Windchill Object/File in the Database and Vault

[RT_11397061]

Hello,
Below question is typical for the beginner level of the Windchill User.
So, I have split my question in three parts,

1. When a object/file is checked out the on Windchill, is the object checked out from Vault or the database in the realtime?
2. If the object/file is checked in and checked out several times, are the iterations created on the database as well as vault?
3. Does Windchill Vault and Database have the same set of objects/files at same point of time? I mean at 10AM in the morning, Vault has 5000 files/objects and will database will have the same set of files at 10 AM?

Thanks In Advance.

[d_graham]

@RT_11397061 

Nothing ever gets "checkout" from the file vault.  It gets downloaded or uploaded that's it.

Checkout is a database thing not a content file thing.

1. You can checkout an object out without downloading it's content.  The database checkout occurs when the user does the checkout. It's as simple as that.  When else would it happen? 10 minutes later?  I don't think so.

2. If you checkout and checkin but do not upload data upon checkin the new iteration will point to the existing content file.

So, you could have many iterations pointing to the same content file.

Windchill wants to be efficient. Why upload content files that have not changed?  You wouldn't and neither does Windchill.

3. See number 2.  There's no reason to think the number of new iterations in the dB would match the number of new files in the vault.

The number of files in the vault will always be less than or equal to the number of iterations, never greater.

If you delete iteration you need to run remove unreferenced files to ensure my previous statement holds true because deleting an iteration does not also delete the content file.

Makes sense?