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Systems/Software Engineering Tips

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Intention This tip lists different best practices how we are managing certain administrative use cases within Integrity LM. All of them are in production since some years, and very stable.   Status The list below is a working list. Feel free to comment or even add more. I will update the main tip section accordingly.   Best Practices with Use Cases   Topic #1 Environment specific images for the Presentation Layout. Use Case As a user or administrator, I want to see easily in which environment I am working. Best Practice Add an Image to the presentation layout, which has always the same name, such as environment.png The link is pointing to a file on that specific server. The image itself presents the Environment, such as TEST or PROD. This solution also works in a stage environment. Example   Topic #2 Stageable Gateway Configurations Use Case As a system administrator, I want to stage all files, including the XML files in gateway + gateway/mappings. Best Practice see HowTo-Stage-Gateway-Configuration-Files   Topic #3 Versioning of Customizations Use Case As an Integrity Administrator I want to version any customized file of my Integrity Server Best Practice Create a folder structure in Source which matches exactly the sever structure of your Integrity. Put all files that you want to version into this folder structure. Create also a folder structure under public_html/gateway to serve the Best Practice #2. Create another folder structure that matches the local folder structure for your client. Put any file into this structure which you need to deploy to your clients. In addition, create a separate folder structure for any custom development, such as local customized Java Classes. This approach will finally version any file that is needed to manage your Integrity Installation.   Topic #4 Easy recognizable Item Images Use Case As an user, I want to easily identify the item type I am working with. Best Practice We have seen very different ideas of how a type image is used by our PTC customers. Our suggestion is that you use different images for different types, like it is defined in the ALM solution. If you add more types, our suggestion is to reuse the small image and use it also for the main image. You can use MS PowerPoint to create such images ('save as image' functionality) All images should have the same height. The color itself shall rather be bright, and never bold. Because the user focus shall remain on the data, not on the image 🙂 Example It may look like this:   Topic #5 Use Stage Configuration for IM Use Case As a System Administrator, I want to get as much as possible process support for administrative changes. Best Practice If you have not considered yet, take a look at the Stage Configuration for Integrity IM. The Stage configuration allows you to utilize a transportation wizard helping you to move configuration changes along your environment chain. It is described in the Administration Guide from Integrity LM.   Topic #6 Keep the Database small with File Vaulting Use Case As an administrator, I want to utilize system possibilities to keep the database size small. Best Practice Enable File Vaulting for the Integrity Database This technique will move binary data out of the Source area into the file system, but the data files itself stay accessible. Finally, such files are no more part of the database, therefor the database size stays longer small. You may also consider this feature when you are life and you want to reduce the database size again. Hint: usually the data size stored in Integrity is caused by such binaries (usually ~ 70% of the total DB size).   Topic #7 See the Configuration from a different perspective Use Case As an administrator, I want a documentation of the Integrity configuration, to check specific elements without the need to open the Administration Client. Best Practice Use IntegrityDocs   Topic #8 Item Level Restriction Use Case As a user, I want to get more guidance into which project level I shall store Items and Documents. In other words, Integrity shall prevent me from putting any item into any project (level). Best Practice We have implemented a trigger preventing the user to put items and documents into projects which are not allowed. This trigger handles explicit item and document allowances, but also item and document restrictions on the project level only. For example, the trigger raises an error saying: "You are not allowed to store item of type XYZ into the project level 2. Such items can be stored in project level 1 or 3 only". This helps us to keep a good data project quality.   Topic #9 Dedicated Training and Development Environments Use Case  As a Training Coordinator or as a Developer, I need a dedicated Environment where I can prepare my data and run my own tests and/or prepare Training Material. Best Practice Use "im createsolution" to create a "configuration copy" of your environment. Install this "configuration copy" into a dedicated Integrity Server (or VM). From that minute on you can work completely disconnected, prepare the demo or test data you need, or execute certain development tasks. Later on you bring your results back into the production environment.  The "configuration copy" will be very fast and is very small, because it won't contain any production data. Exporting with "im createsolution" is a matter of some minutes, installing it might take a bit longer. Alternative approach: Stage-To-Empty   Topic #10 Functional Testing with Integrity STeF Use Case As a system responsible, I want to automate functional testing, to reduce regression test durations for configuration changes Best Practice If you are interested in a thorough testing approach for Workflow & Document changes, such as Trigger, Field or State configurations, consider the use of the framework "Integrity STeF". STeF stands for Setup Testing Framework and helps you in definining and automating any tests that you would usually perform manually.   The Framework is Wiki based, test cases are defined in so called Fitnesse tables. You can run each test separately, or combined in test suites, or all tests for the whole application at once. Also a command line execution method is supported, for nightly tests 🙂 Integrity STeF is also an excellent tool to generate test data for tip #9.   The next set of Best Practices is here
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Storyboard describing best practices and a typical development process that can be used to apply Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) using Windchill Modeler.
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This has been a question which gets asked of PTC Support time and again. Unfortunately there is no *good* way to do it with out-of-the-box Integrity functionality so I am making this blog post to share with everyone what one of our largest Workflows and Documents customers has done.
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If you are interested in "Meeting Minutes" and / or "RESTful services" in Integrity LM, read on ...
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Last Updated:  2014-04-10EDT1652Final Update:  2016-06-17:  This is the final edit of this blog post:  Here is a link to the Integrity Lifecycle Manager Master Hotfix Hub:  This hub is a list of all public Hotfixes from Integrity 10.4 and later, and should always be current to within
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Finding Answers and Getting HelpI suspect that most of you are already fairly adept at finding information on this site.  I've put together a brief road map for those of you who are having difficulty finding information.  I have also explicitly exposed links to pages to make bookmarking
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Intention This tip lists different best practices how we are managing certain administrative use cases within Integrity LM. All of them are in production since some years, and very stable.   Status The list below is a working list. Feel free to comment or even add more. I will update the main tip section accordingly.   Best Practices with Use Cases   Topics #1 to #10 are here   Topic #11 Item Editability Restriction Use Case As a process responsible, I want to make sure that only specific persons are allowed to edit items. As a process responsible, I want to assign the current user as default value for "Assigned User", that any item has a value in this field. As a process responsible, I want to make sure that users assigned to a read-only group can not edit any item in Integrity. As a process responsible, I want to allow that Project Administrators and Team Leads can always edit an item. Best Practice Add the field "Assigned User" to any item type of interest Create a trigger which assigns the current user as "Assigned User" if not set. Create a static and also a dynamic group to handle Read Only permissions Create an Item Editability rule for each item type, like the following:   Topic #12 Effective Role Management: Object Access Roles Use Case As an process responsible, I like to make sure, that a user will see only the relevant objects for a his role, such as specific types, specific queries, specific reports, specific charts. Best Practice A common practice is to create so called Object Access Groups. Such a static group will bundle role specific types, queries, reports, charts etc.  For example, such a role might be named "ROLE_Req_OBJ", and will contain all objects needed to fulfill requirement tasks. Another will be named "ROLE_Test_Mgr_OBJ". This role will contain only test management related objects. When adding a new user and granting a User Role, the user will get a business role such as "Requirement Manager" and also this related Object Role, such as ROLE_Req_OBJ. When a new Report gets created for Requirement Managers, then the report gets assigned to the ROLE_Req_OBJ role, and immediately all Requirement Managers will see that report, but only by them. Example     Topic #13 Special Projects Use Case As a project responsible, I want to have the following special projects: Library, Templates, Trash Best Practices Create a "Library" project that holds common objects, such as Abbreviation Documents, or reusable Test Steps. You can use the tip #8 to prevent the user from putting something into this library project that you don't want to have as a library element. Create a "Template" project that holds templates for documents, or even items. You can use the tip #8 to prevent the user from putting something into this folder that you don't want to have as a template. Create a "Trash" project, into which a user or team lead can drop a no-more-needed document. You can use a trigger to prevent that someone can  drop a document with traces in it. You can use the tip #8 to prevent the user from dropping something that should never be dropped. You may schedule a purge process for automated purging. You may restrict this Trash folder visibility to Team Leads only.  Each of the mentioned special projects can be team specific or global. Usually, we create different of them depening on the collaboration processes in place.   Topic #14 Tracing and Trace Definition Use Case As a user, I want that the system helps me to define the right traces. As a user, I want that the system avoids creating traces to Headings and Comments. As an administrator, I want an easy way to define the Alt-drag-drop functionality. Best Practices When defining the Alt-drag-drop functionality for Tracing, always include the category. This would avoid that someone creates traces between Headings, or Comments. Activate a trigger that checks about any invalid tracing that a user might perform in the relationship fields itself. Again, check that only meaningful nodes will be traced. Use the Trace Manager App to define and review the trace definition easily. Use the Trace Manager App to create automatically the corresponding STeF tests. (see topic #10)   Topic #15 Dashboard Alternative with external Data Use Case As a Project Manager, I want to have an overview about my project, where some data are from Integrity itself, whereas other data are provided by other systems.  Best Practices There are many ways to handle this. My suggestion is to use a report, and feed external data into the report using JSON and/or JSP.   A JSP can also display data provided in XML files. If such an XML file contains the data provided by the external tool, then our report and/or dashboard can display local and remote data in parallel. If the build in capabilities for charts are not enougt, consider the use of modern JavaScript libraries where you can create almost any chart type.    Topic #16 Standardized Custom Trigger Logging Use Case As a System Responsible, I want to get a standardized and consistent Trigger logging spooled to the server.log Best Practice  Develop a Trigger Framework, in Java, to standardize the Custom Trigger logging.  Possible output might look like this:   Topic #17  Standartized Reminder e-Mails Use Case  As a User, I want to receive reminder e-Mails about upcoming deadlines, or already missed deadlines. Best Practice Implement a new Item Type which holds the definition and the rules of how and when a reminder shall be send out. Define a Trigger which reads the reminder definition, and sends out the email according to the defined reminder cycle. Plan how you track the items you already reminded. Store also a log file.        Topic #18  Custom Help System Use Case  As a User, I want to have the possibility to access context - means type specific - specific help right out of the UI. Best Practice  Adapt the Presentation Template and add another link to a type specific html page. This help page might be generated, with links in it to different other information sources, such as team help pages outside (e.g. sharepoint, standard help, templates, process descriptions etc.)  We manage the links directly in a new item type.   Topic #19  Scheduled Trigger Chart Use Case  As a system owner, I want to get an overview about the Triggers ran easily. Best Practice Use a Trigger Framework to track the start and end time of triggers. Take those data and store them in a new tracking item type. Use standard build-in Charting tool to present the details of which scheduled trigger fired when.   Topic #20  Validate any system configuration frequently Use Case  As a system owner, I want to get automated support to check my own configuration rules.  Best Practice  Use the Trigger Framework to define multiple validation tasks to check your configuration  Define for each validation a single JavaScript file  Execute the validations using dynamic script inclusion.  Send an email about the validation results to the system owner daily.   More to come 🙂
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IntegrityDocs Creates a set of HTML pages documenting the PTC Integrity Lifecycle Manager configuration.   Version 12.2: Created for Integrity 10.9/11.x/12.x and with full support of latest Firefox / Chrome / IE Purpose IntegrityDocs exports the current Integrity Server configuration from W&D, and creates HTML pages. Each section under Workflows&Documents will become one node within the report tree. Each section starts with an "Overview" page, and then each element can be reviewed in more detail by drilling down.   Use Cases Document the current Integrity LM configuration status Validate and compare the Integrity LM configuration status Present the Integrity LM configuration status without the need to have direct Integrity access   Install In IntegrityClient folder Put the "IntegrityDocs.jar" into your <IntegrityClient>/lib folder Put the "IntegrityDocs.bat" directly into your <IntegrityClient> folder Check and update the IntegrityDocs.bat file with the correct Integrity Client installation location, for example: SET IC_HOME=C:\Program Files\ILMClient11 In case of any performance issue based on too many data in Integrity, you can also disable certain object types from beeing scanned, such as --noIMProjects: disable Workflows & Documents Main Projects scan and output --noSIProjects: disable Config Management Main Projects scan and output --noTypes: disable Types scan and output --noQueries: disable Queries scan and output --noTriggers: disable Triggers scan and output --noCharts: disable Charts scan and output --noViewsets: disable Viewsets scan and output --noGroups: disable Groups scan and output --noDynGroups: disable DynGroups scan and output --noStates: disable States scan and output --noReports: disable Reports scan and output --noFields: disable Fields scan and output --noTestVerdicts: disable TestVerdict scan and output --noTestResultFields: disable TestResultFields scan and output You can add these parameters to the bat command itself or put them directly into IntegrityDocs.bat, ... ityDocs.jar" com.ptc.services.utilities.docgen.IntegrityDocs --noFields --noGroups It's also possible to generate the output just for one or specific types, then the command will look like this ... ityDocs.jar" com.ptc.services.utilities.docgen.IntegrityDocs Defect Project   How to run execute the IntegrityDocs.bat in your IntegrityClient folder connect to the Integrity environment you like to scan then review the outcome   Version Info 11.0.0: Added 12 additional object types to the existing Types and Triggers, complete code review 11.0.1: You can sort the Overview tables by clicking at the light green headings 11.0.2: Added Main Project for W&D 11.0.2: Reports now previewable and downloadable 11.0.3: Edit-In-Word Templates download now possible (links provided in the Type form) 11.0.3: Added Main Project for CM 12.1: Minor compatibility changes only 12.2: Minor Compatibility changes only Development Environment PTC Integrity LM 11.0 to 12.2 (also 10.9 is still fine) Netbeans 8 Java 1.8   Known Limitations the search does not work yet none of the SI or MKS Domain object is exported (primarily because of the expected high data volume) the "deploy" reporting is no more supported since 10.5 or so   Related Tools Integrity-LM-Administration-Configuration-Reports
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Tag values can be displayed on both of these types of items using the diagram and object View Options The video below shows an example of this process including the creation and application of the Stereotypes and Tags
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Intention This document is intended to describe the current status of Integrity LM configuration reports and to collect related discussions and ideas.   Configuration Reports for W&D Integrity Docs Custom developed offline solution creating static html pages about types and triggers for review and sharing Is provided as a JAR file to be executed on client One alternative is "Type Fields in Excel" Custom developed offline solution creating Excel Files instead of html files with similar information Especially helpful when you are in a workshop and like to track requested changes directly in Excel for later implementation Is provided as a JAR file to be executed on client IMConfig Custom developed Online solution for Admin reporting. For Type-Fields, the same java code is used here like in solution #2. And, it offers many more reporting, not only "Type-Fields-Workflows". For example, it offers also reporting for User-Group-Dynamic-Group details. Is provided as a single WAR file to be copied to the server Administration Reports Custom developed Word Export showing Administration Configuration Details for Types, States, Fields etc. CLI You can use the CLI to create config lists in CSV or XML format, and upload the same into any custom reporting tool. I am using #3 instead, where possible. Relationship and Trace Listing Custom Developed Excel List for all admin Relationships  and Traces. Created for Documentation and Validation purposes.  Trigger Overview  This report lists all Triggers with the name, and they are ordered by the type names on which the trigger fires. Each box represents a trigger. Additional flags highlighting the type, the pre or post mode, if a script is linked etc.   Configuration Reports for Config Mgmt: for ACLs: Standard Client Form providing ACL details in regards to given ACLs for users/groups and projects, subprojects In General You can use the CLI to create config lists in CSV or XML format, and upload the same into any custom reporting tool.   Next Steps If you are aware of any other solution that I should list above, please post it here as comment. If you are aware of any other related Idea or Discussion that I should reference, please post it also.   Related Discussions: For W&D: PTC Integrity Configuration Report‌ Re: Is there a possibility to give out all definition done in ILM "Workflow and Documents" how to compare two Integrity configurations   Volker
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Overview of the integration between Integrity Modeler 8.3 and Windchill 11.0 M010. Also includes detailed use cases for the integration.Provides descriptions of the Integrity Modeler Windchill Exporter and PTC Navigate Manage Traces Modeler Extension (ThingWorx app) components.
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There are currently 127 PTC Integrity Tutorials available on the PTC University Learning Exchange.  These tutorials range from things as simple as navigating the web interface and the client GUI to Re-using Requirements and configuring Integrity to re-import Microsoft Word documents
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I'm pleased to share a presentation that covers Model Management with WIndchill Modeler 9.4, which is part of an upcoming training course "Introduction to Windchill Modeler". This presentation gives an introduction and best practices on the following topics: Access permissions versioning, private sandboxes, rebase, reconcile clone, component sharing, import/export differencing, reporting package states and versions  regards, Patrck
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Hello, we are currently evaluating an option to include customized help into the ILM standard help system.   I am wondering if anyone of you can give me input how you today create custom help text (in your environment), and which tools you use to maintain it. From PTC point of view this customized help might come out of Integrity Process Director directly.   I am pretty sure that such a "Customized Help System Redirector", like it is briefly described below, can be implemented easily.   Here is the draft concept:   Related Ideas List Adminstrators of Integrity Related PTC Windchill Solution Windchill Help Center Enhancements Volker
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Hello Community,we are often asked why in the ALM Solution the item metrics are updated only once a day.Actually, it is implemented that way, especially because such an update might take a long time and would affect the end users GUI performance negatively.But, still companies are
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Call for ParticipantsPTC is looking for participants for a Voice of the Customer focus group covering integration of Change Management Processes between Windchill and Integrity and other ALM tools. PurposeThe purpose of this program is to align voice of the customer with the roadmap
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We are bringing the Liveworx UX Lab to you this year! Contribute to the design and development of PTC’s products from the comfort of your home.   Participate in online 1:1 session with PTC Researchers and Designers to take our prototypes & conceptual designs for a spin, share your expertise to directly impact the experience of our future products.   For all Liveworx 2020 UX Lab sessions, click here   Windchill SSE (formerly Integrity) session links: WINDCHILL: RV&S 12.4 (formally Integrity Lifecycle Manager) WINDCHILL: Modeler 9.3 (formerly Integrity Modeler)
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Windchill Systems & Software Engineering is pleased to announce that, in collaboration with the LiveWorx Team, we are offering Systems & Software Engineering Virtual Symposium, a webinar series dedicated to Systems & Software Engineering (formerly Integrity) topics.  Some of the content being planned includes the latest news and product updates from PTC SSE Product Management team, partner solutions, and customer presentations.    We wanted  to give you a sneak peek on the PTC Community, while we finalize the schedule.    Please register tor the event to stay informed.        
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If there are 2 PLE licenses available how can it be controlled which users can access those licenses as the default is to take the license so the first 2 users take the licenses unless they specify not to take the license? This prevents the specialist variability Modeling users access the editor licenses. The method in this video uses the Flexlm options file to control who can use these features:   There are many other licensing features that the options files can control. For details please see Chapter 5 - The Options File in the Flexlm End user guide this can be downloaded from: https://support.ptc.com/appserver/wcms/standards/fileothumbredirect.jsp?&im_dbkey=168637&icg_dbkey=522
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This article outlines a concept how you can include the Integrity Gateway configuration files for mappings and the main gateway-tool-configuration.xml in the staging process. The goal is to have one single process for any kind of server file handing.
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