[sims] SOLUS3 - Auto download to agent

[Rawns]

My understanding of the 'Auto download to agent' setting in SOLUS3 is that if we release the SIMS Summer upgrade to a school, their SOLUS3 instance will check for updates and download the full SIMS Summer package. Once downloaded to their repository, and as long as 'auto download to agent' is enabled, their SOLUS3 instance should then push the Workstation upgrade components to any SIMS workstations between the specified time ready for the upgrade to be 'deployed'.

 

Well, we have the 'auto download to agents' setting enabled in all of our SOLUS3 schools and it's set to run between 00:00 and 23:59. This morning, I authorised the SIMS Summer upgrade to one school that have 94 SIMS workstations. The upgrade has been downloaded into their instance and is scheduled to be deployed for installation at 19:00. Between authorising the upgrade this morning, and making my final checks on the school server now, there appears to be no attempt by SOLUS3 to distribute the upgrade components to the SIMS workstations ready for the install.

 

Am I right in my thinking of how this option should work? If so, why has it not pushed out the workstation components in preparation for the upgrade installation?

[Rawns]

Resolved. Seems in the SOLUS3 environment, the default sims.ini was not specified (not that I would assume this made any difference at all!) however specifying the default sims.ini suddenly kicked SOLUS3 into pushing out the upgrade files.

[Wayne_K]

Can you explain, how your SIMS.INI differed please?

 

I have seen a similair scenario and had to stop and start services and alter the time ranges in-order for the update files to be downloaded to the agents.

 

AFAIK - the SIMS.INI I have set on my sites are correct.

[Rawns]

I just never actually added it to the SOLUS3 environment when I set it up.

 

Still don't see how this can stop upgrade files being distributed in preparation for an upgrade.

[Cache]

We're planing to do our SIMS upgrade tomorrow and reading this, I've just spotted our clients haven't downloaded the update files in advance either - but they always did in the past!

 

Think tomorrow might be a long day....

[Rawns]

We're planing to do our SIMS upgrade tomorrow and reading this, I've just spotted our clients haven't downloaded the update files in advance either - but they always did in the past!

 

Think tomorrow might be a long day....

 

Be wroth checking the auto download to agent settings in your S3 environment and see if you've defined a SIMS, Connect and FMSConnect.ini. If not, add them and then see if the agents receive the upgrade before hand.

[Cache]

Yep, all 3 are configured in Solus and I even deployed a new machine before hand and it pulled all the correct ini files before the upgrade so don't know what was up, tried altering the times and didn't seem to make any difference. Eventually got it pushed arround everywhere apart from a few offline machines I can't get access to to switch on and start a redeploy (since it's not doing them automatically when they come online)...

 

Edit: Just checked something now, and after deploying the update, it's gone and pushed some other packages out to clients, whatever they are I don't know since we've done the AMPARK update but the auto-download seems to have started again....

Edited July 12, 2012 by Cache

[mattpant]

I'm having the same issue, I'm trying to use the "Auto Download to Agents" feature of Solus3 to send out all the setup/update files to clients prior to "Deploying" it. I can see about 15 computers (out of 103) that show up saying "Successfully finished dowloading update" but the remainder that are online don't appear to have done anything. My time frame is set as 09:00 - 17:00.

 

I can't seem to find a report to show if machines have downloaded the updates files, nor does anything appear to show up in the Solus 3 agent window to suggest that there is files been download waiting for deployment. Does anybody know where on the actual client computer these updates files "sit" waiting for deployement? I've looked in Program Files\Solus3 and the Sims.net folders.

 

Also, I read in a posting above about making sure that the Default SIMS.INI infomation is setup within the Solus3 Deployment Serivce Workstation settings for this to work. Does anybody know what the minimum is needed to put into a text file and save it as SIMS.INI should be, I know your not suppose to copy it from another computer as the SIMS.ini file is created specifically for settings on that computer, and some sims.ini files on workstations seem to be quite "bloated"!

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[Rawns]

I'm having the same issue, I'm trying to use the "Auto Download to Agents" feature of Solus3 to send out all the setup/update files to clients prior to "Deploying" it. I can see about 15 computers (out of 103) that show up saying "Successfully finished dowloading update" but the remainder that are online don't appear to have done anything. My time frame is set as 09:00 - 17:00.

 

I can't seem to find a report to show if machines have downloaded the updates files, nor does anything appear to show up in the Solus 3 agent window to suggest that there is files been download waiting for deployment. Does anybody know where on the actual client computer these updates files "sit" waiting for deployement? I've looked in Program Files\Solus3 and the Sims.net folders.

 

Also, I read in a posting above about making sure that the Default SIMS.INI infomation is setup within the Solus3 Deployment Serivce Workstation settings for this to work. Does anybody know what the minimum is needed to put into a text file and save it as SIMS.INI should be, I know your not suppose to copy it from another computer as the SIMS.ini file is created specifically for settings on that computer, and some sims.ini files on workstations seem to be quite "bloated"!

 

Thanks

 

Matt

 

Deployment packages are stored here on Windows 7: C:\Users\All Users\Capita\Solus3\Packages. Good luck deciphering the Deployment ID's though!!!

 

Our default SIMS.INI is basic:

 

[setup]

SIMSDirectory=S:\SIMS

Folder=SIMS Applications

Edited April 18, 2013 by Rawns

[mattpant]

Thanks Rawns,

 

I've put those details in... does anybody have any idea why only 15 computers out of the 103 in Solus3 are showing up as "Successfully finished downloading the update"? None of the other machines have changed all day? Is there any kind of report that can be run to show which machines have received the updates files, as the message in the Solus3 Agent windows vanishes after some time.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[Rawns]

Thanks Rawns,

 

I've put those details in... does anybody have any idea why only 15 computers out of the 103 in Solus3 are showing up as "Successfully finished downloading the update"? None of the other machines have changed all day? Is there any kind of report that can be run to show which machines have received the updates files, as the message in the Solus3 Agent windows vanishes after some time.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

 

Connect.ini and FMSConnect.ini configured in SOLUS3 too?

 

Also, are all those workstations part of the SIMS Workstation group?

 

They may have already had the update. I've noticed that sometimes, the last message received just vanishes from the message column in the SOLUS3 UI.

 

Also worth doing a 'Check Agent Status' to some of the devices tyou think have not had the package just to ensure they "really" are online and they don't return any offline/firewall/WMI errors.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Rawns

[mattpant]

Yes, Connect.ini and FMSConnect.ini was already in place, it was just the SIMS.ini that was not there, But it didn't appear to actually make any difference it not being there when deploying a new workstations!

 

Check Agent Status get's a "good" reply...

 

SIMS Workstation Group?? Whats that?? Or do you simply mean when you go into define which computers are set to have SIMS installed on them from Update Enviroment? If so, yes they are.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[Rawns]

Yes, Connect.ini and FMSConnect.ini was already in place, it was just the SIMS.ini that was not there, But it didn't appear to actually make any difference it not being there when deploying a new workstations!

 

Check Agent Status get's a "good" reply...

 

SIMS Workstation Group?? Whats that?? Or do you simply mean when you go into define which computers are set to have SIMS installed on them from Update Enviroment? If so, yes they are.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

 

Yep, that's what I meant. Sounds like they may already have the update and the message has cleared. Maybe compare some devices that have it to suspect devices that dont, check the above path and try to identify the SIMS workstation package to see if they both have it.

[mattpant]

I've just looked in a few of the machines that is not showing the message under agents, and there is nothing with todays date stamp under the ...Capita\Solus3\Packages folder so it doesn't look like it has.

 

I have raised the issue with our local LEA, who have logged it with Capita, so hopefully we will find the answer soon!

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Matt

[Rawns]

I've just looked in a few of the machines that is not showing the message under agents, and there is nothing with todays date stamp under the ...Capita\Solus3\Packages folder so it doesn't look like it has.

 

I have raised the issue with our local LEA, who have logged it with Capita, so hopefully we will find the answer soon!

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Matt

 

You mean C:\Users\All Users\Capita\Solus3\Deployments? I think the packages are stored in this folder, and then moved into C:\Users\All Users\Capita\Solus3\Deployments\Packages when they are being installed.

[mattpant]

Yes, there's nothing in either the \Deployments or the \Deployments\Packages folder with todays date stamp on with the machines that are not showing the "Successfully finished dowloading update", the machines that are showing this message do have files in those folders with todays date stamp.

 

Sorry, I put the ...All Users\Capita\Solus3\Deployments path in, as some of the machines are Windows XP and use a different path!

 

Cheers

 

Matt

[Rawns]

You mean C:\Users\All Users\Capita\Solus3\Deployments? I think the packages are stored in this folder, and then moved into C:\Users\All Users\Capita\Solus3\Deployments\Packages when they are being installed.

 

Sorry forgot to ask, what version of SOLUS3 are you guys running? If your still on on 118, have you applied the S3 Hotfix for Target Discovery? There was an issue where SOLUS3 was not picking up online devices correctly and pushing out the updates. Sounds like it could be this issue.

[mattpant]

Sorry forgot to ask, what version of SOLUS3 are you guys running? If your still on on 118, have you applied the S3 Hotfix for Target Discovery? There was an issue where SOLUS3 was not picking up online devices correctly and pushing out the updates. Sounds like it could be this issue.

 

We are using the latest version of Solus3 - 3.5.20 I think it is?!?

 

Thanks

[Rawns]

Latest than so that should not be an issue. I'm outta ideas but will be curious to know what the issue is when you find out. Be sure to update the thread!

[mattpant]

Thanks Rawns for the input you've given me, once we get to the bottom of the issue I will be sure to keep you updated!

 

Many Thanks

 

Matt

[mattpant]

A little update, but nothing too exciting!!

 

This job was logged with the Capita Service desk by our LEA last Thursday, we've been given a case reference number but so far have heard NOTHING back! I don't know how long we should be waiting for some kind of response to the issue from their support teams?

 

Cheers

 

Matt

[Rawns]

A little update, but nothing too exciting!!

 

This job was logged with the Capita Service desk by our LEA last Thursday, we've been given a case reference number but so far have heard NOTHING back! I don't know how long we should be waiting for some kind of response to the issue from their support teams?

 

Cheers

 

Matt

 

I work at our LA and Capita usually get back to me within 1-2 days (sometimes 3-4 if busy) when I log calls with them, so it may be worth chasing with your LA support unit? Saying that, I had a call from the Capita service desk yesterday regarding a case I logged and was told that the support desk is getting slaughtered by calls from sites with this homepage and excessive CPU usage issue introduced in the Spring upgrade.

[mattpant]

I work at our LA and Capita usually get back to me within 1-2 days (sometimes 3-4 if busy) when I log calls with them, so it may be worth chasing with your LA support unit? Saying that, I had a call from the Capita service desk yesterday regarding a case I logged and was told that the support desk is getting slaughtered by calls from sites with this homepage and excessive CPU usage issue introduced in the Spring upgrade.

 

Thanks,

 

I kinda though that due to the recent Sims update that the support desk would be bombarded with issues and would be taking longer to respond!

 

Will keep you posted!

[magicaltrevor83]

I'd be really interested to hear the outcome too. I have just installed SOLUS3 (to replace 2) and already have a couple of calls open with Capita with other issues. I have just noticed that I have only seen one agent state that the download is complete - and my PC which was the first agent to be installed nearly a week ago has not downloaded the awaiting update. Deployment and Packages folder just empty.

 

Not great!

[mattpant]

I'm STILL waiting to hear anything back!!! I'd have thought I'd have heard something by now :-(