Part file locking

Discussion in 'Pro/Engineer & Creo Elements/Pro' started by Alistair Craig, Jul 17, 2004.

  1. Is there a way to lock a part file so that it cannot be altered by a third
    party

    Alistair Craig
     
    Alistair Craig, Jul 17, 2004
    #1
  2. Alistair Craig

    David Janes Guest

    : Is there a way to lock a part file so that it cannot be altered by a third
    : party
    :
    Pro/e has no way of marking files read only or locking out changes to parts aside
    from marking features as read only. This is easily defeated by removing the read
    only designation. So, if you can open a file in Pro/e you can change it.

    That leaves external schemes of file protection: directory permissions, a variant
    of this in password protected zip folders and a strict releasing procedure on a
    data management server.

    An operating system that allows creating folders with restricted access or
    restrictions on read/write access can protect files by restricting whether they
    can be saved over the official file. At the highest level of protection, you are
    the only one with access to a folder and/or the only one with write access to the
    files. Simply restricting write access, making hte folder read only, prevents the
    official files from being overwritten; it doesn't prevent them from being changed
    and stored elsewhere.

    Restricted access to files through a pdm system acts the same way in both keeping
    people outside the group from getting to the files, and keeping people with
    permission from overwriting the official, released version by checking out the
    files as a new part revision or as read only files. I'm not sure if the read only
    status can prevent changes but it does prevent storing the file on the pdm server.
    Additionally, the server software, like Intralink, runs a tracking database,
    updates this and checks everything against it.

    None of these may be exactly what you were hoping for. But one might be good
    enough.

    David Janes
     
    David Janes, Jul 17, 2004
    #2
  3. Alistair Craig

    Jeff Howard Guest

    "Who's on first?"

    You can make features read only (new in WF2?) to guard
    against inadvertent changes. Other than that I think I'd
    look at copied geometry, simp reps, neutral translations,
    etc. Read only and password protect? Dunno.....
     
    Jeff Howard, Jul 17, 2004
    #3
  4. Alistair Craig

    David Janes Guest

    : > Alistair Craig wrote
    : > Is there a way to lock a part file so that it cannot be
    : > altered by a third party
    :
    : "Who's on first?"
    :
    : You can make features read only (new in WF2?)
    No, not new. Been around since rev.18 at least. Don't really know what the
    intended function is but it's a PITA. There's no indication anywhere until you've
    made a change and tried to regenerate that the feature is R/O. Then, you get that
    dumb message "can't regen, feature id#2314 read only". Then you just remove the
    R/O status.

    : to guard
    : against inadvertent changes. Other than that I think I'd
    : look at copied geometry, simp reps, neutral translations,
    : etc. Read only and password protect? Dunno.....
    :
    This is something I've meant to mention in this connection before. The concern for
    whether files sent to vendors for down stream operations have been 'improved' is a
    legitimate concern. There are always file dates that can be checked (was the file
    changed after it left your tender care). Of course, you could have changed a
    version of the file while it was in someone else's possession. Doesn't directly
    prove they changed it. But here's something that does, probably good enough for
    the US Office of Patents: 'Info>Audit Trail'. This gives the history of changes,
    by Hostname. It lists every machine the file was saved/changed on. Remember how
    you have to provide PTC with the host id? Well, on top of that, it captures the
    hostname of your computer and stores this with the Pro/e part file. It does this
    for each and every computer that opens this file, starting with the name of the
    computer that created the start part. If you see any extra, unknown hostnames in
    the audit trail, your vendor may have 'fixed' something for you and not told you.

    Since this kind of tracking information is available in the part file, PTC/Pro-e
    should be using this to provide a system for locking out changes by any machines
    other than certain known and approved hostnames. Submit this as an improvement
    request?

    David Janes
     
    David Janes, Jul 17, 2004
    #4
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