Technical Briefing – Spring 2014

Jonathan Wood

Technical Briefing – Spring 2014

Technical Session

Release Information

SIMS Technical Roadmap

SQL 2012 Migration

SOLUS3

Installable Release

Has been distributed to all Support teams

SIMS / FMS based on Summer (2) 2013

Installs SQL 2012 Express

Improving future Installable process Infrastructure Release SIMS Installation Release

SIMS 2014 Spring Release

• Released on • Friday 28th March

• Release note ID: 22329

SIMS 2014 Release schedule

• Provisional dates for 2014 releases

• Summer release - end of June

• Autumn release - beginning of November

Technical changes in 2014 - Spring

• Reportviewer.exe• Microsoft component• Required for new Exams reporting functionality• Same approach as used for FMS Spring 2013• Installed as part of the SIMS client installer

• If you don’t want it installed, run simsApplicationSetup.exe using parameter /NoReportViewer

Technical changes in Summer 2014

SIMS Package Host Service

• Service installer to support Tablet, Agora etc…• Will be installed by SIMS Summer on the SQL

Server• Option to not install via a command prompt

parameter similar to ReportViewer

SIMS Technical roadmap

• Updated on 21/11/2013

• SupportNet ID: 17910

• Will be updated in May 2014

Upcoming Support(First supported Release below)

• Spring 2014• Windows Server 2012 R2• Office 2013

• Autumn 2014 • SQL2014 – Dependent on Microsoft release

• Spring 2015• Office 2010 rework

Upcoming Retirements (Last Supported release below)

• Autumn 2014• SOLUS2

• Will stop working from end of March 2015

• Spring 2015• SQL2008 (Moved from Summer 2014)• SQL2008 R2 (Moved from Autumn 2014)

SIMS SQL Migration

• Autumn SQL migration tool• http://dl.capitasolus.co.uk/Downloads/SQL-Migration/

SQL2012-Migration.zip• Password: SQL20I2M1g

• Resource ID: 21835

SIMS SQL Migration

What percentage of your schools are now on SQL2012?

• A:  None.

• B: up to 50%

• C: up to 75%

• D: up to 99%

• E: all of them!

SOLUS3

• New User Interface• All screens are being redesigned

• Main aims• To increase in productivity• To make it easier to use

The new SOLUS3 menu bar

•Hierarchical menu• Using text and icons• Trace selected menu route using colour

•Help icon •Enable SOLUS3 (soon to be icon)•Information is either in-line or pops up in place of side bar

Message Bar

Managing the S3 Environment

Browse Network

New Update library screen

New entry screen

Download Details

Authorise updates screen

Configure Solus3 options

Configure SOLUS3 options

SOLUS3.7 release

• Workshops• WebEx sessions• 3 and 8 April• Apply on SupportNet

• Beta release 10 April

• Full release end of May / mid June with workstation patching

SOLUS3.8 release – possible features

• Sims client triggers S3 client update

• Unpacking the updates

• Report enhancements

Thank you