SIMS Autumn 09 Release - Experiences?

[pete]

The main release has installed cleanly on the test server here, without any strangeness or database problems (so far *touches.....formica*).

 

Now I need to poke and prod Solus 3.1 to see how it performs pushing out updates.

[dhicks]

The main release has installed cleanly on the test server here, without any strangeness or database problems

 

Did you upgrade to SQL Server 2008? I was thinking of waiting until the Christmas break to run the upgrade.

 

--

David Hicks

[matt40k]

SQL 2008 is a separate "part". SOLUS 3 is really cool, ok it's limited, but it'll get the job done. So take care of the desktops. Like you say, so far, so good.

[DrCheese]

Is this the version that has support for Windows 7?

[matt40k]

Is this the version that has support for Windows 7?

 

No, No, No, No, No.

 

Log on to SupportNet and read Jon Wood post.

[DrCheese]

ah ok spring 2010 release, fair enough. They do say that in the main they are happy with it on Windows 7, they just won't support it officially until then (when they get the MS Windows 7 kitemark).

[vikpaw]

@pete, matt40k, any other early testers....

 

interested to know how you get on with solus 3. when testing i had network issues, so am keen to know how it's implemented in the update. is it an optional function? i don't want it activated until i'm happy that the server and my test machines are ok and updated.

 

i presume any machine that the server can't contact will just upgrade in the usual manner on startup of the application post update.

[pete]

Did you upgrade to SQL Server 2008? I was thinking of waiting until the Christmas break to run the upgrade.

 

--

David Hicks

 

Nope, just SIMS. Still need to buy 2008 and I'd prefer to keep potential 2008-related issues separate from any Autumn release issues.

 

@Vikpaw.

 

Solus 3 is a separate download, not turned on by default. The Administrators handbook is on Supportnet and I had a read through, but apart from pushing updates to a test vm, I didn't do much else yesterday, You can push it out the agent remotely, which is handy. It needs dot Net 3.5, but most people should have that pushed out by WSUS.

[matt40k]

SOLUS 3 pushes out .NET 3.5 sp1.

 

If the upgrade failes, or doesn't happen, simsload will install it as normal. So don't remove the permissions just yet!!

 

@vikpaw

Network issues? Picking up clients or pushing out updates\new installs?

[vikpaw]

Thanks.

Network issues were because we had lots of new Cisco kit put in in the summer and the VLANs and permissions across them weren't working correctly, so couldn't see remote machines in all locations.

Had a few PCs though where pushing out client failed, and it was not possible to undo or redo, so they were just stuck on the list and unusable.

[Simcfc73]

Well I upgraded and now we can't get into Exams at all... and the supportnet solution search is down

[Simcfc73]

Quick Update - I have installed Solus 3 and installed the agent on the machine I was using.

 

My machine rebooted after about 5 minutes without warning... may have been a conicidence but I am not sure what else would have wanted a reboot.

 

Oh and Sims has messed up around school also, cannot do any reports and whenever I do a browse for applicants it hangs... oh and so does Exams.

[pete]

Quick Update - I have installed Solus 3 and installed the agent on the machine I was using.

 

My machine rebooted after about 5 minutes without warning... may have been a conicidence but I am not sure what else would have wanted a reboot.

 

If it installed .Net 3.5 as part of the install, it's not a coincidence - it's mentioned in the admin handbook (resource 16104 on supportnet) that it might happen. IIRC the reboot can be suppressed or delayed when pushed through WSUS, so I'm annoyed Capita can't let the user know.

Edited November 11, 2009 by pete

[Simcfc73]

If it installed .Net 3.5 as part of the install, it's not a coincidence - it's mentioned in the admin handbook (resource 16104 on supportnet) that it might happen. IIRC the reboot can be suppressed or delayed when pushed through WSUS, so I'm annoyed Capita can't let the user know.

 

Well my machine definitely had 3.5 on it, the workstation had already been updated to the Autumn release so I was just putting ont he agent.

[Oops_my_bad]

Anyone know what changes need to be made to SLG to "Point" to the new sims database (2008)?

 

Cheers

[matt40k]

@simcfc73

Eh? I've deployed 3.5 without needing to reboot, wonder why I'm so special?

Exams and Reports have stopped working also? Have you dropped the end-users permissions? Can anyone run reports? Is DMS running? What's the error message with exams?

 

@Oops_my_bad

An update to SLG2 will be made available to ensure compatibility with the SIMS Autumn Release.

Customers on SLG2 should wait to apply the SIMS 2009 Autumn Main Release until the SLG2 Autumn Release is available.

 

Well reading Jon Wood's post on SupportNet announcing the release, I'm guessing you've jumped the gun. Unless I've missed the SLG2 Autumn Release.

[Oops_my_bad]

Cheers Matt, I've installed the autumn release of SLG2 so am now in a position to upgrade to the SIMS autumn release too, i don't want to do this until we're certain of how to get SLG to look at the new SIMS database following migration If you know what I mean

[Simcfc73]

@simcfc73

Eh? I've deployed 3.5 without needing to reboot, wonder why I'm so special?

Exams and Reports have stopped working also? Have you dropped the end-users permissions? Can anyone run reports? Is DMS running? What's the error message with exams?

 

@Oops_my_bad

 

 

Well reading Jon Wood's post on SupportNet announcing the release, I'm guessing you've jumped the gun. Unless I've missed the SLG2 Autumn Release.

 

I deployed the agent on another test machine last night and was monitoring it via RDP and that machine did a reboot also after a few minutes.. can't see me deploying it without visiting the computers if they are going to reboot.

 

The Exams and reports stopped working because a user removed a prospective student from admissions.. I checked the event log on the server and their was hundreds of these errors every 30 seconds or so, the weird thing is that they stopped all of a sudden without anyone doing anything after about 5 hours.

 

Event Type: Error

Event Source: MSSQL$SIMS2005

Event Category: (2)

Event ID: 18059

Date: 11/11/2009

Time: 14:25:46

User: *************\JAR

Computer: FULSQL

Description:

The connection has been dropped because the principal that opened it subsequently assumed a new security context, and then tried to reset the connection under its impersonated security context. This scenario is not supported. See "Impersonation Overview" in Books Online.

 

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Data:

0000: 8b 46 00 00 14 00 00 00 ?F......

0008: 10 00 00 00 46 00 55 00 ....F.U.

0010: 4c 00 53 00 51 00 4c 00 L.S.Q.L.

0018: 5c 00 53 00 49 00 4d 00 \.S.I.M.

0020: 53 00 32 00 30 00 30 00 S.2.0.0.

0028: 35 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 5.......

[teaweasel]

I had the same problem with the machines rebooting with SOLUS 3, when I tried out the Beta version, including the server. In my case it was Adobe 9 being automatically installed that caused the reboot!

[GREED]

I can't even download the infrastructure upgrade from SOLUS without it dying on me.

 

I'll be doing Autumn next week I think, leaving SQL2008 update until Easter.

[ianohr]

I'm getting problems with drive mappings and Solus 3.

 

Initially I set up Solus 3 's configuration drive mappings like this:

 

Sims Drive: G

Sims UNC Path: \\simsserver\apps$

 

Sims Setups Drive: G

Sims Setups UNC Path: \\simsserver\apps$\sims\setups

 

Our G: drive is mapped with a GPO driven login script:

Set gObj = Wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Network")
gObj.MapNetworkDrive "g:", "\\simsserver\apps$"

 

When the Solus 3 service is running on the local machine, and the user logs out, the G drive is left in a "half open" state. When the user logs back in, they get a wsh script error saying the G drive cannot be mapped, because the drive letter is in use.

 

When I go into My Computer, the G drive is there, but is listed as:

"Disconnected Network Drive G:"

 

I returned to the Solus 3 Phase 1 manual. It appears that you are supposed to have two different drive mappings, one for Setups and one for Sims. I have now set up both as separate drive mappings and updated the configuration in the SIMS Remote Agent Installer. I now have Z: for Setups and G: for Sims.

 

I removed the agent from the PC, then reinstalled it. Now i get the failed drive mappings for both, with both drive letters blocked by drives with "Disconnected Network Drive"

[vikpaw]

Just wondering: Doesn't that '$' indicate it's a hidden share? Can you use hidden shares?

I haven't read the manual yet or updated, but when i was testing the Beta, i just used a regular share and it worked ok.

[mounters]

When the Solus 3 service is running on the local machine, and the user logs out, the G drive is left in a "half open" state. When the user logs back in, they get a wsh script error saying the G drive cannot be mapped, because the drive letter is in use.

 

When I go into My Computer, the G drive is there, but is listed as:

"Disconnected Network Drive G:"

 

 

Could you not change the logon script to force a disconnect before trying to remap the drive?

[Zorba]

Hi,

 

After successfully deploying the agent to workstations SIMS still does not install. When checking the log file on the client machine (see below) we get an error on the digital signature check. This is the third version of the SIMSInfrastructureSetup.EXE we have tried. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

2009-11-30 16:10:26.1805|Error|CheckSetupSignature(): Digital signature failure for SIMSInfrastructureSetup

2009-11-30 16:10:26.1805|Warn|runSetups(): Installer failed digital signature check: SIMSInfrastructureSetup.EXE

2009-11-30 16:10:26.1805|Info|Check(): Update check complete

[ianohr]

Could you not change the logon script to force a disconnect before trying to remap the drive?

 

I have tried manually, after logging in, to do

net use g: /delete

and to try and right click to disconnect. Neither works. I get:

"The network connection could not be found" in an error box.

 

 

In reply to the question about apps$, we have not had any problems with using a hidden share. All it does is not advertise it's existance. If it is specified by name, then it works fine.