What is happening?
Education Software Solutions (ESS), the providers of SIMS software, will be ceasing support and testing of SQL 2012 and SQL 2014 (versions below SP3) after the Spring 2022 SIMS release, and supporting only SQL 2014 SP3 and SQL 2016 SP2. This means that by Summer 2022 all schools must have upgraded their local version of SQL to ensure they are able to continue to use SIMS.
What does this mean for my school?
All schools subscribing to the SIMS Software and Administration Systems Support service currently have a local installation of Microsoft SQL server. This is either SQL express (typically P2P/Windows 10 devices) or SQL standard (typically Windows Server SIMS servers). Versions in the field include SQL 2012, SQL 2014 and a very small number of SQL 2016. Therefore, by Summer 2022, all schools must have upgraded their local version of SQL to ensure they are able to continue to use SIMS. If your SIMS databases are using Microsoft SQL version SQL 2012, then you will need to upgrade to Microsoft SQL 2016. If your school have SQL 2014 then you will need to ensure you have SP3 (Version 12.0.6024).
How we can help
Education Digital Services can provide schools with the required upgrade to SQL. All schools subscribing to the SIMS Software and Administration Systems Support (Managed SIMS) Service option must have their upgrade performed by Education Digital Services.
Schools have two options:
- Replace your existing SIMS server - If your SIMS server is out of warranty or about to become so, one option is to replace the SIMS server. The new server will be pre-installed with SQL 2016, and so you save on the cost of upgrade (as well as getting a faster SIMS server!). We will migrate you to SQL 2016 as part of this installation.
- Keep your SIMS server and upgrade the existing Microsoft SQL system.
Get in touch
We are now taking orders to complete upgrades later in the year. Please request a quote by emailing educationdigitalservices@lancashire.gov.uk.