[sims] Multiple servers in connect.ini

[fredted40x]

Hi,

 

A member of staff has joined us who required SIMS for our school, the problem comes when she also needs access to other schools SIMS as she moves around the schools in our area.

 

I've seen on this forum how to connect to multiple databases but i cant seem to find a simple solution to let her connect to whichever server she needs to collect data from.

 

Can anyone think of a way around this without 5 laptops?

 

Thanks

[FN-GM]

There is something you can add to the .ini file so it give you a drop down box on the login screen to select the correct sims database.

 

But it might not work as nice as you think. If one school updates sims and the other doesn't. You will have a mismatch of versions of sims server install and the client on the laptop. She might not be able to use sims on the laptop with schools running the older version after the upgrade has taken place on her laptop.

Edited October 1, 2011 by FN-GM

[vikpaw]

Check this thread:

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/mis-systems/45766-sims-net-multiple-connect-ini-files.html

 

This could work if you can refer to the servers at different locations, but as fn-gm says could cause issues if the version is wrong. I'd say look at remote desktop / terminal services to access the remote locations.

 

Are you a support team? So it is the case that you hold multiple servers centrally? In which case it should be fine, just make sure she has access to multiple desktops virtual or otherwise with different editions of the client. It should warn her that the db is incompatible, but may also just start to run the upgrade, so could be worth taking out the simsload part of the link, and only using pulsar and manually updating her workstation.

[fredted40x]

Thanks to both of you.

 

Yes we have just experienced the incompatible database as our c drives were locked down to tight but never thought of that affecting this.

 

Good idea about the virtuals. We have a couple of virtual machines for testing so that could be a really simple solution. At least we can say that our school has provided a solution. I will say to other schools what our plans are and then i will see what they do.

 

I've only just started working in IT so dont know much about sims at the mo. Does all the data get pulled of the schools servers and collected by the council?

[vikpaw]

The councils / government will want some data (Returns / CENSUS), however it's mostly pushed at fixed times. There are some things that get pulled out on a schedule. By no means all data though.