cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

We are happy to announce the new Windchill Customization board! Learn more.

Windchill PDMLink - MS SQL Server DBA, workload

egifford
4-Participant

Windchill PDMLink - MS SQL Server DBA, workload

We've been on Windchill PDMLink for managing our Pro/E / Creo CAD data for nearly 4 years.  We've grown to approximately 50 users, but still use it primarily as a CAD vault.  We are in the process of upgrading from 10.0 M030 to 11.0 M010, are planning implementation of Change and Configuration Management and on the horizon plan to connect PLM to ERP (Infor Syteline).  As the reach of the system grows and it becomes even more critical, we're considering the need for a MS SQL DBA to really optimize and maintain the various databases (those of PLM, ERP, various other internally created databases) as well as best define which is the master owner of each slice of information and how the systems can share information.

For Windchill, I've been asked to summarize what the regular tasks for a  DBA would be and how much time it would consume.  In going back and reading through PTC's "Best Practice Activities for Windchill System Monitoring and Maintenance", I've constructed the following (below) - but the time requirements for a SQL DBA are purely a guess.  Keep in mind, doing the basics outlined in the PTC doc have kept it running smoothly with minimal intervention....but as we seek to better use the system and the information in it (not just the CAD files it manages), that's not going to suffice.

I'm looking for feedback both on the content and time required for a DBA's regular tasks for Windchill when used as PLM (not just CAD vault) and interconnected with other systems such as ERP.

Windchill_DBA.JPG

Windchill PDMLink 10.0 M030, soon 11.0 M010

all servers running MS Windows, hosted on VMware 6.0

Veeam used for backup and replication


Regards,

Erik Gifford

G.W. Lisk Co., Inc.

1 REPLY 1
MikeLockwood
22-Sapphire I
(To:egifford)

Admirable growth / evolution plans for sure...

The DBA doesn't really have much to do once things are set up.  There are essentially no direct actions on the database needed other than install / backup / export & Import for re-hosting.  All are done via Windchill solutions installer / shell commands.

The DBA will need to be involved in exporting / importing for re-hosting occasionally - or give the permission to the Windchill person to do so (not really mentioned above),

If you implement PTC System Monitor (free, easy and quick to install), that goes a long way toward the Windchill admin having most needed visibility to the database w/o actually getting into it.

It might be most cost effective (and robust) to contract these few but very critical functions to a service who takes care of these things for multiple Windchill and related systems.  Can do all via VPN with only the needed access.  A DBA who knows these things well may not be kept busy and may not stay.

Make sure that you actually test disaster recovery, not just ensure that backups are happening.

Top Tags