SIMS Timetable Module for Moodle

[CyberNerd]

You shouldn't really be using UPNs to identify pupils to other systems. You should really be using the admission number. The UPN's purpose is purely tracking of pupils’ movement and progress within the maintained school system in England, not as a general purpose identifier.

 

From the guidance notes on UPNs at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/11933/UPN%20Guidance%20Update%202007.rtf

 

• the UPN to be as far as possible a ‘blind number’, held by schools on the pupil's electronic record, and only output when required to provide information to the LA, to the Department or other central agencies (e.g. QCA/NAA), or to another school to which the pupil is transferring. The UPN should not be regarded as an automatic adjunct to the pupil's name, routinely appearing on any record or document relating to them;

 

• schools should not enter UPNs on pupils' paper files or on any other physical documents, including admission and attendance registers, and should continue to use the admission number, not the UPN, as a general pupil reference number within the school.

 

Richard

 

 

That is a good point. The admission number could be used.

We chose the UPN simply because it was unique and we put it in a field in Active Directory, as is the students username, DOB etc. so it should be secure from a data handling PoV

[AWicher]

Nice one, my school has only just started looking into moodle and this would sure help integration.

[Hightower]

I've got a php script:

 

$server = 'SERVERNAME\INSTANCE';
$link = ($server, 'sa', 'SA PASSWORD');

if(!$link){
die('Not working');
}
?>

But I am receiving this error:

 

Warning:  mssql_connect() [[url="http://10.33.225.248/function.mssql-connect"]function.mssql-connect[/url]]: Unable to connect to server:  SERVERNAME\INSTANCE in /var/www/test.php on line 5

Do I need to do anything on the MSSQL server to ensure other machines can connect to it? What is going wrong?!

 

Thanks,

[CyberNerd]

Do I need to do anything on the MSSQL server to ensure other machines can connect to it? What is going wrong?!

 

 

first see if you can connect to the server using telnet

telnet xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 1427

(or 1433)

 

if you can't connect it is an MSSQL issue.

If you can connect, then try tsql.

Download the source and compile it, then try tsql - it should install in /usr/local/bin/tsql and the config will be here /usr/local/etc/

freetds.conf

 

 

wget ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/ALPHA/freetds/stable/freetds-stable.tgz

extract, configure,compile, install

tar xzvf freetds-stable.tgz

cd freetds-0.82

./configure

make && sudo make install

[Hightower]

Tried telnet - can't connect. Any steps to resolve this?

[CyberNerd]

Tried telnet - can't connect. Any steps to resolve this?

 

this help?

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/virtual-learning-platforms/28683-sims-timetables-moodle-2.html

[Hightower]

Thank you so much! Lets see where I get stuck now ;

[Hightower]

Ok, here we go again. TestPupil now has assigned courses of 10x/Ma5,10c/En1 etc etc even though them courses do not exist - so I'm guessing these are being pulled somehow from the DB - but the timetable is still blank.

 

Is this an easy fix? Am I getting closer?

[CyberNerd]

10x/Ma5,10c/En1 etc sound suspiciously like they could have come from the SIMS database.

Penfold_99 is usually on hand for sims timetable problems.

[Hightower]

Ok, thanks CyberNerd. I await the help of the shopkeeper

[Hightower]

Just as an after thought - the connection is working somewhere as it has created the course as mentioned above, and enrolled the user on them.

 

I'm wondering if I've installed the blocks correctly - is there any special method to it? Or is it a case of wacking them on the server as is and away we go.

[barney]

That is a good point. The admission number could be used.

We chose the UPN simply because it was unique and we put it in a field in Active Directory, as is the students username, DOB etc. so it should be secure from a data handling PoV

 

 

 

Does anyone know what the field for admission number is in the SIMS database? I'd like to change the sql query to replace m.unique_pupil_no as person to blah.admin_number as person

[Hightower]

Could my problem be caused by the moodle plugin I downloaded? Have I installed it correctly? Here's what I did - was this correct?

 

1) Downloaded from Moodle

2) Uploaded the 'simstimetable' folder in mod to the mod folder on my server

3) Uploaded the 'simstimetable' folder in blocks to the blocks folder on my server

4) Went to the admin homepage to complete install - no errors given

5) Added College timetable block to homepage

 

Get a blank timetable. Are more steps than this required?

 

Also, if I click the 'Configuration' button on the College Timetable block (as admin of course) I get:

 

This block has not been implemented correctly and thus cannot provide a configuration interface.

 

This doesn't sound normal - what have I done wrong. Argghhhhh!

[penfold_99]

Could my problem be caused by the moodle plugin I downloaded? Have I installed it correctly? Here's what I did - was this correct?

 

1) Downloaded from Moodle

2) Uploaded the 'simstimetable' folder in mod to the mod folder on my server

3) Uploaded the 'simstimetable' folder in blocks to the blocks folder on my server

4) Went to the admin homepage to complete install - no errors given

5) Added College timetable block to homepage

 

Get a blank timetable. Are more steps than this required?

 

Also, if I click the 'Configuration' button on the College Timetable block (as admin of course) I get:

 

This block has not been implemented correctly and thus cannot provide a configuration interface.

 

This doesn't sound normal - what have I done wrong. Argghhhhh!

 

Hi hightower,

 

when did you download the module? as there have been many updates.

 

The main reason for it not working is the separator, could you please post an example of the output of the sql view.

[Hightower]

Hi hightower,

 

when did you download the module? as there have been many updates.

 

The main reason for it not working is the separator, could you please post an example of the output of the sql view.

 

I have literally just this minute downloaded it. I have also tried a known working block and mod folder (thanks Gatt) which didn't suss it.

 

I've added an example of each of the three views. Thanks

[penfold_99]

I have literally just this minute downloaded it. I have also tried a known working block and mod folder (thanks Gatt) which didn't suss it.

 

I've added an example of each of the three views. Thanks

 

Set $periodseperator = " "; in \mod\simstimetable\view.php

[Hightower]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank penfold_99 - that worked a treat.

 

Also, thank you to Gatt, who has been helping me on MSN since yesterday.

[penfold_99]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank penfold_99 - that worked a treat.

 

Also, thank you to Gatt, who has been helping me on MSN since yesterday.

 

I'm glad that it works, i will try and get all the configuration settings out of the files and in the moodle block configuration gui.

[penfold_99]

You shouldn't really be using UPNs to identify pupils to other systems. You should really be using the admission number. The UPN's purpose is purely tracking of pupils’ movement and progress within the maintained school system in England, not as a general purpose identifier.

 

An admission number could be used but has limitations, if more that one school were to use a moodle installation you would have duplication of admission numbers.

 

From the guidance notes a UPN can be used by any organisation for educational use.

 

A UPN is unique so it is the best identifier to use to link students across multiple educational systems. If you replace UPN with another unique number you are just replicating a UPN's function of tracking a user.

 

The UPN is deem a general identifier between DCSF and the Information Commissioner but this is not enforced under the Data Protection Act as no general identifier's have been defined.

 

• the UPN to be as far as possible a ‘blind number’, held by schools on the pupil's electronic record, and only output when required to provide information to the LA, to the Department or other central agencies (e.g. QCA/NAA), or to another school to which the pupil is transferring.

 

• schools should not enter UPNs on pupils' paper files or on any other physical documents, including admission and attendance registers, and should continue to use the admission number, not the UPN, as a general pupil reference number within the school.

 

Capita output the UPN on all formatted marksheets, which goes against the above guidelines.

[jenny_urey]

Has anybody had any luck with this:

 

Integrate Moodle, LDAP and SIMS.net - MoodleDocs

 

The guys at BETT (Synergy Learning I think) told me to check it out. Install looks pretty lengthy but before I start playing with the Moodle setup I just wondered if anybody had successfully (and easily) managed to configure it.

 

If so, were the instructions spot on or were extra measures needed?

 

Cheers

 

P.S. The link to the module is at the very bottom of that page.

 

You can extract SIMS timetables in realtime (yes TRUE realtime) and have them as a hyperlink from your moodle VLE - ie... person clicks on link on page for 'timetable'.... you need to speak to companies who can do it... such as SIMS premier partners.. aslike a company I work for!

[GrumbleDook]

It is worth mentioning (and I think I have done before in a DPA question about sharing with external providers of VLEs) that UPN is suitable to be used as a unique identifier within a VLE / Learning Platform but the use of it, sharing of it and making it viewable should be treated in the same manner you would do within your MIS.

 

It is suitable as a unique identifier in this case but I believe the link between the two systems (VLE and MIS) should be secure and not susceptible to interception.

 

This is why companies are trying to get SIF / ZIS sorted.

[penfold_99]

You can extract SIMS timetables in realtime (yes TRUE realtime) and have them as a hyperlink from your moodle VLE - ie... person clicks on link on page for 'timetable'.... you need to speak to companies who can do it... such as SIMS premier partners.. aslike a company I work for!

 

Hi Jenny,

 

I would like to point out that high tower has successfully be able to achieve real time timetables within moodle for the the total sum of £0 excluding time, with out the need of a SIMS Premier Partner.

 

There is an inherent problem with All SIMS Premier Partners they are bound to use Capita's tools and api which are counter productive, proprietary and force you to base every thing on a Microsoft Platform.

 

We hae been able to implement Sims.net Timetables in Moodle without the need for any additional software paid for software.

[GrumbleDook]

@jenny - there are many ways of tying in with SIMS and tools such as those from penfold_99 and CLEO are raising the bar about how how MIS providers look at integration ... thankfully.

 

@penfold_99 - however, as much as love to see in-house developments, OSS growth and people thinking new things ... I get frustrated when I see '£0, excluding time' ... Yes, you and Hightower (and others) have got things working ... that is not suitable for all schools and there is at least one other forum member who has done the same as you, and now does it as a full time business as he would not have time to continue development or supporting his tools.

 

There is always a cost ... and the more used to explaining those then the more likely senior leaders in school will shrug off the alternatives to MIS partners to freely available options (ie cost is in the development, the implementation time and in the support time or costs!)

 

I honestly cannot say to a school, when asked by the Head or Business Manager, that use of open tools (such as those provided by yourself) does not pose a risk, especially when faced with an in-house support team that are already overworked and not always kept in the loop. Often the improvements it brings and the cost savings outweigh the risk ... but the risk is there.

[powdarrmonkey]

Capita output the UPN on all formatted marksheets, which goes against the above guidelines.

 

That doesn't make it right.

[penfold_99]

@penfold_99 - however, as much as love to see in-house developments, OSS growth and people thinking new things ... I get frustrated when I see '£0, excluding time' ... Yes, you and Hightower (and others) have got things working ... that is not suitable for all schools and there is at least one other forum member who has done the same as you, and now does it as a full time business as he would not have time to continue development or supporting his tools.

 

There is always a cost ... and the more used to explaining those then the more likely senior leaders in school will shrug off the alternatives to MIS partners to freely available options (ie cost is in the development, the implementation time and in the support time or costs!)

 

Hi GrumbleDock,

 

I am continually try to improve the SIMS.net Timetable module to reduce the needed configuration, i hope to implement a moodle GUI configuration page so non-programming techs can easily setup this module.

 

I'm lucky that i work at a school which is very supportive of OSS.

 

The point i was making with '£0, excluding time' is that if you went with a proprietary product it would be '£xxxx, excluding time'.

 

SMT understand money not cost of time. Yes OSS will that longer to setup but the purchase cost is £0.

 

Would you prefer is i offered the SIMS.net module at a cost? or offer support contracts?