We run loads of different CAD packages with our Windchill System but are having problems with just one of them - CATIA. Since our recent upgrade to WC 12.0.2 and WGM version 12.1.2.0 our CATIA (particularly V5-6R2017) users working on large assemblies are suffering continual freezing/lockups of the WGM and CATIA. Which stops them working until it unfreezes - ranging from 3 to 30 minutes with no warning. The WGM and CATIA usually come back (not always) but this intermittent, can affect just small bracket parts as well as large assys. The CAD users say the behaviour has changed since WGM 12.1 as now CATIA freezes when the WGM freezes - whereas they could continue to work in CATIA at WC11.0 whilst the WGM was doing a background refresh.
We are not sure what the WGM &CATIA is doing to cause the freezing - it occurs on the regular half hour Workspace Refresh (sometimes these will complete in a second with no issue, then next time it will freeze for 5 minutes with the same models open). We also see long freezes in CATIA and WGM on Check-In / Check-Out and Opening.
Our Windchill App & SQL Servers are fine and so are the network links - indeed Creo/NX users report no performance issues, it only affects CATIA users. We have tried tweaking the various WGM preferences for refresh, item rename etc. but to no avail). We use a new Workspaces at least once per day,
We suspect that this gets more frequent the more members in the team are Checking-In / Modifying data as we approach design Gateways that have to be met. We also wonder whether this has to do with inter-part linking - as we suspect that the WGM struggles with this (any best practices to recommend here?). We also wonder whether it could be to do with updating multiple child parts and their siblings across the design team without updating the assembly that contains them (any best practice to share here)?
Or, it could just be a problem with the new 12.1.x WGM...
