Scheduled Import Guide

Audience – This guide is primarily for network managers or desktop support experts.

What is the Schoolcomms scheduled import? – The scheduled import enables schools to set up a scheduled task to run the Schoolcomms import automatically.

Can Schoolcomms be used whilst the scheduled task is running? – Yes, providing a different Schoolcomms user is being used to access Schoolcomms.

To use these instructions, you’ll need to determine which computer will run the scheduled task. We recommend that you create the scheduled task on the school server to ensure optimal operation.

Schoolcomms user
Schoolcomms version 9.6D or newer must be installed on the computer (this can be verified on the login screen). If required, you can download the latest version of Schoolcomms here: schoolcomms.com/downloads

You will need to have access to a Schoolcomms user that has permissions to run the Schoolcomms import (either a school administrator or multi-user administrator)

If your school has a Schoolcomms Premium Messaging licence you can create a new user dedicated to the scheduled import. Find the User Management guide here.

If your school has a Schoolcomms Standard or Just Text Messaging licence, you cannot use Schoolcomms at the same time as the scheduled import is running. We would therefore recommend scheduling the import at times Schoolcomms would not normally be used by office staff.

SIMS user
You must use a SIMS user that can access all the areas that Schoolcomms reads from, and writes to, SIMS.

Windows user
You must run the scheduled task as a Windows user that has adequate permissions to run Schoolcomms and SIMS, and also a user that can be logged in with interactively to confirm if the import is completing successfully. The user must be able to access all the functionality and write to the Schoolcomms log file (stored in the AppData\Roaming\Username\Schoolcomms folder by default).

You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps.

1. Open Task Scheduler (Start > Run > Type Taskschd.msc and click OK.)
2. Click the Action > Create Basic Task
3. Enter a Name for the task (e.g. Schoolcomms import).
4. Select a Trigger (we recommend you run the task Daily).
5. Enter a start date, time and frequency of execution (we recommend you set the task to recur every 1 day).
6. Select Start a program and then click Next.
7. Next to the Programs/Script box, click Browse to find and select the Schoolcomms.exe application file (default location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Schoolcomms\1.0.0.0\Schoolcomms.exe) and then click Open.
8. In the Add arguments box enter the following (replacing the arguments in bold with your credentials):
   /scheduler SCUsername SCMemData SCPassword SIMSUsername SIMSPassword
   (see below table for information on these).
9. Leave the Start in box empty.
10. Click Next and then Finish.

Once the scheduled task has been created, check the security settings by following the below steps:

1. Locate the scheduled task
2. Double click on the task to open it
3. On the General tab check the Security options:
   • Make sure the user running the task has adequate permissions as defined in the prerequisites
   • If you want the task to run when the user is not logged in, you will need to select the option:
     ‘Run whether the user is logged on or not’.
   • Note: this will not work if your local connect.ini redirects to a mapped network drive e.g. S:\SIMS. To enable the scheduled import to work, change the redirect path in the connect.ini to include the full UNC path e.g. \\SIMSServer\SIMS

Note: If you are using Trusted Authentication, [TRUSTED] must be entered twice (once each in place of the username and password).

We recommend the frequency of the scheduled import is Daily. If your school is using Online Reporting, then the import could trigger automatic behaviour/achievement/marksheet notifications, along with synchronising any unexplained absences with SIMS – please consider this when selecting a time to run the scheduled task.

The SClog file may be used to check if the import completed successfully. Each step of the import is logged in this file.

1. Open the Windows user’s roaming profile (Start > Run > Type %appdata% > Click OK)
2. Select the Schoolcomms folder
3. Select the User’s folder
4. Open the SClog file

When the Schoolcomms import completes successfully, you will see the following information in the SClog:

2018-12-11 09:17:33 INFO. Application started… Microsoft Windows NT 6.2.9200.0
2018-12-11 09:17:33 INFO. Schoolcomms Desktop Version: 9.6.4.0
2018-12-11 09:17:33 INFO. SIMS.ini location: C:\WINDOWS\SIMS.ini
2018-12-11 09:17:33 INFO. SIMSDotNetDirectory: C:\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS .net
2018-12-11 09:17:33 INFO. Connect.ini path: C:\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS .net\connect.ini
2018-12-11 09:17:33 INFO. Launched in scheduler mode
2018-12-11 09:17:34 INFO. Successfully logged in

2018-12-11 09:18:27 INFO. xxxx sync actions made to Schoolcomms

In the event of an error occurring, the scheduled task will end and a description of the problem will be written to the SClog. Below are the error messages that may appear:

If you are having problems running the Schoolcomms import please try logging into Schoolcomms Desktop using the same Windows user, SIMS user and Schoolcomms user you are using to run the scheduled task.
If this is successful, use the steps below to test the arguments and permissions for the scheduled task using Command line.

To check that the arguments and permissions for the scheduled task are correct, run Schoolcomms in
scheduler mode from the command line using the same Windows user, SIMS user and Schoolcomms user you are using to run the scheduled task.

1. Run Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Using Command Prompt navigate to the folder that Schoolcomms.exe is installed to using the cd command
   (e.g. cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Schoolcomms\1.0.0.0).
3. Type in the following command, replacing the arguments in bold with your details:
   Schoolcomms /scheduler SCUsername SCMemData SCPassword SIMSUsername SIMSPassword.
4. Check the SClog using the instructions above to see if the import completed successfully.

If this is successful, check the details of the scheduled task and then use the steps below to force the task to run (rather than waiting for the scheduled time/date to occur).

You can manually run the scheduled task by following the below steps:

1. Locate the scheduled task from within Task Scheduler.
2. Right click on the task and click Run.
3. Check the SClog using the instructions above to see if the import completed successfully.

If this is successful, then the scheduled task is using the correct arguments and permissions.

Installations of Schoolcomms being used for a scheduled import must uninstall and reinstall to upgrade rather than using the Auto Update functionality.

1. Close Schoolcomms and SIMS.
2. Go to Control Panel, Add/Remove programs and uninstall Schoolcomms.
3. Navigate to schoolcomms.com/downloads and download the latest version.
4. Providing the new version of Schoolcomms is installed in the same location, you will not need to update the scheduled task.