Working Offline vs as Local Backup

[pcnelson]

I am working with some oversees users who like to work outside the system, and I’m trying to understand the benefit of doing so compared to working in a WS offline. It seems like adding the models to a WS, creating a local backup, working on the backed up models locally, importing the models into a WS, and then trying to check them in is more complicated than simply staying in the WS, setting it to offline, working, and then connecting and synching it when the work is done and ready to check in. They work offline sometimes due to network connection or speed issues. Do you see an advantage to working outside the system? What disadvantages do you see that may bite us later? When importing into a WS I always seem to have issues with existing objects, so offline just seems simpler and easier. Thanks for your insight.

[cc-2]

Hello Pete

I personaly see now advantages especially if those data have to be checked in to Windchill at some point.

How long have those guys been using Windchill ? Sounds to me more like resistance than actual facts.

Again, if the data they create has nothing do with your product data management policy and they will never need to be checked into PDMLink, then maybe to work with local copies



Le Mercredi 26 février 2014 16h37, pete nelson <-> a écrit :

I am working with some oversees users who like to work outside the system, and I’m trying to understand the benefit of doing so compared to working in a WS offline. It seems like adding the models to a WS, creating a local backup, working on the backed up models locally, importing the models into a WS, and then trying to check them in is more complicated than simply staying in the WS, setting it to offline, working, and then connecting and synching it when the work is done and ready to check in. They work offline sometimes due to network connection or speed issues. Do you see an advantage to working outside the system? What disadvantages do you see that may bite us later? When importing into a WS I always seem to have issues with existing objects, so offline just seems simpler and easier. Thanks for your insight.
-----End Original Message-----

[JoshuaHouser]

I've seen people export data from workspaces and work offline locally due to being surprised.

Basically the server keeps going offline and they get tired of the messages.

I have to agree that most of the time it's just user inexperience and lack of acceptance of the Windchill workflow.

Joshua Houser

(have I talked to you about FIRST robotics yet?)

Pelco by Schneider Electric

Methods & Tools Sr. Engineer

[sshankaracharya]

My insight into this is working on Locak backup would be better rather than working offline. Sometime it could happen that your local cache can go corrupted and you may have to recover the data. In this process it can also happen that you may loose your modification or data itself.
Working with localy backed up copy involves no cache. Also Pro/ENGINEER or Creo Parametric creates different version of the same file for each save. This functionality is not there in workspace. Hence loosing data is very minimal.

Thanks,
Shashi

[alonkar-2]

I personally feel that both the ways are risky. More particularly in case when many people are referring the common data/parts.
Because there would be high chances that people working offline may end up using the out dated data/parts.
Also may face naming/numbering conflicts issue.

Best Regards,
~Amit Lonkar

[SimonLucas]

If I had a choice, I would work offline. Especially if using Creo and make us of the correct tools to take the workspace off-line. We have used this on various occasions where users have had to work off-site for a few days. Not quite so easy with WGM for CATIA etc though.

Yes workspaces can become corrupt, but that can happen even when permanently connected to the server, with the same result.

As for the issue of Windchill not keeping each save, in Creo workspaces you can make use of frames if your admins have the facility switched on. This allows you to step back through saves etc. How far you can go back depends on the maximum number of frames set by the admins.

We don't use this ourselves as we use 4 different CAD systems, and it saves confusing the users over differing functioanlity (and saves us admins from lots of "why can't i do this in WGM" moans!).

Simon Lucas

[ocorten-2]

Hi Pete,

The offline functionality works way better than working outside the system

Re-importing data is always a hell of a job, especially when family table objects are in the picture.
And you also have a chance on generating a lot of ghost parts if you work with old drawings / layouts(notebooks).

The WS Offline method works like a charm. Just reconnect whenever you have a good connection.
You must train your users that they should always checkout the data they intend to change.
Then nobody else will be able to change the data when they are offline.
And after reconnecting, first synchronize and update all the out of date files and check if they affect your changes.

The problem with your oversees users is that they probably always have a slow connection.
So there might be a performance problem to download all the data related to the WS.
Then it could be faster to backup and zip all the files and send that to them.
But on the other hand, you can also do this with a local WS cache. As long as the cache is in the exact same location on the computer oversees.
That's why we store our cache in a fixed location (PDM_LDB_PATH=D:\users\%username%\ILINK9.1).
We can easily pick that up and move it to another computer and continue working on the other computer (you must login to WC with the same username though).


Kind regards,

Olaf Corten




Olaf Corten | CAD/PLM Manager

Besi Netherlands B.V. | Ratio 6| 6921RW Duiven| The Netherlands
T: +31 26 3196215 | M: +31 644548554
- | www.besi.com



From: pete nelson <->
To: -
Date: 26-02-2014 17:37
Subject: [solutions] - Working Offline vs as Local Backup



I am working with some oversees users who like to work outside the system, and I’m trying to understand the benefit of doing so compared to working in a WS offline. It seems like adding the models to a WS, creating a local backup, working on the backed up models locally, importing the models into a WS, and then trying to check them in is more complicated than simply staying in the WS, setting it to offline, working, and then connecting and synching it when the work is done and ready to check in. They work offline sometimes due to network connection or speed issues. Do you see an advantage to working outside the system? What disadvantages do you see that may bite us later? When importing into a WS I always seem to have issues with existing objects, so offline just seems simpler and easier. Thanks for your insight.


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[STEVEG]

But if your computer dies while you are offline you are out of luck since the files can’t upload.

I understand there might be a slow connection but I would rather have that than have to redo several hours of work.

Steve G

[ChrisCollinson]

If your not automatically uploading you would loose them anyway

Best Regards

Chris Collinson
CAD Administrator

[STEVEG]

And that’s why I have it set for everyone to upload automatically and not to work offline.

Steve G

[mmuth]

Do you have a remote file server set up for your overseas users? We have a very sluggish connection to one of our sites, and the file server has made performance much better for the users. So if performance is the real issue, this may solve the problem.