[sims] Moving SIMS server.

[Koldov]

I think I'm ready to move this over the holiday...

 

I've set up a new VM and got everything installed, I'm regularly restoring database backups from the old server and restoring it to the new one and it seems to go OK.

 

I have SOLUS set up on the new server with a couple of test clients and they can log in to SIMS fine, so I think the way to go is to remove all clients from the old and add them to the new one. Hopefully I can set the old SOLUS client to be removed and then add them to the new one and it will install with the new connect.ini etc... Any tips on this would be great! It might mean teacher laptops won't be able to connect on the first morning back, but I can't see any other way around this...

 

There's bound to be a few other issues as I'm sure I haven't fully covered everything, but some bits that plug-in to FMS are a bit niche and I'll have to be careful about recreating things like 'Wonde'... I figure as long as I have the server set up and running with good DB and everyone can at least log-in then I can sort problems as and when they arise (expect a lot of SIMS related posts from next Monday)...

 

The other (actually main) thing is how to stop the OLD SIMS server working (but still working if the move goes wrong)...? I mean obviously nobody should be able to access SIMS on the old server, but I don't want to cripple it so badly it would need major surgery to resurrect if I need to...

Edited May 26, 2023 by Koldov

[Michael]

The other (actually main) thing is how to stop the OLD SIMS server working (but still working if the move goes wrong)...? I mean obviously nobody should be able to access SIMS on the old server, but I don't want to cripple it so badly it would need major surgery to resurrect if I need to...

 

With physical servers, your only option really is to remove the LAN cable from the back.

[Koldov]

Yes, old legacy physical server....

 

Hmmmmm.... that would be difficult as it hosts a lot of other roles which I'm slowly trying to split onto separate VMs (hence the reason of trying to move SIMS off).

[3s-gtech]

If you disable the MSSQL services in the Computer Management interface that keeps SIMS down and out of the way. That’s how ours still is, after we migrated to SIMS Connected, and that server is still being used as a third party services host.

[Koldov]

Well, I'm sure many of you won't believe such a ridiculous thing could happen... but I have just spoken to my BM who was asking for an FMS admin user/password to upload/download budget information between FMS and HCSS...

 

Is there an 'admin permission' I can assign for a user in FMS?

 

I can't see anywhere I can change that sort of permission info like SIMS... I hope it's not asking for SYSMAN...?

 

Anyway, I've asked him why is he still doing budget stuff and to remember that I have said many times in the last couple of months that I have been working towards moving SIMS & FMS onto a new server over half-term... which they agreed to...

 

Then he drops the bombshell that he forgot and that he's arranged the LEA finance person to come in next week as there is an issue with our budget....

Edited May 26, 2023 by Koldov

[Koldov]

If you disable the MSSQL services in the Computer Management interface that keeps SIMS down and out of the way. That’s how ours still is, after we migrated to SIMS Connected, and that server is still being used as a third party services host.

 

Digging this one up again...

 

How long would you keep the old SIMS server lurking in the background?

 

I'm getting itchy feet wanting to uninstall everything SIMS related, SQL, SOLUS, Databases, etc.

 

The new VM has been running OK (no major complaints as far as I know) since the beginning of the school year and I've now got everyone using it, SOLUS updating, FMS users not reporting any weirdness (no more than usual anyway)... Wonde & Groupcall transferring the data, Redstor backing up to the cloud...

 

Any real point in keeping the old install... just in case?

[3s-gtech]

Are your new backups in place and working properly? In which case, archive the VHDXs off the host if you can, and you can delete them completely within a few months - an old DB like this is not a useful thing to keep around after a few months, because if you had a complete data loss you'd have to put too much work into updating it when restoring.

 

Triple check that your new backups are good and ransomware proof.

[Koldov]

Yeah thanks, the DB is the first thing to go I guess. As you say it's probably not useful now anyway, but it was then the SIMS/SQL infrastructure that I was wary of bulldozing as it was such a PITA to get sorted (SQL/SIMS/SOLUS) on the VM.

 

I'm only backing up databases due to size constraints, so at least if anything went wrong I know it's 99% already done on the old server, so not as big a stretch to just move databases from a backup, rather than spin up new VM, install server OS, install SQL, install SIMS etc....

[3s-gtech]

Any server that needs very quick restore (like a MIS) should really be on a full backup, so you can restore it directly (it's how I had our SIMS server set up when it was on-site). I could copy the virtual disks from last backup straight onto a new VM too.

[jthompson]

Any server that needs very quick restore (like a MIS) should really be on a full backup, so you can restore it directly (it's how I had our SIMS server set up when it was on-site). I could copy the virtual disks from last backup straight onto a new VM too.

Would definitely second that, particularly if we're talking about a SIMS server. So many bits to it besides just the database. The SIMS document server files, particularly.