How to retrieve an uploaded object that was removed from workspace

[emetzger]

A user uploaded a large set of files...part, assemblies, and drawings.

They did not check in.

Over a months time, the objects were removed from the workspace AND their cache was deleted and rebuilt.

What happens to the objects uploaded to the server side workspace?

Uploading is said to be a form of backup...a safeguard.

So, how do we get the objects back?

[BineshKumar1]

"Over a months time, the objects were removed from the workspace AND their cache was deleted and rebuilt."

If the objects were removed from workspace by "Remove objects from workspace option", it will clear the objects from the server side workspace and client side workspace. So there is no option to retrieve those files if it is removed from workspace. Server side workspaces act as a backup if your local Workspace Cache is corrupted or when the client workstation is not accessible.

Thanks,

Binesh Kumar

Barry Wehmiller

[TomU]

If the file vault on the server hasn't had the unreferenced files deleted, then they'll still be there.  If you know the approximate date they were uploaded, then it's simple enough to just do a text search on the file contents based on the original Creo file names.  Once you find the files, they can simply be renamed to the original name listed in the file and re-opened in Creo.

[BineshKumar1]

Yes, that's correct Tom, I forgot about the unreferenced  files being stored in the vault. A text search for a large assembly in a file vault will still be a challenge.

Thanks

Binesh Kumar

[Marco_Tosin]

Using this report you can find exact position of your CAD files in vault by name or number.

https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/case_solution.jsp?n=CS42155&lang=en

It was also cited in this document Resource for reporting

[BineshKumar1]

Hi Marco.

I dont think this report will help as the DB references would be gone after you remove the non- checked in/uploaded objects.

Thanks

Binesh

[Marco_Tosin]

Hi Binesh,

I think the DB references would be gone only if you purge unreferenced files, but maybe I'm wrong.

[BineshKumar1]

Hi Marco,

Not really, when you run remove unreferenced files, it will delete/move all the contents in disk which is not referenced in database(specifically fvitems table).

When you delete an object, the reference from the database tables - ApplicationData/holdertocontent/docmaster table and so on  will be immediately removed. The links through the tables act as a lookup between the hexadecimal file name in the vault to actual document name. So in this case the entries in the look up tables i are already removed,

So the only choice after you delete a file from windchill  is to

1. Go to vault and do a text search and see whether the file exists there.
2. As Tom, said if you haven't done a remove unreferenced file, run one now with "move instead of delete" option. This will create a .unreferenced directory in file vault folder   and move all the deleted files in to that directory.
3. Narrow down file files  based on time of server work space upload.
4. You can pick some of the files and open in text editor, the UGC header portion of the CAD file would have information to identify them.
5. Then rename it to original file. Again, If you are talking about a large assembly, then this is a tedious job.

In my backup script, I have an update query which fires every day and update a custom table every day with columns similar to the report you have mentioned. This table serves handy to lookup between CAD file name and vault file names, whenever user comes back with a request to retrieve a file which he has deleted. Since this query runs every night, I am not able to retrieve the files which has been updated and deleted on the same day. I tried few other options with database triggers, but not quite successful to overcome the performance impact.

Thanks,

Binesh Kumar

Barry Wehmiller.

[RonThellen]

My Windchill Cache Recovery Tool (Windchill Cache Recovery Tool - Version 2.05 (WC_FileRecovery) - 64 bit version) can be used to recover the files.  It automates the process of opening the file in a text editor as Binesh has suggested (in fact, it was that tedious process that drove me to develop this tool).

After you have isolated the files (by date range in the vaults or using the move unreferenced files method) start the tool and in the Open dialog, set the File name filter to "*.*" (it defaults to "lid*.*").  You can now select the suspect files, open them in the tool, identify the correct files and recover them.  As indicated in the User Guide (included in the installer) and during startup, do not recover the files in their initial location.  Copy them to a new location and use the tool to recover those files.  The link above also includes a link to the original discussion that began on the PTC/USER forum and was migrated to the PTC Community.  There is also a 32 bit version available.

Ron Thellen

[emetzger]

Thank you everyone for your replies, they are all very helpful.

I have used the cache recovery tool before, but not with unreferenced objects pulled out of the database. I'll need to read those replies again later, if this can be done, I should know how to do it.

But here's a twist to all this, a twist that I cannot replicate. The user uploaded said objects a month ago, removed them, and also rebuilt his cache 1-2 times since. As admin, I could see every file he told me about but he could not. When he would recreate the object in Creo, the object would be flagged new, but he was not allowed to check in because PDMlink said it already existed. In the short term, to get his new object in, I deleted what I could see as Admin and then he could check in as normal.

So, any idea's how this user could have created this situation? If I could see the objects, why could I not do anything with them? Not open, not add to workspace...nothing but delete worked.

[TomU · Accepted solution]

When you say "see", do you mean you searched for the files as administrator and could find them listed with the new icon (asterisk) next to them and listed in a workspace?

If so, then you are correct.  The only thing you can do as an administrator is delete them.  (There are several product ideas requesting more capabilities for admins in this regard.)

[emetzger]

Everyone is on the right page but missing the main issue...which I cannot replicate today.

When the user removed them from his workspace, why were they not removed from the server side workspace as well? This would not have even been reported to me if the user was allowed to check in the "new" same name objects he had a month ago.

What could have occurred that kept the objects on the server side workspace after the user removed them from his local workspace (and cache!)?

[TomU]

We've had a similar issue where a user would check something in, and the workspace would say it was checked in, but the actual CAD data contained in their workspace did not agree with the CAD data on the server.  If the same user created a different workspace and added the same (checked in) object to it, the file opened in Creo would not show their latest changes that the see when they open the exact same object for the first workspace.  Our only solution has been to backup the CAD data to disk, blow the cache away, and then force a new check-in.  There definitely seems to be some issues with the local workspace/cache getting out of sync with the server (without realizing it).  This is with Windchill 10.2 M030 CPS06 and Creo 3 M050.

[RandyJones]

What could have occurred that kept the objects on the server side workspace after the user removed them from his local workspace (and cache!)?

One scenario is this:

1. in Workspace A user creates a new object foo.prt, uploads it, but does not not check it in
2. user creates Workspace B
3. user forgets about foo.prt in Workspace A
4. user creates foo.prt in Workspace B
   • foo.prt will not upload
   • foo.prt has same name exists conflict

This scenario has happened here before.

[emetzger]

One user. One workspace. Same name workspace. Same name objects.

[TomU]

Gremlins.

[emetzger]

Gremlins? Would it be wrong to mark this as the correct answer? lol

Thanks everyone. Your time is much appreciated.