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This sounds like a scoping question. Talk to a qualified Arbortext services partner: http://www.squidoo.com/arbortext
PTC has published a Windchill system maintenance and monitoring checklist technical brief on the Windchill Installation and Configuration Resource Page located here.
It all depend on the depth of your install and how fast you wish to install, upgrade and complete next phase PDM implementations.
To give you an idea, at our company we use PDM as a data storage wharehouse for ProE, Micro Station, MS Word & Excel. We also use configured/custom promotion request workflows for our change management, no configuration management at this time. In addition we use Product View, MatchCAD, Mechanica, ISODraw & Relex, PTC Products. We have approx. 50 ProE user and approx. 150 total PDM user throughout the company.
We migrated from Intralink 3.4 to PDM 8.0 3 years ago. At the time we utilized Fishbowl Solutions to help implement, migrate and complete the initial traning.
We have 1 IT individual 5%-10% time commitment on for network, server OS & services and backups for PDM related ongoing support.
I administer to all users for training, PDM Admin & PDM Business Admin, upgrades, troubleshooting all PTC product issues along with any daily, weekly or monthly upkeep and administer to our maintenance agreements. Our consulting group helped start us on the right foot and trained us to be sustain ourselves.
In addition I am working on next generation PDM projects and manage our configuration management group. Obviously it is all time permitting based on issues that come up, but our system is very stable.
That all said with approx 10 years experience with Windchill I would like to have 1 or 2 more resources to offset current workload so we could implement faster more of the PDM functionality but we make due just fine.
Liz, Shawn, and Marc,
Thank you all for your input as well.
I put the attached spreadsheet together a while back to help address this question for a customer. You might find it usefule. If you have any comments or feedback please let me know.
--Bob
Bob,
Can I say *W-O-W*! That is precisely what I've been needing. This is incredible. I can't thank you enough. Questions:
1. What is CAD Admin? Is it for the PDMLink and Project Link?
2. Business Admin: How large of a user base is this number based on? How many objects/doctypes in ACM?
3. Training: Is this based on updates/upgrades?
Again, thank you sooo much!
Jodi,
Glad you liked it and found it helpful. I have many other things I would like to add to it, but have not found the time. It based on an implementation supporting approximatly 30 ME's and 150-200 overall users. Without getting to specific there are 70K Parts and another 100K documents.
1. What is CAD Admin?
- We have a separate person who is a senior ME who spends most of his time now on the Windchill implementation. Helping the rest of the Engineers out when they run into issues. Resolving issues that involve Windchill and Proe - publishing problems are a good example - some are Windchill, but they are often issues with the model itself. They are also the backup for the System and Business Admin. The System Admin, CAD Admin and Business Admin cover for each other when one of the other roles is not being filled that day - vacation, sick days ....
1a. Is it for the PDMLink and Project Link?
- We are currently just running PDMLink - we have ProjectLink, but it is currently not heavily used.
2. Business Admin: How large of a user base is this number based on?
- ~150 moving to ~200
How many objects/doctypes in ACM?
- Approximatly 100K and growing
3. Training: Is this based on updates/upgrades?
- Initial Users, refreshers after updates or upgrades - anything that would change the user experience enough to warrant it. As will as continued development of work aids.
I have posted this to the PTCUser exploder before, but this seems like it might be a better place to keep it and keep track of what else people want to see.
If you are reading this thread, please let me know of additional items you would like to see added to this spreadsheet. Ideas that I have or others have suggested include:
1. Links to appropriate documentation - ones we have created or PTC Material
2. Multipliers based on - small, medium and Large implementations - these numbers are based on a medium sized implementation
3. More depth added to the Roles - tasks, descriptions - whatever might be needed to make the tasks more understandable
4. Tools used
5. ??? Please add to the list
--Bob
Thanks again Bob. It would sure be nice to be able to talk to you on the phone. Here are some more questions:
1. CAD Admin
What does "ME" stand for? When you say the issues are often with the model itself, are you referring to the data model?
2. Dynamic Documents vs Documents
Can you describe what is a doctype or object for you? For instance, I may have one Dynamic Document that bursts into over 100k objects. Or I could have 100k 'MS Word' documents stored as objects. The maintenance on each will be different.
3. Architecture
What type of architecture?
How many environments are involved in the system these estimates apply to?
How many servers per environment?
Any integrations (Arbortext Editor, Arbortext Publishing Engine, Citrix, etc)?
4. Core Components vs Optional Components
Which optional components are included in the system these estimates are for?
Core Components are the Web Server, Windchilll Application Server, Database Server, and LDAP.
Optional Components include:
Visualization and CAD Publishing with ProductView
Full Text Search
Advanced Reporting Server with Cognos
Adobe Forms
Archive Server
ERP and Enterprise Systems Integrations with TIBCO ESI and ERP Connector
Arbortext Publishing Engine (for use with dynamic documents)
Content Storage (Remote File Servers and Replication)
5. Customizations/Methodology
What types of customizations are applied to the system these estimates are for?
And how many/how in-depth?
Workflows?
Lifecycles?
Custom Types?
Access Control Polices/Rules?
Vaulting?
Do you use Libraries? Or just Products? Parts?
6. Configuration Management/Control
I don't see anything in here regarding SRB, CCB, etc. Are these not included in the estimate?
7. Updates/Upgrades/Patches
Frequency of patches/updates/upgrades are applied? Are these included in the estimates? If yes, where?
8. Maintenance Roles
How did you define the roles? Some of the items I see under CAD Admin would typically fall under System Admin according to the documentation.
9. Set Up
I see a column that says "Set Up", but it appears to be lacking numbers for some items (Initial Setup of Libraries, Users, a new Dynamic Document Type, etc)
10. Additions To The File
I would include information equivalent to the answers above so that its easy for people to gain an understanding of the type of system these numbers apply to, and compare it to the environment they are working. For example, if these numbers are to maintain one environment, but I have three environments, I will need increase these estimates. These variables can have a massive impact on
Jodee,
I would be happy to talk with you. Next week is a bit busy until Friday, but please feel free to contact me at - or call me at 503-888-1471 and we can set up an hour or so. I am on the West coast so please keep that in mind. I will try to respond to your post in here as well - I think it is a good dialogue to share with others.
--Bob
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the contact info. I look forward to your reply here. I agree that it is a good dialogue to share
~Jodi
1. CAD Admin
What does "ME" stand for?
Mechanical Engineer
When you say the issues are often with the model itself, are you referring to the data model?
Yes
2. Dynamic Documents vs Documents
Can you describe what is a doctype or object for you? For instance, I may have one Dynamic Document that bursts into over 100k objects. Or I could have 100k 'MS Word' documents stored as objects. The maintenance on each will be different.
I was thinking simple documents - a correlation of one document - primary content equals what I was calling a document. That might not be a very good assumption/measure - we have many documents that have multiple secondary content. Probably need to come up with a better way to think about and measure that.
3. Architecture
What type of architecture?
Windchill Application server - 32G mem, 3 drives
C: OS 300G,
😧 Windchill 1T
E: Content 2T currently using 200Tb
How many environments are involved in the system these estimates apply to?
Production
Preprod
Test
and a couple more sandboxes
How many servers per environment?
Generally 3 Windchill, DB, Cadworker. We should probably add more CAD Workers.
Any integrations (Arbortext Editor, Arbortext Publishing Engine, Citrix, etc)?
No - we will be doing ERP eventually, Arbortext would be farther out the roadmap
4. Core Components vs Optional Components
Which optional components are included in the system these estimates are for?
Core Components are the Web Server, Windchilll Application Server, Database Server, and LDAP.
Optional Components include:
Visualization and CAD Publishing with ProductView
Full Text Search
Advanced Reporting Server with Cognos
Adobe Forms
Archive Server
ERP and Enterprise Systems Integrations with TIBCO ESI and ERP Connector
Arbortext Publishing Engine (for use with dynamic documents)
Content Storage (Remote File Servers and Replication)
We have deployed
Core Components are the Web Server, Windchilll Application Server, Database Server, and LDAP.
Optional Components include:
Visualization and CAD Publishing with ProductView
Full Text Search
Advanced Reporting Server with Cognos
Adobe Forms
Archive Server
5. Customizations/Methodology
What types of customizations are applied to the system these estimates are for?
- No the estimates do not cover that type of work yet. We are trying to do a little as possible, but I think we will eventually need to.
And how many/how in-depth?
Workflows?
Lifecycles?
Custom Types?
Access Control Polices/Rules?
Vaulting?
- I would have to do a little work to dig these numbers up - I do not know them off the top of my head.
Do you use Libraries? Or just Products? Parts?
- We use libraries
6. Configuration Management/Control
I don't see anything in here regarding SRB, CCB, etc. Are these not included in the estimate?
They are not. They might go well under bussiness admin or a whole CM role.
7. Updates/Upgrades/Patches
Frequency of patches/updates/upgrades are applied? Are these included in the estimates? If yes, where?
Not really - I would like to get into a quarterly schedule
8. Maintenance Roles
How did you define the roles? Some of the items I see under CAD Admin would typically fall under System Admin according to the documentation.
- Since all the roles overlap it can be difficult to draw clear delineations. They were are best attempt at doing so - any feedback anyone wants to provide on how to do that better is definitely welcome.
9. Set Up
I see a column that says "Set Up", but it appears to be lacking numbers for some items (Initial Setup of Libraries, Users, a new Dynamic Document Type, etc)
Yes, there is still work to do to fill in good values with meaningful numbers.
10. Additions To The File
I would include information equivalent to the answers above so that its easy for people to gain an understanding of the type of system these numbers apply to, and compare it to the environment they are working. For example, if these numbers are to maintain one environment, but I have three environments, I will need increase these estimates. These variables can have a massive impact on
Yes they can have significant impact. The one thing that I think is true but others might disagree, is there is sort of a minimum level of staffing required to run an environment - you have to fill all the roles whether you support a hundred or a thousand users. At one point I tried to account for complexity factors, but it got a little confusing. I may go back and take a cut though. I have worked at one of the largest Windchill implementations on down to smaller customers so I have some idea how the stuff scales in manpower requirements but have not had time to really capture that in a meaningful way. Maybe over the next couple of months I will get a chance to do that.
Hi Bob,
Again, very significant feedback. I do agree on this point: "There is a minimum level of staffing required to run an environment - you have to fill those roles whether you support a hundred or a thousand users.", with the following understanding:
1. Some of the roles may be able to be filled by more than one person
2. Some of the roles will require more than one person simply due (but not limited) to:
A. Infrastructure/Amount of knowledge required
B. Learning Curve
C. The organization of the documentation
D. Skill-set required
E. Company-Specific Policy (Documentation, CM, etc)
F. Possible peaks and Valley's in support (updates/upgrades would be a peak)
I do have what I feel like is a pretty solid outline of roles that I've derived from the documentation. I am more than happy to share. I just need to ask my manager if it is okay to do so. Will let you know.
~Jodi
Jodi,
I hope you can share. If you want to talk, this is a great week for it as I am stuck at home recovering from surgery - no flying for a couple of weeks. (503)888-1471. That goes for anyone else following this thread as well. I will be happy to hear from you as I am going a bit stir crazy already.
--Bob