The_Windy_Miller

We've been migrating where a new Server has been installed in schools. Seems a relatively simple process - uncomplicated as we don't have SOLUS3 installed in many schools yet

I think your clue is in the words "system account" We encourage our schools to use the administrator account

If the server controlling your gateway goes down, you've still got access to the data with no internet. If the server with the data goes down, restore from backup to a different workstation and away you go. If the internet goes down, you're in the hands of (more often than not) BT

"Could based solution" - for a Primary - is this really necessary? If your internet goes down, you have no data!

I'm hoping that there's a typo here and that SIMS is running on Server 2008 (64 bit?

I think the answer you require is: • Ensure you're in the directory S:\sims\setups • Run NOVASatelliteSetup.exe. Point this at the local workstation • Then run C:\program files\sims\sats\BDE511\setup.exe This needs to be done on each PC that has the problem.

Phil - I am surprised at you! Its not supported on Windows 8 until the Spring release is what we've been told - hope Sale Grammar don't get any issues that require technical support!

SIMS Launcher still works in Windows 7 under 32-bit version. We've not got a 32-bit version of Win8 to test it.... Tests your memory to get all the tweaks in place to make it work correctly

I'm amazed - are they well ahead with SOLUS3?

At the recent Software Update Seminar, Jonathan Wood, Product Manager for all things SOLUS said that SOLUS2 will be supported by Capita (SIMS) until the Spring 2014 release

I suppose the question should be can we create an MSI of a manual agent install so that the MSI can be deployed using scripts?

Where schools have separate admin\curriculum networks, we install a 'dummy' sims share on the curriculum side containing only the connect.ini and a copy of the setups folder, which is copied over from the admin network following an upgrade, so that all the curric workstations upgrade as necessary. Certainly where the school's data is centrally hosted this works extremely well. Where the data is hosted in-school, as long as the curric machines can ping the admin server, it should be possible to use this model. Of course, if the networks are so separate that the sims server cannot be seen then there is a problem!!!

Just out of curiosity, I'm wondering how expensive Dell's KACE is?

Presumably they are not interested in providing your MIS if they don't get back to you. We shouldn't have to chase companies!!!

There is a specific ipad app - Emerge - created with Groupcall. It was on show at BETT. Looked good!

What concerns me is that schools that are planning to buy new kit now have no spec for Discover to refer to - and hence may get poor performance!

Philip - call me cynical, but I'm guessing any "cost savings made from adopting a cloud strategy" may be "pie in the sky" The licensing costs etc. etc. will surely take up any slack....I don't imagine schools will be left with vast sums of money that they currently spend on servers etc.

Although the documentation says that the Autumn Release of SIMS, 7.136, requires SQL 2008 - it does in fact work on SQL 2005 - although it is not tested/Supported on this platform by SIMS. The Spring release will produce error messages if you try to install on SQL 2005

Make sure you're using SQL 2008 Release 1 - Release 2 is not officially supported by SIMS at present

So can you ping the SQL Server from the affected workstations? What SQL port are you using? 1433 is standard - can you telnet to the SQL server using port 1433? You can set the cliconfg to point at the SQL server - and set the port number - this may help?

I think I'd send that to SIMS - not seen it myself. Sorry

In view of BECTA guidelines, do you guys use 2 factor authentication? Should we be doing so?

I don't think the files =254 is needed where a machine is solely going to access SIMS .net. It was for old DBF-based SIMS modules.

Phil, its certainly the best place to visit if you want to come away thoroughly confused about what data should be provided, what the Impact Levels of data fields are, whether teachers always require 2-factor authentication etc. etc. (cont p.94)

You could try detaching and then re-attaching the database - I have found that this works in this situation.