Beduffshirl Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 It sounds to me as if you are being quoted for time to install SIMS on 21 machines. To be frank 2 days seems excessive and with SOLUS3 you can do it from an office at city hall. Solus 3 isn't available to Birmingham and as one of the current threads in the technical forum on supportnet suggests there doesn't appear to be a published time scale for any LA's who don't have it yet. 1
PhilNeal Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 SOLUS3 is on general release from spring around mid/late March.
Little-Miss Posted January 18, 2011 Author Posted January 18, 2011 I created a batch file that silently installs sims during MDT/SCCM Deployment, and also copies a pre-configured Connect.ini and SIMS.ini file to the PC Do you still have that somewhere dude?
Gatt Posted January 18, 2011 Posted January 18, 2011 Do you still have that somewhere dude? Here it is... @echo off net use S: \\SIMSSERVER\SIMS-SHARE <> /user:<> S:\SIMS\Setups\simsinfrastructuresetup.exe -a {QuietMode} {SIMSWorkstation} {FMSWorkstation} S:\SIMS\Setups\simsapplicationSetup.exe /S {QuietMode} [sIMSDirectory]="S:\SIMS" [sIMSDotNetDirectory]="C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net" S:\SIMS\Setups\simsmanualSetup.exe /S {QuietMode} [sIMSDirectory]="S:\SIMS" [sIMSDotNetDirectory]="C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net" S:\SIMS\Setups\simsamparkSetup.exe /S {QuietMode} [sIMSDirectory]="S:\SIMS" [sIMSDotNetDirectory]="C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net" XCopy S:\connect.ini "C:\Program Files\SIMS\Sims .net" /y XCopy S:\SIMS.ini "C:\Windows" /yMake sure you have a working CONNECT.INI and SIMS.INI in the Root of the S:\ drive This ensures that users aren't prompted to locate the CONNECT.INI The SIMS.INI may or may not be needed - but make sure it can contact the SIMS server so that users can update SIMS I have also set GPO permissions on the C:\Program Files\SIMS folder so that Staff have Full Control for updating.. 1
Little-Miss Posted January 19, 2011 Author Posted January 19, 2011 SIMSINST.exe is the package installer, the other .exe files are the individual components. The workstation component is SIMSApplicationSetup.exe I'm confuzzled as ive done it both ways now. On a workstation do i want to do SIMSINST.exe or SIMSApplicationSetup.exe?
Little-Miss Posted January 19, 2011 Author Posted January 19, 2011 Ok, also the connect.ini... That needs to be copied locally to the machine? Not point to an edited one on the network? 1
witch Posted January 19, 2011 Posted January 19, 2011 These are my instructions - obviously wont quite be the same for you but may help a bit: To make ready the laptops for SIMS: Navigate to Setups, SIMSInst.exe Make sure default is to run only on this machine via network Will finish: OK Reboot machine Log on as administrator C:\program files\sims\sims.net Create a txt document (rc new text doc) then change it to connect.ini Inside: [sIMSConnection] Redirect=S:\ (or whatever your SIMS drive is) Save it like this Log on as the user Start, all programs, SIMS Applications, SIMS.net) Might Help! 1
Gatt Posted January 19, 2011 Posted January 19, 2011 I think the connect.ini file needs to point to S:\SIMS Or whatever your SIMS Drive letter is As for SIMSINST vs the .exes If you are setting up 1 PC to use SIMS then use the SIMSINST file I tend to use the individual ones 1) For Deployments via MDT/SCCM 2) If a PC hasn't updated properly after a SIMS update then I run each of the files individually (in the same order as my batch file but with not switches... the C:\Windows\SIMS.ini file is the one that you needt o make sure is right for the update to work specifically this line: SIMSSetupsDirectoy=\\<>\<>\SIMS\Setups 1
Little-Miss Posted January 19, 2011 Author Posted January 19, 2011 Brill Witch! Thank you! *edit* must press refresh! Thanks Gatt!
vikpaw Posted January 19, 2011 Posted January 19, 2011 The only slight mod i would make, which may save a little faff, is to follow witch's instructions but after reboot, just run SIMS as administrator (to ensure permissions are there - important on win7). It should ask you to locate a connect.ini file, so you can just browse to the one on your S drive. It will then create the local one for you.
Gatt Posted January 19, 2011 Posted January 19, 2011 @Vikpaw - thats fine for a small handful of PCs.. but thats a lot of wasted time going round each PC, logging them in, loading SIMS and settings the Connet.ini file manually..
vikpaw Posted January 19, 2011 Posted January 19, 2011 @Gatt - of course. if you can script it, then all the better. i just meant on the instructions given by witch, for small installs. We actually do it once to our image and then push that out to the PCs so in theory only ever do it again for a new image or repairs jobs.
Little-Miss Posted January 19, 2011 Author Posted January 19, 2011 Ok, still messing with the installs. When i load SIMS.net it sits for a bout 2 minutes checking digital signature or something like that....on the update screen before giving me the logon box, i've done it a couple of times. Is there something causing this?
mac_shinobi Posted January 19, 2011 Posted January 19, 2011 wasnt there a variable enviroment path you have to add and do something funky ie assign it a value or something ( going off memory from a long time ago before you do sims inst or anything else ) 1
Little-Miss Posted January 20, 2011 Author Posted January 20, 2011 I'm sure that meant something to someone mac_shinobi, but not me im afraid. I'll thank you anyway lol! Anyone?
mac_shinobi Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 (edited) Prolly not required anymore - I was thinking of the enviroment variable LANID as per this thread http://www.edugeek.net/forums/mis-systems/24899-set-environment-message-when-running-sims-net-rm-school.html Obviously the RM network side may not be relevant to yourself - not even sure if the LAN ID enviroment variable will be either. As per vikpaw I dont think LAN ID is required http://www.edugeek.net/forums/mis-systems/50764-sims-net-install-guide-required.html Attached word document is what I found via google - not sure if this is the latest guide294200813944_SIMSnetWorkstationSetupPlusFMSandLauncherv305.doc Edited January 20, 2011 by mac_shinobi
ChrisJ Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 Ok, still messing with the installs. When i load SIMS.net it sits for a bout 2 minutes checking digital signature or something like that....on the update screen before giving me the logon box, i've done it a couple of times. Is there something causing this? First time you run it each day it checks with the server for any updates. I believe it checks C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net\SIMSLoad.ini and updates this file as needed. Are your users able to modify this file?
matt40k Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 It's normally the SIMS central server bit that does it, run SIMS on the server as administrator normally fixes it.
vikpaw Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 wasnt there a variable enviroment path you have to add and do something funky ie assign it a value or something ( going off memory from a long time ago before you do sims inst or anything else ) Yep LanID. That was for the old SIMS launcher - relic modules. First time you run it each day it checks with the server for any updates. I believe it checks C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net\SIMSLoad.ini and updates this file as needed. Are your users able to modify this file? Yes it looks in that file for the version of i think it's the simsapplicationsetup file, to make sure that an update isn't needed. If it is, it runs it, if not then it loads SIMS. I've built an app, designed for laptops that does the comparison and then gives the user the option to go ahead with the upgrade or hold off, which prevents a laptop being crippled whilst on wireless. Hardly use it now, but can dig it out if it's of interest for testing. relies on mapped drive being S:, though another version did ask for the drive for testing purposes. I think the issue is really the speed of connecting to the network. Run SIMS on the server as matt40k said to see how it runs there and it might improve performance. There could be something lagging in your setup, if you're clients are on a different vlan i.e. classroom side rather than admin. For testing you can just run pulsar.exe or whatever the name of the parameter is that usually goes with simsload.exe. This will just load sims without doing the update checks. See if that helps out. 1
Little-Miss Posted January 21, 2011 Author Posted January 21, 2011 (edited) Ok, SIMS on the server runs instantly. My workstation seems to reinstall SIMS central server setup each time... pulsar is a handy tip.. Edited January 21, 2011 by Little-Miss
vikpaw Posted January 22, 2011 Posted January 22, 2011 Ok, SIMS on the server runs instantly. My workstation seems to reinstall SIMS central server setup each time... pulsar is a handy tip.. Are you running as administrator? Wondering if it needs to save some changes locally to stop that check happening every time. Also, is it quick on the admin network?
vikpaw Posted January 22, 2011 Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) Just a thought because i had a similar case logged this morning: Stuck on SIMS central server setup, then crashing out with an exception. I went and saw it was taking a long time to load. When i checked the user was not connected to the S drive. This was because they hadn't logged off since Tuesday which was when i'd rebooted the server. Even if i hadn't done a reboot, quite often, on startup, not all drives are immediately connected and this could be an issue. It might be worth accessing the S (i'm assuming your SIMS drive is S) drive first before running SIMS to make sure you have connectivity. If you are logging in, and trying to runs SIMS straight away, yet there is a lag or it's still connecting, then it will just halt until it can find the server. For my case, i left it hanging and opened the S drive, which had a red X but then connected okay. After which SIMS eventually loaded and gave the login box. On the next attempt, it was immediate. Edited January 22, 2011 by vikpaw typo 1
CAM Posted January 22, 2011 Posted January 22, 2011 Thanks Vik! I have been having that error occurring for 3 years without a clue what was causing it!
vikpaw Posted January 23, 2011 Posted January 23, 2011 Thanks Vik! I have been having that error occurring for 3 years without a clue what was causing it! sweet has that fixed it then?
Little-Miss Posted January 24, 2011 Author Posted January 24, 2011 Ok, Users have to be part of our MIS group to get access to SIMS. I know that bit.... Do users have to have full control of the SIMS folder?
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