[sims] .Net 4.0 for SIMS Spring Release?

[hutchy]

Hi All,

Was just wondering if anyone knew whether .Net 4.0 is going to be included in the package or if it will have to be installed manually prior to installing the Spring Release?

 

If its the Latter I am going to have a lot of work ahead of me

 

Thanks in advance.

[creese]

Not in the package because it is instalable from Solus 3.

[Banjo]

Not in the package because it is instalable from Solus 3.

 

But when is Solus 3 available ?

[creese]

But when is Solus 3 available ?

 

Now.

 

Phase 2 I think.

 

I'm just trying to get to grips with it.

[Sivadam]

We received this via Email on 5th January:- SOLUS3 3.2.74 - now available!

Then again we trialled SOLUS3.2 (except we had issues at the time which meant we could not fully test it).

It may be that it was not available generally in this format. Though I think it was delivered with the Autumn Upgrade (but I may be mistaken on that score!).

 

Sometimes it's hard to separate Field Trial conditions to Normal Setup conditions! One tends to forget that one is operating under different circumstances!

Edited January 25, 2011 by Sivadam

[Cache]

Last email that was forwarded to me on the subject of Solus 3.2 was that it was going to be a phased rollout over 3 months, it's on my list of things to chase up.

 

(We've had nothing to do with Solus 3 so far)

[glennda]

From the guys at Bett on the Sims stand they said solus would available in the spring release.

[round2it]

For the first time i will give credit to capita with solus 3 it is what i have been waiting for for years.

 

.net 3.5 was installed by solus when i sent the client to our machines

 

the last upgrade we just left the machines on and they upgraded had one or two oddballs but that was due to the machine not solus.

 

it works but could use a few gui tweeks/options but it saves me so much time.

[Stuart_C]

I'm hoping I can use WSUS to drop it on the machines. I am however a bit worried about some of our older machine which I've clogged up the HDD on as it seemed a large install last time I installed it.

[Rawns]

For you LA peeps out there, if your using SOLUS3, did you et it up in each school manually? or give the school instructions on how to?

[superfletch]

Hey Rawns - we haven't distributed Spring to schools yet.

 

It will happen on Monday probably, but as far as SOLUS 3 is concerned we will probably look to go in and set it up (working alongside the IT team) in a few schools who want it first.

 

Hopefully we'll use a handful of Secondaries and a a few Primaries too and this will allow us to draw up realistic (non test environment) instructions pretty quick for the rest as and when they want it.

[creese]

The plan has been that .net4 should be installed on workstations however we are hearing of some potential problems that partner products have with .net4. We are seeing if we can delay the need to go to .net4 and are doing some testing.

 

We will make an announcement as soon as we know more.

 

Posted by Phil Neal on SupportNet 26 January 2011 at 5:50 pm

[vikpaw]

The plan has been that .net4 should be installed on workstations however we are hearing of some potential problems that partner products have with .net4. We are seeing if we can delay the need to go to .net4 and are doing some testing.

 

We will make an announcement as soon as we know more.

 

Posted by Phil Neal on SupportNet 26 January 2011 at 5:50 pm

 

Can't get on SupportNet, internet is slow, due to major flooding

Doesn't Discover rely on .Net 4 ...?

[creese]

Latest News

 

Important News Item - SIMS Infrastructure Upgrade to Microsoft .NET 4.0

 

Background

 

For some time we have been planning to base the SIMS 2011 Spring release on the Microsoft .NET 4.0 framework. This means it requires .NET 4.0 to be deployed to every workstation that runs SIMS. If this is not in place then SIMS will not run. SOLUS 3 helps to automate the process of deploying SIMS and other necessary components such as the .NET 4.0 framework. Based on recent discussions with a range of customers we have concluded that not many have yet deployed the .NET 4 framework to the workstations, or commenced deployment of SOLUS 3. We have therefore taken the decision to defer the introduction of .NET 4.0 until the Summer 2011 release of SIMS. As a result, the forthcoming Spring 2011 release of SIMS will be based on .NET 2.0, inline with the previous release.

 

The deferral of our implementation of the .NET 4.0 framework will give customers longer to deploy SOLUS 3 to support both the SIMS Summer release and SIMS Discover, both of which will be much easier to install using SOLUS 3. More detail on this issue is provided below.

 

Deployment of SOLUS 3 for SIMS Summer 2011 Release

 

It is important that LA and school customers understand the importance of moving quickly to using SOLUS 3 to deploy SIMS software before the SIMS Summer 2011 release.

 

The SIMS Summer release will require .NET 4.0. SOLUS 3 is the best way to deliver the Microsoft .NET framework version 4.0 to SIMS workstations and the server. Without SOLUS3, an upgrade to the .NET infrastructure would require a visit to each workstation with administrator access rights to perform the installation. Once installed and set up, SOLUS 3 will perform this upgrade on all workstations identified as SIMS computers without the need to visit each station. Clearly this will save a significant amount of time compared to performing this on onemachine at a time.

 

One of the main reasons we need to deploy the .NET 4.0 framework is to ensure SIMS is built on the best technical platform possible. This allows us to develop software such as InTouch, SOLUS 3 itself, and SIMS Discover and build in features and functions that would not be possible if we used earlier versions of the framework. Many SIMS Partner products are also planning to take advantage of the benefits that the .NET 4.0 framework delivers.

 

Deployment of SOLUS 3 for SIMS Discover

 

To use SIMS Discover the .NET 4.0 framework must be installed on the server and the workstation. SIMS Discover also requires further infrastructure components to be installed that would take time if done one at a time on individual machines. SOLUS 3 has been designed in such a way as to be able to ‘push’ all the components of Discover onto a SIMS workstation remotely, without the need for a workstation visit. SIMS Discover will be available between the SIMS Spring and Summer releases, around the middle of April 2011. Therefore, those customers wishing to make early use of Discover ought to consider upgrading to SOLUS 3 before the release of Discover itself to make installation straightforward and avoid individual workstation visits.

 

In summary – installing the Microsoft .NET 4.0 framework , the components of SIMS Discover, and the SIMS 2011 Summer release will be a lot simpler for those schools that have deployed SOLUS 3.

 

How to get SOLUS 3

 

The SOLUS 3 field trial has just completed and we are pleased to be able to make the field trial version of the software available for customers to start using now. If you would like access to the SOLUS 3 software, documentation etc please contact Ben Jones ([email protected]) or Jonathan Wood ([email protected]) to request further information on how to proceed.

 

The field trial version of the software is fully upgradeable to the release version of the SOLUS 3. We expect to make this available by the end of February 2011. This will give customers around four months to upgrade to SOLUS 3 in order to support the SIMS Summer 2011 Release in June. Those customers wishing to install SIMS Discover are advised to upgrade to SOLUS 3 before the release of Discover in April.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: It will not be possible to postpone the release of the .NET 4.0 framework beyond the SIMS Summer 2011 release. Those sites that have not successfully installed and upgraded to SOLUS 3 will need to visit each workstation in order to perform any subsequent SIMS Upgrade.

 

For those customers that will apply the .NET 4.0 framework themselves without SOLUS 3, the correct version to install is: ‘Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Extended’

 

If required, you can download the Microsoft .NET framework 4.0 from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=0a391abd-25c1-4fc0-919f-b21f31ab88b7

 

 

Posted: 1st February 2011 by Jonathan Wood

[Sivadam]

Nice one creese!

Had that been me I'd have just posted the SupportNet link to the news item!

Jolly decent of you to drop it all in!

Now wait for the backlash from those that did not realise they needed .net4 for Discover!

Edited February 1, 2011 by Sivadam

[creese]

Nice one creese!

Had that been me I'd have just posted the SupportNet link to the news item!

Jolly decent of you to drop it all in!

Now wait for the backlash from those that did not realise they needed .net4 for Discover!

 

A lot of people say they don't have access to SupportNet, or know what it is so I thought I would copy & paste.

[Sivadam]

If they don't have access to SupportNet then they can't be using SIMS because every user has the automatic right to be a SupportNet member! There is even a direct link via Tools on a user's SIMS Homepage!

 

And any School or LA that wants to restrict this right is doing the user a MASSIVE disfavour!

 

You are right though. I have heard of these self-imposed restrictions! Daft or Wot?

Edited February 1, 2011 by Sivadam

[creese]

It has also just been anounced that Solus 3 will be released at the end of this month.... or beginning of March in Capitaspeak.

[pete]

So because some schools/LAs are incapable of doing 3-8 mouse clicks on a WSUS console*, everyone has to wait? We've known about this requirement for ages.

 

*and for those schools without WSUS.....you're either tiny and pushing 4.0 would take no time whatsoever or you're massive and bizarrely masochistic.

[vikpaw]

So because some schools/LAs are incapable of doing 3-8 mouse clicks on a WSUS console*, everyone has to wait? We've known about this requirement for ages.

 

*and for those schools without WSUS.....you're either tiny and pushing 4.0 would take no time whatsoever or you're massive and bizarrely masochistic.

 

Well, not exactly. You can push 4.0 out, and in fact will have to in order for Discover to work. Using SOLUS 3 will make pushing Discover out easier.

What else was planned for Spring release that relied on .Net 4.0 and is now canned / delayed ?? Is there anything else?

It sounds like it was merely preparatory, and obviously tied in with Discover launch. It must be the Summer release that has things that will only work on 4.0 hence the inability to push it back. Towards June it will defo be interesting to see if things go out on time.

[PhilNeal]

The only other thing that I am aware of that will have to be delayed is the address tidy routinue for importing from MIS systems that are not BS7666 standard.

 

We are also aware of a minor issue with RM's network and .net4 for which there is a workaround and I was told yesterday that Sophos needs a fix too.

[nickbro]

Over the RM Communities, it's being reported that Capita are going to hold off until the summer release for .net 4.

[Sivadam]

Not if you want to use SIMS Discover! You need it!

[creese]

Over the RM Communities, it's being reported that Capita are going to hold off until the summer release for .net 4.

 

You would think someone would have mentioned it on this thread too.

[Sivadam]

Anybody using Schoolcomms, who upgrades to Version 7.2, will need .net4 as well. It actually installs as part of the Upgrade.

On one workstation we encountered an RM issue. The support guys at Schoolcomms were aware of the issue and sorted it very quickly. No point asking me what the issue was as I just ain't that technical!

I already had .net4 on my workstation as part of the Discover Field Trial and did not experience any issue when I upgraded my version of Schoolcomms.