bantonia

Finally got a working OpenZIS, thanks to the help of Christopher Whiteley. Ok, can anyone let me know how do I get access to the SIMS SIF Agent, if there is one? Or do I have to modify my current Web Service access into SIMS via CommandReporter.exe to be compatible with SIF? Currently it uses SOAP calls, passing the command line to the Web Service and sends an array of data in a SOAP message back to the client, at least it would have read access. Thanks in advance.

Cheers. I assume as this is fairly new that OpenZIS would not support SOAP and WSDL anyway although any new server needs to implement 2.5 and any older servers would need that function added. It appears from the 59 page pdf document that servers will need to support both SIF and SOAP message types and therefore translate between the two.

It appears there is confusion within the 2.5 SIF documentation one states, extract from the first pdf on page http://specification.sifinfo.org/Implementation/us/2.5/: To do so and to meet the final requirement of a Web Service per [WSARCH], the use of SOAP messages, would require redefinition of much of SIF using SOAP messages. The SIF Association's Web Services Task Force has determined that this exercise has little value currently, given SIF's precisely defined transport layer and installed base. The task force has left it as a future task how to best leverage Web Services in the future of SIF's infrastructure, if at all. Whereas further down the same web page a link to a zipped archive of WSDL files. Has someone not proof read the pdf or am I getting the wrong end of the stick? Anyway, OpenZIS still non-functional.

SIF Version 2.5, extract in an earlier post states, but in my translation, "We're not going to bother with SOAP and WSDL as it's too much hassle". The problem is development time is going to be increased and errors introduced if each vendor creates their own flavour of the messaging system. Anyway, it's all academic without access to a working ZIT to test against. The sql scripts which had interesting spelling of "archive", for I think, 3 of the table names, which I hope is reflected in the code, these tables had been truncated removing the "archeve" (note the spelling) so duplicate tables were trying to be created. So got around that problem by adding on the incorrectly spelled extension to those tables. After configuring Apache with 2 virtual sites using the information from Installation « OpenZIS UK, I know it's a different flavour of Linux, I use OpenSuSE, I eventually opened a browser to see a login box. I quick trawl through the database to find a username and password to find admin admin to eventually hit "Authentication server is unreachable". Looking at the Apache logs it's trying to find a file in the root of the ADMIN_SERVER directory called "index" however the only file there of any import is index.php. Ok, have a look through the .js files and find the code where the "index" reference is used and change it to "index.php". Good, got further, it says "Connecting Sending data". However it never completes. Looking in the "logs" directory in the .xml file created there it says "login is not a recognised .....", or something like that. Anyway, editing the beginning of the same .js file to by-pass the authentication I do get to a configuration interface. So that is where I'm at. Until I get any further SIF is on the shelf. P.S. The error in the "recordshelf-log.xml" file was Invalid controller specified (login) and the file I was editing "mainExt.js" line 228

The thing is, I can currently do that with SOAP to pull data out of SIMS and store it in an intermediate database and use it as I wish http://www.beaconhillcott.net/ but to increase the use of SIF and ZIS would it not be better to empower programmers access to the interface by creating open source libraries or via WSDL which everyone can share. If you do want to put a price tag on your connection you could have a switch to turn that feature on if required. I've also begun creating access indirectly to Moodle via SOAP/WSDL using the REST library I created. With the intermediate glue between the two systems I'm able to keep users and classes up to date. Obviously I would like to use SIF but at present it means there would be a large development process to overcome which some already have covered.

Skipped a few pages in between as I wanted to get to the SOAP and WSDL like the specification was teasing! Overall I agree with the ideals it sounds good but as a programmer I don't particularly want to start from scratch having to interpret accurately most of the 283 pages before I got to the disappointing statement. Currently there are, as far as I know, no open source libraries, certified or otherwise in any programming language to create SIF messages. I tried to install OpenZIS yesterday as a test site and eventually came to a brick wall. There were also comments on GitHub that OpenZIS is no longer developed, how accurate that is I personally do not know, I may be passing on mis-information. I would be very happy to be stand corrected. So with ZIT server not working so nothing to test against, I am reluctant to spend the time and effort to move away from something I already have working via SOAP albeit not to the same ideals as SIF. As for other vendors, everyone seems to be keeping their own developments regarding SIF very close to their chests as it is a commercially viable product. Open specification is one thing but open source is quite another factor which needs to be addressed to enable the proliferation in use of the specification.

SIF sounds good according to the specification and I was particularly interested when I looked at the Abstract: An alternative SOAP-based transport and corresponding set of WSDL files which allow web services to fully participate in these interactions; But was disappointed when I got to page 283 which stated: To do so and to meet the final requirement of a Web Service per [WSARCH], the use of SOAP messages, would require redefinition of much of SIF using SOAP messages. The SIF Association's Web Services Task Force has determined that this exercise has little value currently, given SIF's precisely defined transport layer and installed base. The task force has left it as a future task how to best leverage Web Services in the future of SIF's infrastructure, if at all. To not support SOAP and WSDL is probably going to limit the takeup of SIF as there are no tools to create interfaces for the programming language being used. Each vendor would have to start from scratch from the specification. Is there any possibility of web services via SOAP? It is a standard, whereas SIF, although well thought out, does not help its uptake by being just another xml based protocol to get ones head around in terms of programming from the bottom up. Currently I've gone my own way using SOAP to interface between SIMS and Moodle. To use SIF via SOAP and WSDL would be ideal but until that's available I'll stick to what I've got. Next part to do, SIMS to AD via SOAP using C#! I already run CommandReporter.exe via web services and SOAP so it's just the AD client part to do, the WSDL is already generated.

We do something similar but does not require links to AD apart from authentication. I've created a Java app which is run via cron on Linux which accesses the SIMS CommandReporter tool by RMI. This extracts the required data for Staff, Students and Classes by running SIMS reports and creates an intermediate MySQL database. Any new users and classes are created in Moodle via web services. The final part is to use database enrollment into the classes created from SIMS. These classes are not used directly but are used to populate courses with meta links to the SIMS classes within Moodle. One thing which is also needed is the usernames of students and staff added to SIMS in a UDF. I am going to change the access into SIMS a bit by moving the extraction of the data via CommandReporter, instead of using RMI I'm going to use web services on a GlassFish install on the SIMS server. It still extracts the data via reports but the server part is less likely to be shut down than that currently in use by RMI. The web service creates WSDL file so can be used by other languages instead of being tied to Java. So if you want to code in C# you can still extract the data from SIMS via web services. The web service software can be downloaded from http://www.beaconhillcott.net, it is in the "dist" sub-directory of the zipped NetBeans project.

Hi, Just for information really, I've been updating the way I access SIMS reports remotely and have created a .war file which will run via a GlassFish server installed on either a SIMS workstation or server. It creates a WSDL file automatically which can be used to generate artifacts in the programming language of your choice. Anyway, it can be downloaded from: http://www.beaconhillcott.net Happy programming, (I hope!)

Hi Zag, I run reports in batch and have done so for quite some time using a library and RMI server I've developed in Java. The data is sent directly as objects back to the client from multiple reports. Client running on Linux or MS Windows if you want to. Can also use data from SIMS in a desktop Java app but the response is slow due to the speed of running reports. For example, creating comboboxes in a Java app or applet from data derived from a report, amongst other widgets etc.

Hi, I use a Java application I've written running via a cron job. Runs various SIMS reports remotely and gathers student, staff and class details. Staff, student and SIMS classes in Moodle are created/deleted as required via Moodle web services using REST protocols. Currently a separate database holds details of who is attached to which SIMS class/course and this is used for database enrollment. The SIMS classes/courses are then used as sources for meta enrollment for Moodle courses. Here are links to the Java libraries I've created to do this, however I haven't as yet released the code for the sync routine. Works and it's free! MoodleRest Java Library | Free software downloads at SourceForge.net SIMS CommandReporter Java API | Free software downloads at SourceForge.net Ignore the single not recommended on the second download, they obviously knew not what they were doing or were trying to divert attention, I've been running SIMS reports remotely for some time without problems.

Hi Matt, There is probably some sort of caveat and someone might find something to make this type of authentication problematic. By the way, I had also in place that the IP address of the originator of the communication was stored in the MySQL database attached to the token so if the token was intercepted on route back to client and used with a different IP address the communication would fail to that new address. The only problem I had was that traffic was going via a Apache redirector so the Glassfish server saw the originator as the Apache server all the time, probably I haven' t got the settings correct there!

In what way?

Hi Matt, What I did for proof of concept was to use the email address of the primary contact(s), ie parent/carer would login using their email address as the username/password. Once this was verified in the SIMS database (by running a report, not "Business Objects"), an email would be sent to that address with links containing a time dependent token which was stored temporarily in a MySQL database. If there was more than one child then multiple links would be sent in the email. Each time the parent/carer set up the initial communication the tokens would be different, the connection between token and the identity of the student was stored with a copy of the token in the MySQL database. The link could go back to a server using https so the content returned would be encrypted. The server software I used was Glassfish running Java servlets. The data returned appeared on various pages reporting on attendance, behaviour, class details, timetable, basic information and assessment, the last part I did not get to finish the formatting. I had all this in place except the https stage and never let it go live out of school to parents/carers on the Internet. I've used the code elsewhere in other projects so the time was not wasted. By the way Keep Kids Safe uses the primary contact email addresses for their communications between schools and parents/carers so this is not new. Prohibiting data being made visible is easily managed by removing the parent/carer as a the primary contact, which would be the case in court orders etc. This obviously would require stringent management of email change requests.

If you use the commandreporter.exe program, no problem. If you use the "Business Objects" then you have a problem regarding non-disclosure. Every SIMS installation has within the SIMS .net directory the commandreporter.exe program so it is there to use. If you run it with /HELP or /? as a parameter or on its own it will return some details of the parameters required to be able to run SIMS reports from the command line. By running this from another program, with the correct parameters for access to a report you can trap the output and use the data returned. The only problem is you have to parse the XML. I do this but the calling program (client) written in Java calls a RMI routine sitting on the server which in turn runs the commandreporter.exe software with the correct parameters. The returned XML is then parsed and the data marshaled into a Java array as an object and is then sent back to the client. I have clients running from cron jobs on Linux. If you go to: http://sourceforge.net/projects/simscommandrepo/ you can download the server software and library for Java. Don't know why there is one not recommended???? They did not leave any feedback hence my comments in the project summary.

Hi, I contacted David Grashoff earlier in the week, he was very helpful. From the information he sent me it appears if you are a representative of an educational establishment with support from your local authority you go via them, if you are supported directly by Capita you go to Capita to obtain access to the "Business Objects". There are hoops to go through, I've still to work out what is actually required but if you do not require support and are going to take a very dangerous risk and plan to use your live SIMS database as the guinea pig, then there is no charge as long as you do not plan to pass on your implementation. The alternative is to buy support for £2500 in which you are provided with a test database to experiment on as part of the package. Again you cannot pass on your implementation. There is a non-disclosure agreement to sign also. However, if you are planning to sell your implementation then the costs are much higher as you become a "Partner", there are various levels. This is the business model rather than the proficient .net programmer in a school who wants to integrate their systems. I think I got this right from what I read ........ Regards

Hi, Thought I'd throw my 2 peneth in, I've been extracting SIMS data for some time now using the command reporter tool. I have a Java RMI server running on the SIMS server (could be a SIMS client) which runs the commandreporter.exe program as and when required, passing the parameters for the reports. These requests have been made by various Java clients, one example, updating Moodle students, staff and classes. The Java RMI server traps the output and sends the data as an object back to the client. I've also, as a proof of concept, created a "Learning Gateway" like site running servlets on a Glassfish server through the same interface. Obviously no write back. It can be done, the only problem is the speed of running SIMS reports!

I Agree, VLAN's the way to go but VLAN's tend to multiply and you end up NATing anyway. Whatever the LEA likes or dislikes, it is up to the School/College Leadership Team or the Network Manager to decide what goes. True the LEA might like to know where the traffic is originating so they can tie down security such as AVCO transfers but when the member of the admin team is absent and your finance person requires a transfer of documents then you are stuck to go to that one machine. By giving them the NAT address any one of your machines in those NATted address ranges can do the job if the software is installed. There are advantages of doing VLAN's, DMZ and NAT.

VLAN's are good to segment your network. mitigating broadcasts. You can also dice and slice your network introducing a security layer into the network. Ignoring the broadcast advantages, the alternative is to chuck in a single layer 3 switch and make your allocated IP address range, which you get 30Mb as a DMZ and choose your own address range and then use NAT. You can also throw in VLAN's on top. Using your own IP address range you can add transparent proxying if required. We use around 7 or so VLAN's for different functions, one is to keep Admin away from Curriculum machines.

Hi, Set up a dlna server on site using Serviio media server. Server can be Linux, Windows or Mac. Serviio media server

By setting up a SSL/VPN you enable the possibilities of using services other than terminal services so it has its advantages, the downside is the slight speed decrease due to the encryption.

OpenVPN to a linux server through the firewall then terminal services from the remote client. Also run a script to map drives if required. Certificates are self certified and each client has their own individual certificate for their connection.

We use the equivalent to unix/linux links but within windows ntfs. Each student has a directory within their own home directory. Links are created in a folder elsewhere where staff have access. Overall staff gain access to this special folder but nowhere else within the students home directory. We do have quite a complicated setup as the staff accessible area is broken up first into year group, SIMS subject code, class code and finally the students name. Each students name is not a shortcut. I create the data from a SIMS report then feed the file into a Java progam I've written which creates a batch file. Run the batch and hey presto all sorted. Does require the students records to have their usernames as a user defined field in SIMS.

Here is my current glue/client. It's just an example how you can call the two libraries. Obviously it's early code but it's functional. More work to be done. I've substituted the secret bits, these will eventually be placed in a parameters file later. It will be modified so others can use it in a more friendly manner. I'm also planning tools for those with populated Moodle installations, not just for new installs. To use RMI in the client you have to create a .policy file, the all.txt is one which allows everything, it has to be renamed to all.policy and passed as part of the java parameters. I know allowing everything is not good practice but it serves my purpose, it's lazy! syncmoodle.txt all.txt (Just adding, as reference to an earlier post. Priority 1 contacts in SIMS means parental responsibility as far as I'm aware, Keep Kids Safe use this in their software)

Currently it's only proof of concept, parents have not been given access. What I was trying to show is that almost any SIMS report can be run and the data returned can be consumed without the need of any intermediate storage of the XML data by having to parse an XML file from storage. SSL could be used, just need to open a port to the Glassfish server. Token is time limited and the IP address of the client is checked in the database and compared to the original login for each request. As for court orders etc, its just making sure the SIMS report excludes those entries during the authentication process, yes variables can be passed to the SIMS reports. Bill