Can a Windchill server be registered before launching Pro/E?

[gchampoux]

Later this year, we will deploy Windchill for the first time. (currently using Intralink 3.4)

When users launch Pro/E, they will need to register the one-and-only Windchill server.
I would like to automate this in our launch script.
For example, can I specify the server in config.pro?
Or set an environment variable?
Other?

Gerry

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[RandyJones]

On 04/13/11 13:21, Gerry Champoux wrote:
> Later this year, we will deploy Windchill for the first time. (currently using
> Intralink 3.4)
>
> When users launch Pro/E, they will need to register the one-and-only Windchill
> server.
> I would like to automate this in our launch script.
> For example, can I specify the server in config.pro?

Not aware of any way.

> Or set an environment variable?

Not aware of any.

> Other?

I have created a mapkey that properly enters the correct information. Then added
that mapkey called ".Register Windchill Server" to the Tools menu immediately
following the "Server Manager". See attached screenshot.

The mapkey guarantee's the server's name and location will be correct. If name
is not correct then your config.pro options, that point to the Windchil server,
such as pro_format_dir will work. Not to mention if the user enters the wrong
location the registration will not work.

>
> Gerry
>
>


--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Randy Jones
Systems Administrator
Great Plains Mfg., Inc.
1525 E North St
PO Box 5060
Salina, KS USA 67401
email: -
Phone: 785-823-3276
Fax: 785-667-2695
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[JeffHoracek]

Registering the server is a set once occurrence. I don't want to rain on Gerry's approach, but a mapkey is a little overkill unless you have multiple servers. Most places don't. We simply register the server once, and then each day when the user starts Pro/E and they want to access their workspace they're asked for their login credentials...done.

Regards,

Jeff Horacek
Sr. Designer

STERIS Corporation
5960 Heisley Rd.
Mentor, OH 44060
(440)392-7721 P
(440)392-8954 F

[gchampoux]

I understand that it is indeed a set-once occurrence.
Unfortunately, I have a considerable number of "unsophisticated" users who will ignore the instructions or fail to follow them correctly.
I am hoping to avoid a bunch of unnecessary helpdesk calls.

Gerry

In Reply to Jeff Horacek:

Registering the server is a set once occurrence. I don't want to rain on Gerry's approach, but a mapkey is a little overkill unless you have multiple servers. Most places don't. We simply register the server once, and then each day when the user starts Pro/E and they want to access their workspace they're asked for their login credentials...done.

[STEVEG]

Sorry Jeff but we also have a mapkey...at least for now. We are on 9.1 M080 and we frequently have users that have workspaces go bad. We end up rebooting our servers once a month. That seems to help quite a bit. We can really tell when we need to do that is when we get a rash of crashes.

As a matter of fact we just had 14 crashes in the last four working days prior to today. We rebooted last night and all is good. One of the users had to clear his workspaces. As a matter of procedure we have them delete their PTC directory. Then they just have to run the mapkey to get back up and running again.

You have to realize it is not overkill for others.

Steve G

[JeffHoracek]

Hear you loud and clear on the "unsophisticated users". My apologies if I offended anyone.

Regards,

Jeff Horacek
Sr. Designer
[cid:image001.jpg@01CBF9F8.62A335A0]
STERIS Corporation
5960 Heisley Rd.
Mentor, OH 44060
(440)392-7721 P
(440)392-8954 F

[davehaigh]

Gerry,
Assuming your local cache is in the default location.
%USERPROFILE%\Application Data \PTC\ProENGINEER\Wildfire\.wf
There are just a few files under there when you first register the server.
.Settings ß Folder
.cache2008 ßFolder
.lock
.wfwsi2008

If for some reason you need to delete the local cache, don't delete the entire, PTC or ProENGINEER folder, just delete the .cache2008 folder. That way when the user opens ProE again, it will still be registered. (If you change servers then you would need to delete the settings folder.)

If you look in the .Settings folder, you'll find a config.fld file. That contains the registration information.
The web_faborites.xml will get recreated when you log in. The web_history.xml will get created and update as you do things.

The thing about the config.fld is, it contains a lot of information unique to that user, machine, and default workspace. I suppose someone could write a script to generate this file, but it's over my head.

You could as some have suggested write a mapkey to do the registration, however unless you have a Product that everyone can see, you're going to have to pause the mapkey to let the user pick a workspace, I haven't tried that.

I do know what it's like to have users ignore, or not completely follow instructions. I had enough cases where problems resulted from them not doing this properly. Some people seem to think the instructions apply to someone else, not them.

David Haigh
Phone: 925-424-3931
Fax: 925-423-7496
Lawrence Livermore National Lab
7000 East Ave, L-362
Livermore, CA 94550

P.S. You should take advantage of the config option to define where the local cache resides on the machine. I use it for testing. I put the following in my startup script for testing new versions of ProE.

set PTC_WF_ROOT=%USERPROFILE%\pro\wf4_maintence_test\PDMLink_Cache\PTC\ProENGINEER

[davehaigh]

Steve,

We are on 9.1 m050 and WF4 M170, and I find it very stable.



There are a lot of client side settings that can cause problems if they are not set correctly. Attached is a document where I compiled a lot of client settings that need to be done. Also there is a link in the document to ptc's tuning recommendations. You should make sure your sever and Oracle are also tuned up. You shouldn't have that many crashes.



David Haigh

[dgraham-4]

Gerry,

It is possible to do what you are after.

Here's an explanation of how you can pull this off.

Create a trail file, we'll call it gerryTrail.txt, that registers the
PDMLink sever.
Tool > Registry > Server > Register New Server... > Enter Server Name and
Location > Check...
Trail file ends at after selecting Check... button


Place the trail file in a location the users can access it. I suggest
copying it to their machine when your startup script is run.

If the user has registered to PDMLink they will have a file in
%PTC_WF_ROOT%\.Setting\config.fld
If the user has not registered they won't.
This is how you will determine a no-registered users

In your startup script have two line to start proe one for registered
users and one for non-registered users.

Something like this
rem ProE startuo for registered users
if exist %PTC_WF_ROOT%\.Setting\config.fld call
%PROE_LOADPOINT%\bin\proe1.bat

rem ProE startup for non- registered users - run trail file to register
upon startup
if not exist %PTC_WF_ROOT%\.Setting\config.fld call
%PROE_LOADPOINT%\bin\proe1.bat <full path=" to=" trail=" file=">\gerryTrail.txt

Note the trail filename must have the proe iteration number removed.

When an unregistered user starts proe they will automatically be presented
the authentication window where they can enter their username and
password.



FYI, this is just one way to do it. There are other but this is probably
the most straight forward way.

Hope this helps.

David Graham
CAx/PDM Administrator


Emhart Glass Manufacturing Inc.
Emhart Glass Research Center
123 Great Pond Drive | PO Box 220 | Windsor, CT 06095-0220 | USA
Telephone +1 (860) 298 7377 | Telefax +1 (860) 298 7397
Mobile +1 (203) 376-3144 |

[gchampoux]

Thanks to all that replied.

I was hoping for a simple (and central) method such as an entry in config.pro, but the life of an admin is rarely simple.

The alterntives are not ideal, but one of them should work for us.

Thanks again.

Gerry

In Reply to Gerry Champoux:

Later this year, we will deploy Windchill for the first time. (currently using Intralink 3.4)

When users launch Pro/E, they will need to register the one-and-only Windchill server.
I would like to automate this in our launch script.
For example, can I specify the server in config.pro?
Or set an environment variable?
Other?