Before you send us your SIMS backup, we need to confirm your migration date. If you haven't done this already, please contact your Customer Onboarding Manager or the Onboarding Team to agree on a migration date.
Log into your SIMs Server
If your SIMS server is in your school, the steps below will need to be completed by accessing this server. You will need the “System Admin Credentials” to SIMS to be able to log in and download the backup. Normally the data controller at your school will have these credentials.
If your server is hosted by a 3rd party e.g. Capita SIMS/Support Partner, you will need to request they export the backup for you, in some cases you may need to go through their offboarding department and sign a data release form.
Generating a backup
To create your SIMS backup, follow our instructions below. Performing a backup will not alter or remove any of the data you have in SIMS.
If you have stored documents, sometimes known as linked documents in SIMS, and you want these to be migrated into Arbor, you will also have to send us your Document Management Server (DMS) backup at the same time as your back up file. Make sure you tick the option to include your Document Management Server backup when you generate your SIMS backup.
Top tip for downloading your DMS
We recommend leaving your DMS/linked document backup to run over night if possible, to allow enough time for all of the files to be extracted before you zip up the file. Often we find that some documents are missing from the backup because it has not been left to extract for long enough.
Go to Start > All Programmes > SIMS Applications > dbAttach.
Enter the server name of the SQL Server Instance e.g. <computername>\SIMS2005
If you can’t find your SQL Server Instance:
- Browse to c:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS.NET
- Open the file “connect.ini”
- The SQL Server Instance should be listed after the field “ServerName=“
Enter the SQL System Administrator Username (e.g. sa) and Password, the click Connect.
Select Database Name from the Backup a Database panel. dbAttach will check whether the DMS is being backed up.
- If a DMS backup is running, dbAttach will display a message and provide the option to cancel the backup. Do not cancel this.
- If no backup is taking place, you will see a tickbox ‘Include DMS Backup’, which will backup your SIMS Document Server. Tick this box.
Once you’ve selected your Database name and ticked Include DMS Backup (if applicable), click Backup.
If you ticked Include DMS Backup, a pop up will be displayed recommending that the backup is run overnight, as it might put a strain on your servers. Click OK.
We recommend performing this task during low usage hours, e.g. the late afternoon.
When you click OK, click the Backup button again, and once the backup is complete a message is displayed.
Locating my files
Once your backup has been generated you should have a .bak file saved on your computer.
The size of your backup file depends on the size of your school, and how much data you have saved on SIMS. For Primary schools, this usually varies between 450MB and 1.5GB, and for Secondary schools, it may be up to 20GB.
The name of the file will contain the date and the word SIMS and must be in .bak format only, for example, sims_20170724_154816.bak
Your DMS backup file will be saved to the backup location specified during the document server install. This can often be hard to find, you may not have set this up, or remember the path. However, it is listed in the document server config file.
Top Tip: This will be either a bak, zip or 7zip file.
This is the name of the server your DMS is installed on: C:\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS .net Document Server\SIMSDocumentServer_%ServerName%.config where %ServerName%
The name of the folder in this location containing the backups will be prefixed with backup.
Uploading your backup and DMS
Logging in to your secure portal
Arbor will send two emails to your nominated data/IT lead (or the person taking responsibility for producing your data migration backup). Please make sure that this person is clearly listed on your implementation workbook.
After your Kick-Off, you will receive two emails from Arbor:
- The first email will contain a link to your schools unique secure portal and a username you will use to log into the portal.
- The second email will contain the password to log in to the portal.
If you're a Primary / Special School, you should expect to receive your access to our secure portal 8 days before your booked migration slot, so if you have not received these emails, please contact the Onboarding Team as soon as possible.
If you're a Secondary School, you should expect to receive your access to our secure portal the day before your booked migration slot, so if you have not received these emails, please contact your Customer Onboarding Manager as soon as possible.
Uploading your data to the secure portal
Click the upload box and select your backup file which you saved earlier. Top Tip: This will be either a bak, zip or 7zip file.
If this file is password protected, select ‘yes’ and enter the password into the password box.
If Arbor is migrating your attachments, click the upload box and select your DMS file you saved earlier. Tip: this will either be a zip or 7zip file.
If this file is password protected, select ‘yes’ and enter the password into the password box.
Confirm that you have completed all the recommended data checks, then press the Start migration to Arbor button.
Now you just need to sit back and relax. Unless there is a problem (such as an incorrect password or corrupt file), the next you will hear from us is when your new Arbor site is ready!
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