PDM on a Single Computer

I just read an article on why the nested folder Finder on Mac OSX may
be going away as time with "Tiger" moves forward. There are valuable
hints in there for all software and particularly for SolidWorks.

http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,67774,00.html?tw=wn_story_top5


That made me wonder, why doesn't SolidWorks ship with something that
lets an individual computer do document management?

Enough of us SolidWorks users use a single machine or do development on
a single machine before it moves to a network, that it sure seems we
need that type of function built into SolidWorks, or as a simple
add-on.

Am I nuts or what?

Bo

 

DBWorks does that out of the box.


Actually, it sounds like you're talking about PDMWorks. It ships with
SW and can do file management on a single computerm and is a simple add
in. Am I missing something or does this fit the bill?

Matt

 

I thought PDMWorks required a server to work, from prior notes I read.

I must be mistaken.

Bo

 

There is a vault component which is usually put on a server for large
installations, but can be run on your workstation if that's what you
want to do.

 

I use Pdmworks on the local "working" PC, for development work, then
check-in everything into the main Pdmworks vault, stored on a "server", when
I am happy.
This keeps the filing system tidy, this in turn keeps the "server's",
pdmworks vault tidy.
Note, the "server", can be any bog standard PC.
When I have checked-in everything, into the "server" Pdmworks vault , I then
clean the "working" PC's vault and start again.

You can have as many Pdmworks vaults, as you want, where you want, as long
as there is only one vault, on any PC.
There is a way to have two or more vaults on one PC, but that then, gets a
bit complicated and confusing, lol.

The advantages of having a "local" vault, with the main vault on a "server",
are:-
You only have to backup one machine,(the server), note:-with the Pdmworks
vault services stopped.
You do backup, don't you?
You can carry on working in you local vault, whilst the server backup is in
progress.
You can backup the local machine's vault, (note:-with the Pdmworks vault
services stopped), very quickly, as it is small.
If you mess up, only the local vault gets messed up.
When checking in your new project into the main vault, you can start at
whatever revision you want. (remember to un-tick the documents, that you
don't want to check-in).
When reinstalling or updating your local machine, you do not have to worry,
about the vault data getting corrupted.
If your local machine HD dies, your "server" vault data is safe.
And the best reason, is that the local vault is small, therefore, it is
easier to find documents, whilst doing development work.

 

When installed on a single computer ( as in my case ). It operates the
pdmworks server as a service of windows. Does not seem to be overly large
overhead to run the service, 20-30 meg of memory and negligable cpu useage
when not actively using. Gives great check-in times when in this
configuration <G>.

 

I think it used to require a separate server, it doesn't as of SWX
2005-- (I'm running it on the same machine as SWX, for the last 3 months)

Regards

John Layne

 

John, that is what I recall from back in 2002, which is probably the
last time I looked at PDMWorks.

Sounds like it has changed for the better.

Bo