Does it seem like it is taking longer to do searches or even listing all of the files when browsing? One of the things that could be causing this are fragmented indexes in the database.

Many of the databases in your Enterprise PDM vault have an index to ensure that data is found quickly when accessed by other database operations. Over time as more and more operations are run, these indexes can get scattered (similar to the data on a hard drive getting fragmented as you add and delete files) which makes it more difficult to find the information. This can be especially noticeable after an upgrade or after importing a lot of files into the vault.

The indexes can be updated by setting up a maintenance plan in SQL to rebuild and reorganize them. Doing this on a regular basis should help improve performance during searching, browsing, etc.

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio and log in.
2. Right click on Maintenance Plans and select Maintenance Plan Wizard

3. On the Select Plan Properties page enter a name for the plan and a description if you would like.
4. To set up a schedule select the Change… button.

5. Set up the recurring schedule on the Job Schedule Properties window. The example below is set to run weekly on Sunday at midnight. If there is a lot of activity in your vault it can be run daily as long as there is a convenient time when the vault is not being used. Otherwise weekly should be sufficient.

6. Click Next and select the tasks to run. Check the boxes for Reorganize Index and Rebuild Index.

7. Click Next. Click Next again on the Select Maintenance Task Order window.

8. On the Define Reorganize Index Task window, click on the drop-down to select the database(s). Selecting These databases: radio button will allow you to select a specific database or multiple databases. Or select All user databases (excluding master, model msdb, tempdb). Then click Next.

9. On the Define Rebuild Index Task, again select the database(s). Use the same selection as the Reorganize Database task. Leave the other settings as default. Click Next.

10. You can create a report and save it to a text file. Enter a different location if desired.

11. Click Finish on the last window to complete the set-up of the maintenance plan.
12. A window will open and show the actions while the plan is saved. Click Close when completed.

13. If you want to execute the plan immediately, expand the Maintenance Plans and right click on the plan name and select Execute. Otherwise it will run per the schedule.

The time to run the rebuild/reorganize plan the first time will depend on the size of the database and how fragmented the index is. When it is run on a scheduled basis, the time should be relatively short. From what I’ve read, weekly should be sufficient. Performance may be affected during the process so it’s a good idea to run when there is little or no activity in the vault.

If you are really interested in learning more about index fragmentation and rebuilding and reorganizing indexes here are two articles from Microsoft:
http://technet.microsoft.com/library/Cc966523
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms189858(v=sql.105).aspx

If you’re working in a folder in your EPDM vault frequently, wouldn’t it be handy to have a shortcut directly to the folder?   It’s almost as easy as creating a shortcut to any Windows folder but keep in mind you can’t browse to a vault folder during the shortcut creation so but below is and easy way to copy the path.  Just one thing to keep in mind – if you use the EPDM login, you will be prompted to log into the vault as soon as you open Windows if you add one of these shortcuts.

(1)    Locate the file or folder in your local view and select it so it is highlighted.these shortcuts.

(2)    Hold the SHIFT key, then RMB (right mouse button)

(3)    From the menu select Copy as path.

(4)    Browse to the desktop or other location where you want the shortcut to reside and  RMB > New > Shortcut

(5)    Paste the path from the clipboard in the text box and complete the shortcut wizard dialog.

Test your EPDM and Project Management knowledge with a new certification test developed by SolidWorks.

Certified Enterprise PDM Administrator

The following description is from the SolidWorks website:

“A Certified Enterprise PDM Administrator (CEPA) is an individual who has successfully passed an advanced examination in SolidWorks Enterprise PDM administration skills and is ready to manage a SolidWorks Enterprise PDM implementation on behalf of his or her company.

Once SolidWorks Enterprise PDM has been deployed within an organization, it must be properly maintained by qualified individuals who will be responsible for daily maintenance tasks and for any subsequent configuration changes. By assigning a CEPA qualified individual to this task, employers can be confident that their site is being managed by an individual with proven skills in administrating SolidWorks Enterprise PDM.”

I took the test back in May when it was offered in a Beta version and I thought it was well developed. Half of the test points come from the hands on portion and the remainder is the typical True/False and multiple choice questions covering EPDM (40%) and Project Management (10%.)

When you start the test you will download a .cex file to use to install a vault that is used for the hands on portion. You will run a task that will fail and then you will troubleshoot and fix the problem. It was challenging but it was a realistic problem. You can gain a lot of confidence by solving it.

So let your boss know that you know what you’re doing! Besides, if you pass you get a certificate suitable for framing.

(This is turning into the color series of EPDM blogs!  The last one was about the little green flag.)

If you are an Enterprise user then you’ve heard (or seen) the term local cache. It’s pronounced like ‘cash’ and it refers to the files from your vault that physically reside on your local hard drive.  What can be deceiving about Enterprise is that you see all of these files listed in Windows Explorer in a folder structure  on your root C: drive and so it seems like all of those files are actually there. But they may not be … but that’s OK!

The folder structure you see is just a representation – a way to look at the vault contents in a way that is familiar to you. You don’t need to have the files on your local computer to get a lot of information about them. You can see the information on the data card, determine the latest version, see where it is in the approval process, and see if anyone has it checked out. You will need to have a copy in your local cache if you are going to preview the file or if you are going to open it.

That’s interesting, but what does that have to do with the yellow triangle?

Where you can run into trouble is when you have an OLD version of the file.  This can happen when someone else has made new versions and you haven’t updated your vault view with the latest version.

If you open a file without checking it out, you will open the one that is in your cache.  This can include the components in an assembly.  Your local copy of the assembly may be the latest version but some of the components may not be.  So when you open the assembly, you may not see all the changes that have been made to the components.

 That could be confusing.  How can I prevent that?

Before previewing or opening a file, get in the habit of always doing a  If opening or previewing an assembly, Get Latest Version of the assembly file, and Enterprise will also check and get all of the referenced files.

Another option is to clear your local cache.  That will remove all local copies of files.  Enterprise will retrieve the latest version of everything needed when opening or doing a preview.

 I’m afraid I’ll lose something important if I clear the local cache.

Let me say this – no harm should come if you clear your cache on a regular basis. Enterprise will NOT remove files that you have checked out or are references in a file that is checked out so you don’t have to worry about losing your work. Probably the worst that can happen is that there may be a bit of a delay if you need to preview or checkout a file since Enterprise will have to download the file from the archive server.

 Are there any files in the cache that I shouldn’t clear?

You should not clear Toolbox files (by default you won’t.)  You also do not want to clear the cache of Design Library files that are in the vault.   If cleared, they won’t be visible in the Design Library Task Pane.

 Can anything happen if I don’t clear my cache?
Well, for one thing, you only have so much room on your hard drive.   You could also preview or open out of date files as was discussed earlier.

There may also be times that you will see a file that is grayed out and shown as <Local File>. This means that someone else has deleted or moved that file from the vault and if you did not clear your cache, you will still have a local copy on your hard drive.  All you need to do is delete it.

Stay tuned and we’ll see if I can come up with another color in Enterprise to write about!

The wind was heavy that day my friends, as I remember it, the date was April 12^th, 2012.   It seemed like just another day until over 100 customers and prospects attended Symmetry Solutions: Hook, Line, and SolidWorks Spring Conference event.

Many were baited to come see the likes of Dave Genz, Ice Fishing enthusiast, and Walleye Dan, professional fishing guide.   There weren’t many bobbers in the audience during Mark Pallansch’s discussion of Clam Corporations manual documentation process, as he shared how they utilized 3DVIA Composer to provide parametric-based set up and tear down animations of Ice Houses.  Dave Schluter from St. Croix Rods had his hooks into the audience during his discussion on their implementation of Enterprise Product Data Management.   St. Croix Rods was able to string up their workflows and provide a much more efficient product release process.

The biggest catch of the day was during the technical breakout sessions, as the new SolidWorks Plastics Product offering reeled in the largest audience of the technical breakout.   Other technical varieties included Application Programming Interface (program customization), Simulation (FEA, CFD analysis), Enterprise Product Data Management, and 3DVIA Composer for technical communications.

To close out the day, two lucky winners, Jesse Hahn from SportTech and Mark Bossart from Apnex Medical, bagged themselves a big fishing tale by each taking home a brand new ice fishing house from Clam Corporations. Congratulations!