be for a number of reasons

The DOCSTORAGE folder has not been copied from the old server to the new

The folder structure within DOCSTORAGE does not match the name and instance of the new server

The Document Management Server service has been configured incorrectly

The DOCSTORAGE folder does not have write access or access is restricted to the folder.

The report files within DOCSTORAGE are missing.

1) Make sure that the DOCSTORAGE folder has been copied to C:\DOCSTORAGE on the new server (or the location specified in the DMS config).

2) Open the DOCSTORAGE folder and subsequent sub-folders checking that the names of the folders follow the format below

 

C:\DOCSTORAGE\ServerName\InstanceName\DatabaseName

- Where SERVERNAME is the name of your new server

- Where INSTANCENAME is the name of the instance chosen when installing SQL.

- Where DATABASENAME is the name of the SQL database.

 

3) Navigate to the folder where the Document Management Service is installed - (C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net Document Server)

 

4) In the address bar - clear the contents and type "CMD" and hit Enter

 

5) In the Command Prompt window, type in DMCONFIG

 

6) Check whether the Directory shows the correct location of your DOCSTORAGE folder

 

7) If the location is incorrect, you can correct this by opening the .config file (with Notepad) located in SIMS .net Document Server folder.

 

8) Restart the SIMS .net Document Server service within Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services, for the changes to take effect.

 

9) Make sure that the DOCSTORAGE folder has been given Full Control for the Authenticated Users group (Right click the folder and go to Properties > Security).

 

10) Close SIMS .net and log in again and try to open a report.

 

 

If the issue still occurs after the above has been carried out, it is likely that the DOCSTORAGE folder is either missing certain report files or the files are corrupted. It is then recommended to restore the folder from a server backup.