Viewing only released objects

[jfrankovich]

What ACLs/configurations/preferences are necessary in order to allow users in a specific role to always see the latest Released version of all objects, regardless of the state of newer versions?

A certain group of users in a specific role are permitted to see only Released objects via ACLs. But in certain cases they cannot see the latest Released version and can only see the prior Released version.

For example, a document DOC1 exists in Windchill in the following versions and states:

DOC1 - A.0 - In Work
DOC1 - A.1 - Released
DOC1 - B.0 - Released

The specified users can search for DOC1 and will see results including version B.0 and A.1. If they browse in the folders, they will see version B.0.

But if the following version is added to Windchill at the indicated state:

DOC1 - B.1 - In Work

The same users will only be able to see the prior released version A.1.

We need for these users to continue to see version B.0. We also realize that in more proper use, version B.1 would actually be new revision C.0.

Thanks,
John

[MikeLockwood]

Normally only the latest (B) would show depending on Latest Version search preference. But, it's possible that the preference uses an unexpected algorithm. It's got to work one of these two ways:

- Select the latest Iteration of the latest Revision (e.g. B.1 In Work), then see if the user has Read access to the state of that Iteration.

- Select the latest Iteration of the latest Revision, then see if the user has Read access to the state of that Iteration; if they don't, then see if the user has Read access to the next-latest Iteration. Repeat.

It very likely does not use the second.

[jfrankovich]

Mike,
PTC confirmed that the first case is in fact how Windchill functions. It is too bad that it can't function like the second case.
John



Sent from my Palm Pre on AT&T

[MikeLockwood]

Good reason to always go to the next Revision once you've ever gone to a state at which you can "do business" with the data outside Windchill.

As you say below, normally B.1 In Work in your example would be C.0 In Work.

[jfrankovich]

Definitely agreed. We were surprised to find this behavior and found cases in the organization wherethis had a negative effect.

John

Sent from my Palm Pre on AT&T

[leger.xavier.pr]

We encounter the same issue, due mainly to carry-over data coming from Intralink 3.4. There was less restrictions for Latest Released state in ILINK 3.4 and some people used it like that :

A.0 In Work
A.1 In Work
B.0 Released
B.1 In work
C.0 Released

Meaning that once the design was 'ready to be released', the version number was raised. It could sound illogical, but there was no pb for ILINK 3.4, Latest Released was Latest Released.

PTC answered us that PDMLink was designed like that, but there we are facing a kind of regression, as PDMLink is not capable to handle properly Latest Released objects.

So it ends with users trying to Add to Workspace the Latest Released objects, and checking object by object if what they have is really the latest released ones. If they don't do so, the Cad Check tool prior to release will see the error.

Issue has decreased since we are in PDMLink for almost 2 years now, and lot of objects have been newly revised and released, but it didn't help users' confidence in the system.

Xavier

[LSivertsen]

We encounter the same problem. We are planning to have a saved search for the users to search for latest released version. We need to let users have access to objects in "In Work" so that they are able to access the objects in Released in an earlier iteration. This is NOT a good solution and will over time trigger access to a wrong version.

I think that PTC should be the one to provide a tool for all the former Pro/INTRALINK costumers that are struggling with this problem.

Lisbeth

[ssenthil]

One of our customers had the same challenge. We addressed in two fronts:

1. For ongoing promote/change process, at the time of release, we
?obsolete? the earlier version.

2. For the legacy data, we delivered an add-on tool that walks through
the iterations, and set the earlier iterations to ?obsolete? if there is a
latest released iteration.

Now there is only one released iteration for all the objects.





Thank you and have a great time.

Best Regards

Swamy Senthil

Principal Solutions Architect, Swasen Inc

swamy.senthil@swasen.com(Email); 909 800 8423(M); 973 324 2729(W); 866
908 6561(F);

[LewisLawrence]

At Weatherford we have a similar requirement and process. We use a workflow that runs when a new version is created, this calls an expression and helper class that sets the state on the previous version to “Superceded” (yes, we know it is spelled wrong), this also sets the state on any linked WT documents and EPM Documents to match the wtpart. So the old part versions and their linked documents all end up in the Superceded state.

Users outside of Engineering may be given “Read Released” permissions to view WT documents and EPM Documents in the Released and Prototype states. We also allow users with this permission to view wtparts in the Superceded state, this is so they can use the “compare” function in Windchill to review BOM changes between wtpart versions without being able to access the out of date linked documentation.

On a related note, and something to add to a wish list would be for Windchill to have a database stored “Latest version”, which works similarly to how the “Latest iteration” does today. This could then be used to support some specific access control rules around those values. In addition to access control this would also make running reports on “latest” much more efficient.

As an aside, I was once in a meeting about Reports during the Technical Committee meetings in 2010 where a PTC representative assured us that there was a “latest version” feature in the software. I challenged this statement at the time and was assured that I would be sent instructions/documentation for how to use it…….. (still waiting). The only way I know of to “reliably” get the latest version is to use a “max” function comparing versions in the report, which is a resource hog.

-----

Lewis

[MikeLockwood]

Yes, "Latest Revision" is definitely needed in query builder reports. All reports that need to filter for latest Revision need to use sub-select on maximum of versionSortID - horrible.

[tbusch]

I don't think that works for Rev AA vs. Rev B, does it?

It would be sorted as follows:
A
AA
B
C
...

-Thomas R. Busch
Sr. Software Developer
Stryker Instruments
(269) 323-7700 x4014
tom.busch@stryker.com<">mailto:tom.busch@stryker.com>

From: Lockwood,Mike,IRVINE,R&D [

[MikeLockwood]

It does in fact work. We have state-based versioning in use, with all Numbered revisions having the letter P (P0, P2, P2... A, B, C... AA, AB, etc.).

The function in sub-select "maximum of versionSortId" in fact looks correctly at the StateBasedVersioning sequence.