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544 - SIMS plugin for Server Edition: key facts

Jacques van Rensburg
  • Updated
    Tags:
  • Feature
  • v18
  • SIMS
  • ESS
  • Education Software Solutions

What is SIMS?

SIMS is the Schools Information Management System and is developed by Education Software Solutions (ESS). It is used for the management of information within schools in the UK.

Redstor's SIMS plugin is available to UK education providers and is designed to interface with SIMS for off-site backups.

 

What is SIMS made up of?

It is split into three parts. These are:

  • SIMS (main management system)
  • FMS (financial management system)
  • SIMS Discover (an optional component)

Each of these parts has a database component that uses Microsoft SQL Server as the SQL engine.

 

How does the SIMS plugin work?

The SIMS plugin reads SIMS' configuration file (C:\Windows\SIMS.ini) and drives two components in SIMS to create a backup. These are:

  • dbAttach.exe (for SIMS and FMS)
  • Discover.Backup.Console.exe (for Discover)

The two applications communicate with the SQL Server instance(s) used by SIMS, and create backup files. The SIMS plugin drives these applications and backs up the files that they create to the Redstor Storage Platform.

 

My SIMS / FMS / SIMS Discover is not working. Can you help?

If you have any issues with the SIMS suite of products, please contact ESS directly for support.

 

I've seen the different SIMS components shown in the Redstor Pro menus. Why is SIMS / FMS / Discover not shown?

Screenshot - all menu items:

 

Screenshot - SIMS menu items only:

Redstor Pro detects the SIMS components based on the SIMS.ini configuration file. If the SIMS components are not configured, or there is an error in the configuration file, the menu option will not be shown.

If FMS is installed but not SIMS, the plugin will still display both the SIMS and FMS options. Navigate to the SIMS configuration page and deselect the Backup SIMS SQL Server check box. Failure to do so will cause backups to display an error that the SIMS plugin has not yet been configured.

 

Why am I able to back up SIMS and FMS but not Discover?

Log file example:

Message: 23:00:04 OS: Windows Server 2008, 6.1, amd64
Message: 23:00:04 [SIMS Plugin] Loading configuration
Message: 23:00:04 [SIMS Plugin] Starting SIMS Backup
Message: 23:00:04 [SIMS Plugin] Using DBAttach version 1.31.36.0
Message: 23:00:04 [SIMS Plugin] Backing up SIMS SQL Databases
Message: 23:01:15 [SIMS Plugin] SIMS Backup completed
Message: 23:01:15 [SIMS Plugin] Loading configuration
Message: 23:01:15 [SIMS Plugin] Starting FMS Backup
Message: 23:01:15 [SIMS Plugin] Using DBAttach version 1.31.36.0
Message: 23:01:15 [SIMS Plugin] Backing up FMS SQL Databases
Message: 23:01:33 [SIMS Plugin] FMS Backup completed
Message: 23:01:33 [SIMS Plugin] Loading configuration
Message: 23:01:33 [SIMS Plugin] Starting Discover Backup
Message: 23:01:33 [SIMS Plugin] Backing up DISCOVER SQL Databases
Error: 23:01:51 [SIMS Plugin] No backup was created by Discover.Backup.Console.exe.
Message: 23:01:51 [SIMS Plugin] DISCOVER Backup Failed

SIMS and Discover need to be on the same version. SIMS/FMS are installed separately from Discover.

When updating SIMS/FMS, Discover is sometimes left on an older version that is incompatible with the main SIMS database. Where SIMS has been upgraded but not Discover, the same issue will be seen. Make sure that SIMS and Discover are running the same release version. The SIMS automatic update system SOLUS3 can be used to upgrade SIMS and Discover.

Note: See Article 721 for information on how to back up and restore the SOLUS3 database.

 

Why am I getting a "No value present" error?

If a backup log for SIMS / FMS / Discover contains a “No value present” error message, it means the line in the SIMS.ini file (found in C:\Windows) relating to that particular SIMS component is missing. Prevent this error by inserting the correct application path into the SIMS.ini file. For example, if the FMS component fails with a "No value present" message, add the FMS application path to SIMS.ini as follows:

[FMSSQL]

FMSSQLAppsDirectory=C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.SQL2012EXPRESS\MSSQL\Binn

 

I can run dbAttach.exe / Discover.Backup.Console.exe to create a backup, but backups are not working within Redstor Pro. Why is this?

dbAttach.exe and Discover.Backup.Console.exe interface with Microsoft SQL Server to create the backup files.

SQL Server writes the backup data to a location specified by dbAttach / Discover.Backup.Console.

The SQL Server service has a service user, as does the Redstor Pro service, both of which need write permission to the specified location. (The services do not have to run as the same user).

If the service users do not have write permission, the backup files cannot be written to disk and the backup will fail.

If you run the applications manually or to different locations, different users and permissions may apply, and a different outcome may result.

 

How do I install the SIMS plugin?

The SIMS plugin is included in the Redstor Pro plugin installer.

Please see Article 453 or the SIMS / FMS / Discover plugin manual for installation instructions.

If you do not have SIMS licenses on your Storage Platform, your Agent will inform you of this when you try to back up, and you will not be able to use the SIMS plugin. This behaviour is the same as that of other Redstor plugins.

 

Can I install the plugin automatically?

The SIMS plugin can be included in a deployed MSI of the Redstor Pro Agent.

Create a folder called "plugins" containing the SIMS and other plugins to be included, and use the "Add Folder" button in the deployment wizard to include these.

See FAQ Article 103 for more details.

 

How do I configure the SIMS plugin after I have installed it?

Please see the SIMS / FMS / Discover plugin manual, which can be found here.

 

Can I see SIMS working?

Version 7 demonstration video showing SIMS, FMS and Discover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjiWQncAZNA

 

The "SIMS" / "Discover" folder is not showing as selected in the Redstor Pro graphical user interface (GUI) but is backing up successfully. Why is this?

There is a case mismatch between one of the SIMS folders in the file system and how it is configured in the GUI. Backups are not affected but it can be an annoyance.
See the example below of the SIMS shared documents folder:

Windows File System view: Redstor Pro Agent GUI view:

SIMS Backup Settings dialog box:

To resolve the issue:

  • Change the case of the Shared Directory Location to match that shown in the Windows file system in the SIMS Backup Settings dialog and click OK.

If this does not resolve the problem:

  • Close the GUI and stop the Redstor Pro service.
  • Navigate to the installation directory and open the backupset.xml in Notepad.
  • Find the folder name in the file (highlighted red in Example 1 below) and change its case (as shown in Example 2).

Backupset.xml Example 1:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<selection guid="00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" lastbackup="2014-01-23 09:48:54 GMT" origin="user" version="6.0">
<schedule>
<daily enabled="false">19h00</daily>
<advanced enabled="false"/>
</schedule>
<volume name="C:\">
<folder name="Program Files">
<folder name="Redstor Online Backup">
 <folder name="Backup Client SE">
<folder name="SIMSBackups" select="include"/>
<folder name="FMSBackups" select="include"/>
<folder name="DiscoverBackups" select="include"/>
</folder>
</folder>
</folder>
<folder name="Sims" select="include"/>
<folder name="DOCSTORAGE" select="include"/>
<folder name="scan" select="include"/>
</volume>
</selection>

 

Backupset.xml Example 2:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<selection guid="00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" lastbackup="2014-01-23 09:48:54 GMT" origin="user" version="6.0">
<schedule>
<daily enabled="false">19h00</daily>
<advanced enabled="false"/>
</schedule>
<volume name="C:\">
<folder name="Program Files">
<folder name="Redstor Online Backup">
 <folder name="Backup Client SE">
<folder name="SIMSBackups" select="include"/>
<folder name="FMSBackups" select="include"/>
<folder name="DiscoverBackups" select="include"/>
</folder>
</folder>
</folder>
<folder name="SIMS" select="include"/>
<folder name="DOCSTORAGE" select="include"/>
<folder name="scan" select="include"/>
</volume>
</selection>

 

  • Save and close the backupset.xml file.
  • Restart the Redstor Pro service and reopen the GUI.
  • The selection should now be displayed correctly.

Note: The same issue may apply to other folders used by the SIMS plugin, but can be resolved in the same way.

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