FN-GM Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 Hi, I was talking to a reliable source from Capita today who was saying sims will in all in a web interface powered by silverlight I must say i like to sound of that, what do you think? 1
localzuk Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 Hi, I was talking to a reliable source from Capita today who was saying sims will in all in a web interface powered by silverlight I must say i like to sound of that, what do you think? I can see that it should be pretty easy to port, it being .Net. They'd just have to change controls etc... It could be pretty good if they do it right! It'd make life easier for maintaining it too.
powdarrmonkey Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 Boy, that idea scares me... it's bad enough as it is, without them trying to port it to a new platform as well. It'll be worse than the CC4 transition, mark my words!
EduTech Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 Boy, that idea scares me... it's bad enough as it is, without them trying to port it to a new platform as well. It'll be worse than the CC4 transition, mark my words! Think POSITIVE thoughts PowdarrMonkey
MattMitchell Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 I don't think porting it to a web interface is such a bad idea overall - for starters, it will make things like direct access for parents potentially simpler to implement *if it's part of the standard package and not an expensive add-on*. One thing that does really worry me is the training cost though. Not just the financial and staffing implications of having to get everyone who's using a completely different version (it *will* be different, after all), but also the potential for mishaps with everyone on a site being inexperienced with a new package. How many schools have thought "we're bored of our current MIS solution - next time an upgrade cycle comes, let's install something completely different and try and make that work instead"? I'm guessing not many. What could be handy would be if they make customising and modifying the interface feasible - there are well-established mechanisms for typelibs and so-on that are largely self-documenting anyway, and I for one would like to see some flexibility in order to present a different interface and subset of data, reports, etc to staff with different roles. Or will it be some big partner program instead?... And what will the implications for hardware be? Will it ease up on the DBMS server load? Will it require a massively-powered web server with all the associated hardware, software licensing and support costs? Hmm.
steve Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 Given the number of modules still to be ported to .net this would be a long, long way off. 1
User3204 Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 It would mean you could change your desktops to Linux (or whatever), as Silverlight has an open source sibling, called moonlight. ..It'd better be a few years off, as I've only just started deploying Silverlight out to some machines.. and I've yet to see anything running it, or needing it.
Sivadam Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 As I understood it, this was just for the new Reporting Engine. Do you know more FN-GM?
rh91uk Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 This sounds really good. Will be such an easier way for the use of SIMS across the board really. But with the new SOLUS solution (if I remember, will check my NMF notes) for the deployment of SIMS I don't see this coming out in the near future.
Sivadam Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 (edited) The first release of the new Reporting Engine, which may be using Silverlight, is due for release in March of next year! Edited May 21, 2009 by Sivadam
FN-GM Posted May 21, 2009 Author Posted May 21, 2009 It would mean you could change your desktops to Linux (or whatever), as Silverlight has an open source sibling, called moonlight. ..It'd better be a few years off, as I've only just started deploying Silverlight out to some machines.. and I've yet to see anything running it, or needing it. ITV player does.... As I understood it, this was just for the new Reporting Engine. Do you know more FN-GM? I dont know the only thing i know is the whole package will be like this.
webman Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 You can virtually guarantee Capita's version of Silverlight SIMS will be just obscure enough not to work under the open-source Moonlight. 1
AyatollahPies Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 Hi, I was talking to a reliable source from Capita today who was saying sims will in all in a web interface powered by silverlight I must say i like to sound of that, what do you think? Old Trafford?
srochford Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 I'm out of touch with Sims but I'd be amazed if they were not working on a web version. Silverlight might be the way to go or just simple .Net web pages The FE college I used to work at used Agresso QL and they released a web version a few years ago. The general opinion of the people who used it was that it was too slow compared to the fat Windows client it replaced (repainting a whole web page is always going to take longer than just filling in a few boxes on a screen which is already loaded in RAM). Silverlight (or Flash or even Java) ought to improve that experience. A big benefit of using any web based app is that it runs anywhere you've got a browser and deploying a new version is really easy.
Sivadam Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 But it also means that you are totally screwed if the connection goes down for any reason! I would not like to have to rely totally on a web-based system!
powdarrmonkey Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 Think POSITIVE thoughts PowdarrMonkey /me had a very long and trying day of meetings... If they can pull it off, then great, but I haven't forgotten the move to .Net in the first place. Look at the error reporting: "Reason 0". And it's disappointing that there's a very good chance it'll be obscurely proprietary, instead of more standardised, plain old web+ajax interface. So I'm sceptical with good reason.
GrumbleDook Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 Presentations from the recent roadshows should be up on SupportNet soon (the last one was today at Franklin Gardens - Home of Northampton Saints) A good afternoon (A tad heaving on the sales pitches but a lot of good info including the road maps) and yes, there was mention about more stuff being done via web-front ends. This is already there under SLG but more work needs to be done on it ... and there will still be a need for a client for doing things like building marksheets, etc To be honest, it almost reminds me of the model of ePortal and CMIS. Web section for most things that most people need and a client for the heavy users.
dhicks Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 I would not like to have to rely totally on a web-based system! No, your SIMS server would still be running locally on your site, it's just that your client machines would be accessing it via a web browser. -- David Hicks
FN-GM Posted May 21, 2009 Author Posted May 21, 2009 But it also means that you are totally screwed if the connection goes down for any reason! I would not like to have to rely totally on a web-based system! Your server is in house so it will work the same as it dos now. If your server goes down you cant run sims from the workstations...
john Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 To be honest, it almost reminds me of the model of ePortal and CMIS. Web section for most things that most people need and a client for the heavy users. Was just about to say it sounds like someone's making a Serco clone in a way as that's how Serco has been for about 5+ years now. We let teachers all use E-Portal that gives them everything they need, Management tend to use that now as well, and more and more can be done in it, you can do Exams and Cover stuff in E-Portal now so its very powerful. So when its upgrade time, I upgrade the Server and that's it done, not got 100 Staff Laptops to recall 1 upgrade to the server and I'm all working. In our school I think the main Facility Admin is installed on about 10 PCs everyone else uses E-Portal. Its on key admin staff, Data and Exams Managers, Timetablers and then mine and my technicians PC thats about it In terms of what if it goes down as its "web based" the server is in my rack in my place so either the whole thing is down or its up really. If the Internet is down no parental access or staff accessing from home that's about it really. The other program its sounding like is the new version of RM Integris, Integris G2 (how originally named G2 for the 2nd Generation of it!) that's all web based as its designed for your LEA to host one mahooosive database and you just login to that. Just think, as today was Summer Census day, how much easier Census would be just check your data and let the LEA do it all for you
NeoPlosive Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 Boy, that idea scares me... it's bad enough as it is, without them trying to port it to a new platform as well. It'll be worse than the CC4 transition, mark my words! Maybe RM will feature it on their ICT horrors then? Oh wait... CC4 didn't even appear on their ICT horrors can't be too truthful then.
Sivadam Posted May 22, 2009 Posted May 22, 2009 No, your SIMS server would still be running locally on your site, it's just that your client machines would be accessing it via a web browser. -- David Hicks Exactly! That is why we could never go to using a web-based system exclusively. This summer two years ago we had no web access here for a number of days due to the summer flooding. That would be an impossible situation to manage!
Sivadam Posted May 22, 2009 Posted May 22, 2009 (edited) Was just about to say it sounds like someone's making a Serco clone in a way as that's how Serco has been for about 5+ years now.] That is the last thing we want!! And the days of visiting every machine to update SIMS ended a very long time ago! All workstations have been updating automatically for a avery long time! Edited May 22, 2009 by Sivadam
synaesthesia Posted May 22, 2009 Posted May 22, 2009 The Citrix hosted version of SIMS seems to be doing very well however I still wonder what happens when connections go down. As for silverlight - mm, anyone tried Junior Librarian.net yet? Takes an age to load. In the days of decent and quick computers, people often get used to double clicking a program and watching it open next to instantly.
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