multiple linked ProE/Creo sessions to Windchill - TPI 132097

[FredericVannest]

We are on Windchill Intralink 10 M030 & CreoEP5 M180.
We had quite some corrupt local caches in the beginning, so we advised our users NOT to use multiple linked sessions to Windchill.
We were of the opinion that this would only add to the corrupt local caches...
We were aware of TPI 132097 (

[cc-2]

Hello Frederic.

This was one of the main complaints our users had and I think most users moving from Intralink 3.4 to Windchill.

We had to explain to them that

multiple sessions take proe licences (we are using floating licences)

that they should work with their workspaces and compare a workspace with their old Intralink session. OK you have to save what you have in a session before you activate a new workspace and load the data into session. Not as straight forward.

Nonetheless, when the users were asked why they needed to have multiple sessions. we did not find many proper valid reason.

In other words, when they are working on something they should focus on that one.

If it is to view another model and do not want to add tens or hundreds more object in their workspace, they should use Productview to view that CAD files.

After 4 years of using Windchill, no one is talking about it anymore and they are quite happy with Windchill

Here again, if there are strong resistance it is about to map how they currently work and propose alternative which should be as efficient.

In Intralink you did not have ProductView for instance.

What are the reasons of your users needing multiple sessions. and how many do they have running at the same time ?

[FredericVannest]

One of the main reasons our users want multiple sessions is because they develop/maintain multiple projects at once.
They don't like that they have to switch workspaces, erasing everything from memory, etc... certainly when working on big datasets.
Also we don't have viewables fully implemented yet, so this adds to the problem.

Kind regards,

Frederic

[BenLoosli]

Reading that TPI says that you can run multiple sessions BUT each session MUST be connected to its own cache. That is the tricky part!

You are correct it is best to NOT RUN multiple sessions of WF/Creo at the same time to avoid corrupt cache.

You are on Windhill 10.0, did you miss this part of the TPI:
As of Windchill 10.0, running multiple Windchill Workgroup Manager sessions is not currently possible so the use case for running multiple Windchill Workgroup Managers against the same cache is not possible.

Your users will need to learn to live with a single session and learn to use multiple workspaces. As NacNac said, each session uses an additional license, too.

[FredericVannest]

My interpretation (and I think TPI's shouldn't be open for interpretation) of this TPI is that WC 9.1 M10+, so also WC 10, are supported for multiple session in the same cache:
<quote>
As of Windchill Solutions 9.1 M010+ in combination with Wildfire 4.0 M070+ or 9.1 M020+ in combination with Wildfire 5.0 F000+, support for multiple Pro/ENGINEER sessions of the same datecode when logged in to Windchill with the same account, working with the same cache and even with the same
workspace is supported.
</quote>

About the Windchill 10 remark, I read this as that "Additional information" about working in HDIC mode so I guess they are talking about the non-Proe WGM's???????

I have found a lot of TPI's are prone to interpretation, this is quite dangerous....
I will open a call with PTC for some clarification...

Kind regards,

Frederic

[cc-2]

I do not know the nature of your projects, but couldn't a user get the wrong session and make the wrong change without noticing it ?

Also at the end of each day, they must spend a lot of time going through the different sessions to save, not save, check in or not etc. for each session.

Personally, to me there is no issue with Windchill in that respect and it is down to working practices. Our users complaints at the beginning but they have forgotten they complained 🙂

Best of luck !!!

[RandyJones]

On 07/02/13 02:52, Vanneste, Frederic wrote:
>
> We are on Windchill Intralink 10 M030 & CreoEP5 M180.
>
> We had quite some corrupt local caches in the beginning, so we advised our users NOT to use
> multiple linked sessions to Windchill.
>
> We were of the opinion that this would only add to the corrupt local caches...
>
> We were aware of TPI 132097 (

[FredericVannest]

Yes, I fully agree, everything comes down to working practices, and I hope the complaining will stop over time.
The big hurdle here is that users did it all the time in intralink 3.4 and now we upgraded to WC intralink and they can no longer do it.
This looks like a step back to them.
I have opened a call to PTC to ask for some clarification on the TPI, I'll keep you posted on their answer...

Thanks for the feedback,

Frederic

[FredericVannest]

Hi Randy,

Nice to hear that everything works out OK at your site.
I will not spread the word yet over here, but it gives some confidence that we won't have major problems with users who do start multiple sessions.

Thanks,

Frederic

[BenLoosli]

In order for multiple sessions to work, you have to modify the start-up script or put your own on top of the PTC one, so each login uses a unique cache folder.

[RandyJones]

On 07/03/13 08:22, Loosli, Ben H wrote:
>
> In order for multiple sessions to work, you have to modify the start-up script or put your own on
> top of the PTC one, so each login uses a unique cache folder.
>

This is handled OOTB by ProE because the cache folder is stuck in the users home directory.
Solaris = /home/<userloginname>/.wf
Windows 7 = c:/Users/<userloginname>.DOMAIN1/AppData/Roaming/ptc/ProENGINEER/Wildfire/.wf

Windows makes it so much harder...

> *From:*Vanneste, Frederic [
> *Subject:* Re: [solutions] - multiple linked ProE/Creo sessions to Windchill - TPI 132097
>
> On 07/02/13 02:52, Vanneste, Frederic wrote:
>
> We are on Windchill Intralink 10 M030 & CreoEP5 M180.
>
> We had quite some corrupt local caches in the beginning, so we advised our users NOT to use
> multiple linked sessions to Windchill.
>
> We were of the opinion that this would only add to the corrupt local caches...
>
> We were aware of TPI 132097 (
> Phone: 785-823-3276
> Fax: 785-667-2695
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--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Randy Jones
Systems Administrator
Great Plains Mfg., Inc.
1525 E North St
PO Box 5060
Salina, KS USA 67401
email: -
Phone: 785-823-3276
Fax: 785-667-2695
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[JohnGloor]

I handle that with my PSF file, I added:



ENV=PTC_WF_ROOT=C:\PTCWork\Windchill\%USERNAME%\creo2

[FredericVannest]

So I asked PTC for some extra clarification concerning the TPI, this is what I received:




* Multiple session is supported as of Wildfire 4.0 M070+, Wildfire 5.0 F000+ (Solution :