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jbennett1-Visitor
1-Visitor
October 18, 2012
Question

Save Vs. Save and Upload

  • October 18, 2012
  • 21 replies
  • 16974 views

Does anyone have an opinion on this or have a pros vs cons of each?


    21 replies

    R
    RonGrabau1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    October 18, 2012
    Save only saves to your local cache located on your local computer. If you local cache/computer gets any errors, you can pretty much kiss your modified or new objects good bye.

    If you upload, then the files are on the server side of your workspace. If your computer dies, all you need to do is get on another computer and all of your work will still be there.

    If you don't back up your computer or worry about local cache corruption (it happens) then the save and upload is your best bet. If you like living life on the edge and don't worry if you are going to lose work and like redoing what you just did because it always goes faster the second time, then by all means just keep saving to your local drive.

    Uploaded files and Commonspace are all on your server. Normally your server is going to be more stable than your local drive. The only issue I know if is that the upload will take longer. If you are on a WAN, then you will have to wait for each save/upload to complete and it increases network noise. If you have a poor network and your server is across the country or overseas, this could be a problem.

    Ronald B. Grabau
    HP PDE-IT
    Roseville, CA
    916-785-3298
    -<">mailto:->

    D
    DonSenchuk12-Amethyst
    12-Amethyst
    October 18, 2012

    Upload pushes a copy of the saved file to the server-side workspace in which is resides. This means the saved file can be accessed from another workstation if that user needs to do so. (For instance, if the modifications are not going to be checked in.) This also means on the rare occasions a workstation is changed or suffers a mysterious crash, every save will be retained even without a check in.


    I keep our config set to automatically upload on every save. While some of my users even pay attention to when an upload fails and try to resolve the issue right away, most just ignore it because there are so rarely problems associated with it.


    I've made sure the configuration is set this way at two previous positions as well.


    The downside is (supposedly) network traffic. I've never seen any slow-down from the user's standpoint and no IT department has ever complained about the network traffic from this. (Though to be fair, they may not be able to tell between the automatic uploaded files and a legitimate upload/checkin without extra work.)


    If I were to make a recommendation, I'd say to set your config.sup to dm_upload_automatic YES and let the users just pick Save.

    M
    mdebower18-Opal
    18-Opal
    October 18, 2012
    I agree with Don. We have it set this way, and our server is half way across the country. I have had large customers who visit us, tell me that the system response is faster than their in house server.

    -marc
    CAD / PLM Systems Manager
    A
    AndyHermanson14-Alexandrite
    14-Alexandrite
    October 18, 2012
    Do you know if your users have Gigabit connections to their computers or 100 megbit connections?

    Andy Hermanson
    Engineering Design Applications

    tel 605.275.1040 x51114 mobile 605.310.8168
    website www.daktronics.com
    M
    mdebower18-Opal
    18-Opal
    October 18, 2012
    Andy,

    We do have Gigabit internally, but once we go outside of the firewall it drops to ISP levels. Sometimes I think my cable connection at home is faster than at work...

    Note, I am not saying that it isn't slower than a LAN, but rather that it is acceptable and only noticable in extreme conditions. (Large files, lots of them, etc...)

    -marc

    D
    davehaigh13-Aquamarine
    13-Aquamarine
    October 18, 2012
    I'll agree with others that you really should use dm_upload_automatic YES

    But as for loosing files when your cache gets corrupted, that's not entirely true.

    The files are still there in the cache and are still good files. You just need to recover them.

    You need this program from the PTCUser site:
    [cid:image001.png@01CDAD19.101B61B0]


    David Haigh
    M
    mganzer1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    October 18, 2012

    Simplest rule of thumb I've given to users is upload when working with reasonably sized files (whatever that means). When working with large files save during the day and upload before you go home.

    M
    MikeFoster10-Marble
    10-Marble
    October 18, 2012
    One more (minor) consideration: Each upload adds the file to the vault. If it never gets checked in the file in the vault becomes unreferenced. When upload is automatic vaults need to be cleared of unreferenced objects more often.

    Mike Foster
    ATK
      A
      Anonymous
      October 18, 2012
      I used to be a Windchill consultant. Rarely would I recommend that
      "dm_upload_automatic" be set to yes.



      IMO, it is a crutch to educating users and taking away their ability to
      decide for themselves what needs to be done when. Instead, the users
      need to have clearly explained what the workspace and cache architecture
      of Windchill is and how "Save" and "Save and Upload" are different.



      Understanding the impact of client and server-side workspaces is very
      important, not only for this case, but also in terms of the embedded
      browser vs. a stand-alone browser and when a user uses more than one
      computer to access Windchill.



      Setting to Yes consumes bandwidth, disk space, and table size
      (temporarily). Save regularly, upload once or twice a day (unless you
      have 'special' needs).



      ~Dan







      Dan Harlan
      Mechanical Engineer / CAD Administrator
      480.940.0036 x178 Office
      480.940.0039 Facsimile



      481 N. Dean Avenue
      Chandler, AZ 85226
      dharlan@aitint.com
      www.aitint.com










      S
      STEVEG21-Topaz I
      21-Topaz I
      October 19, 2012
      Dan,

      I respectfully disagree. The reality of it where I work is that many of our user's (mostly outside of engineering) do not care to worry about that. They EXPECT the system makes sure they are protected. Case in point: we updated our drawing formats earlier this year and let everyone know they must use it. There were a few people that forgot when they processed an ECN. When we told them about it one person wrote another ECN just to replace the format citing "the system did not notify to update the drawing format". And they processed a couple more ECN's with that description.

      We have had situations where the hard drive has gone down and had to be replaced. Not a good thing if you don't upload.

      In the training that we do for PDMLink we explain the uploading process and that it is set to do so automatically. Not one person, ever, has said they want it turned off so they can do that themselves.

      In my opinion automatic upload is a good way to be proactive. Not reactive as you suggest. And in the case of the hard drive going down it doesn't even seem to be reactive. It's noactive. I would trade losing work with the safety of automatic upload and the minimal use of bandwidth, disk space and table size any day. Unless, of course, it takes an hour to upload.

      I would like to know if anyone agrees or disagrees and their reasons. I might be missing something here but I am not above switching my view.

      Steve G
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