[sims] Deploying SIMS update to workstations with hidden C drive

[IT_Man_Dan]

Morning all,

 

Does anyone know a good way to deploy SIMS.NET (update) to workstations that staff have the C drive hidden on?

At my old workplace it wasn't an issue as all staff had their own workstation and they had access to C drive so SIMS auto updated fine.

 

Where I am now there is just a teacher pc in every classroom with CSE on and staff don't have access to C drive.

 

Obviously I could just give access to c drive to staff for a week or so to allow all worksatations to be updated but I was just wondering if there's another way?

 

I thought about trying to create a PRISM package and deploying that to workstations to see if that works.

 

Any advice is much appreciated :-)

 

Cheers

[matt40k]

SOLUS3

[IT_Man_Dan]

How can I get SOLUS 3?

 

I'm in Sussex so I don't think we can use SOLUS 3 yet?

[matt40k]

I would image they're currently working on a plan to roll it out. I would give them a ring and see what they say. Are you in the SIMS only package?

[3s-gtech]

Our C drives are hidden, SIMS updates fine....

[MYK-IT]

Our C drives are hidden, SIMS updates fine....

 

Same here, just run the standard sims.net and automatically installs (any available) update

[IT_Man_Dan]

Sorry I meant users don't have permission to write/modify C drive.

 

I haven't tried running the update myself yet, I'm just going on the info relayed to me via the old ICT systems manager.

Maybe I should just try it and see what happens

 

Thanks

[zippo]

If the update is contained within an MSI - then the CSE Application Deployment system can send that out to those stations that require it. The deployment system runs behind the OS using the Network Service account and will not have any issue installing the package onto the PC's. The package would neet to be run using the /q switch - just make sure that the MSI supports that. Remember that since it is installing in the background - the installer must be able to run without any operator intervention - otherwise the process can hang waiting for a non-existant user to respond to a non-existant prompt

[3s-gtech]

You can deploy a script on installation (used to be simsperms - not sure if that's gone now?) which sets the appropriate permissions. I just do it manually on builds, giving Teachers write to C:\Program Files\SIMS. Not 100% that this is enough on Windows 7 though, not had enough updates to check.

[glennda]

Dan you just have to make sure the end user has read/write access to the following directory's/files. Can all be setup using Group Policy preferences you don't have to give them access to any other files. If they don't have permissions to these files it tends to kick up a fuss.

 

C:\Program Files\Sims Edit: - This is the program files installation directory

C:\Windows\Sims.ini Edit: - this is where the information about version types etc is stored.

 

What part of W Sussex are you in? I'm here too!

[glennda]

Oh and now we don't have Solus 3 Yet - although now the LEA support team is Capita we should hopefully get it soon!

[IT_Man_Dan]

Thanks for your help guys.

 

@glennda Thanks for the info.

I'm in Burgess Hill, where are you? :-)

 

Thanks

Dan

[Stuart_C]

On the sims serve in the setups folder is a file called "SimsPerm.bat" you can look at it see what security settings you need configured and then sset those via GP. I have a feeling that you also need access to c:\windows\sim.ini as well.

 

But once it's all set up in GP you can forget about it. I have and everything (almost) always works fine with hidden C: drives.

[vikpaw]

On the sims serve in the setups folder is a file called "SimsPerm.bat" you can look at it see what security settings you need configured and then sset those via GP. I have a feeling that you also need access to c:\windows\sim.ini as well.

 

But once it's all set up in GP you can forget about it. I have and everything (almost) always works fine with hidden C: drives.

 

Worth noting: I recall there was a thread about simsperm and it's usage with Windows 7, some changes were needed. Not sure if the one in setups folder is up to date with Win7.

I'm surprised there have been no issues with SIMS if the users have not got edit permissions on at least part of the C drive, i normally, say give them access to the temp folders as well.

[matt40k]

Look at the date of SIMSPERM.bat - how old school. SOLUS3, only thing you need to change is the firewall - if you bother to have it switched on, on the workstations!

 

Still having said that I still have a folder on the root of C: called SIMS for Nova-T satellite etc which I give "SIMS Admins" full control of, but other then that.

[glennda]

@Matt40uk myself and Dan are in the same lea, the lea support team has just been taken over by capita (along with all of wscc's it) so as believe We are going to get solus3 by next summer. I've said I'll be a guinea pig for there rollout of solus 3. So Hopefully ill have it in time for the spring update to test for the summer rollout programme

[IT_Man_Dan]

Grrr.... Not as straight forward as I thought.

 

I went into group policy prefs and gave staff modify rights to

%programFiles%\sims

&

%systemroot%\sims.ini

but the upgrade still doesn't run under a staff user.

 

At the mo as a temp fix I've written a batch file to run:

simsapplicationsetup

simsamparksetup &

simsmanualsetup

 

I've put this in the login script for a user that I've created with full C drive access and it logs in, runs fine, and then reboots the pc.

 

Not ideal though. I guess it's CSE blocking it?!

[matt40k]

Like I said in another thread. Check the permissions on the temp folder(s).