How do I maintain my Creo session connection to the Windchill server when the server is time to break the connection when it sees no workspace activity? Not all modeling activity requires server interaction.

[mbrown-nasa]

We have a timeout set within the Windchill environment. We we are creating models, with the Creo session connected to Windchill, the creation time regularly exceeds this timeout setting. We are often disconnected from Windchill while in the middle of a sketch or other Creo activity that doesn't involve server interaction. This causes us to lose design work or even end up with a corrupted workspace. We are trying to find something that could run in the background of our session that mimics server activity and thus keeps our Creo session with Windchill alive.

[MarkBohannon]

I am not sure that I understand why you are having an issue. If the problem really is the connection, can you just work in offline mode and then reconnect when the model is ready to be uploaded or checked-in?

If you really need to maintian the connection, are you open to a JLink solution?

[mbrown-nasa]

Hi Mark - Thanks for the input. We need to maintain an active collaborative environment, so offline work isn't a good option for us. JLink? Yes, we're open to this.

[LoriSood]

Mike,

What timeout are you referring to (KeepAliveTimeout in Apache)?

What exactly is happening when you notice the corruption or the disconnect issues?

Is it an issue where you finish modeling data, try to save and/or check in that fails/hangs?

[mbrown-nasa]

Lori,

I believe that this timeout is set at the Apache level. The problem is that while modeling, a timeout warning is being posted via a pop-up window. This happens at 13 minutes of connection time. If you miss electing to "stay connected" (a choice in the pop-up window), then you are disconnected at the 15 minute point. You keep modeling, and then you attempt to upload or check-in, but you are now disconnected. Continue attempts to reconnect often fail. You then get out of Creo and relaunch. When you try to open up a previously worked on model, you at times get a "Fatal Error" and a Creo crash. There is an open case with PTC that describes this as a cache corruption error.

I am looking for a means of keeping the Creo-Windchill connection alive...maybe by some background means. Doing repeated uploads is not efficient for the type of complex modeling we are doing.

[PaulMarshall]

Mike,

I've seen issues in the past where dm_cache_limit (config.pro option) was set too small for the data sets being worked on and cause odd behaviour like this.

In fact, I'd recommend taking a quick look at all the config.pro options starting "dm_" as they can have a big impact on the Creo-Windchill interaction.

Also, you might want to checkout this blog - Pater's All Things WGM Blog - has some really good links all in one place. A good place to start would be searching that blog page for the word "offline" - I just found this https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=cs129947

I hope this helps.

Paul

[mbrown-nasa]

Paul,

Thanks for the information. Our disconnection purposely built in from the Windchill (Apache) side via SiteMinder. I think what we really need is a way to "fake" CAD to Windchill activity continuously taking place - perhaps every 10 minutes - so as to keep the connectivity. As long as I actively choose to Upload or Check-in, I have no issue with staying connected past the 15 minute disconnection enforcement.

[PaulMarshall]

Ahhh SiteMinder gotcha ... that is a pleasure I'm yet to experience in production environment with Creo-Windchill - currently in dev environments so will have to keep an eye on that - certainly with other web applications SiteMinder has provided challenges.

[LoriSood]

There is nothing in Creo OOTB functionality that will send some sort of keep-alive request back to the server while the user is modeling. I see that you have opened a case with Technical Support to investigate this further. I agree with the TSE that a Pro/TOOLKIT application to do this may be the timeliest approach to this since an enhancement to the software may be a long time coming depending on the demand for this type of functionality.

[mbrown-nasa]

Lori - Thanks. We've looked into implementing a solution from the Apache side, and this seems to be working.

[LoriSood]

For the benefit of the community do you have details regarding the Apache solution that you are able to share?

[mbrown-nasa]

Basically, code was introduced into the embedded browser to reset the cookie that triggered timeout. The reset takes place every two minutes.

[CraigPater]

Mike,

Try something like:

• Create <Windchill>/codebase/keepalive.htm file with the following content:

          <head>

          <META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" CONTENT="600">

          </head>

          <body>

          keep alive page

          </body>

          </html>

• Launch Creo
• Open a new tab
• Browse to http://server/Windchill/keepalive.htm

It will autorefresh the page at a 10 minute interval and should keep your session alive.

Alternately, you could file a Product Idea to have the lower limit of the Windchill preference Workspace > Access rights refresh interval reduced from 1800 to 600 seconds as this preference controls how often a Creo/WWGM client makes a request in the background to update detail in the client cache.

Regards,

Craig