Skip to main content
S
sking12-Amethyst
12-Amethyst
February 29, 2016
Question

How often are you applying Windchill 10.2 CPS (Critical Patch Sets) and how long is it taking?

  • February 29, 2016
  • 7 replies
  • 9611 views

We have multiple 10.2 Windchill environments (development, testing, staging) which are also clustered, some with multiple nodes. 

We will compare the files being updated to make sure that we are good on our existing customizations and configurations.

We will also do some level of testing before executing the PSI on production.

1. Back up codebases on all 4 prod nodes

2. Run CPS PSI on cache master node

3. Fix permission on IE tasks (we have non default settings on some which get wiped out when running the PSI)

4. Back up modified cach master codebase

5. Move\rename pre-CPS codebases on MS nodes

6. Restore cache master codebase from step 4 on MS nodes

7. Update new MS node codebases with site.xconf from pre-CPS codebase and propagate properties

8. Fix Creo publishing configuratin on each MS node

9. Fix middleware credentials on each MS node

10. Restart and a quick technical checkout

Just focusing on these 10 steps for production it takes a good 4-5 hours.

Our management is interested in what others are doing in the area of Critical Patch Sets; how often (monthly, quarterly, etc.) and how long (in hours per environment).

Can you guys share how often and how long (please specify monolithic or clustered)?

    7 replies

    T
    23-Emerald IV
    TomU23-Emerald IV
    23-Emerald IV
    February 29, 2016

    We have two environments, production and test, and both are monolithic (with separate database servers.)  Typically I will apply every CPS that comes out, so monthly.  Sometimes I will apply the CPS to test first, and other times I just go straight to production (but store a snapshot of the VMs first, just in case...)  I would guess that on average the whole process takes about an hour.

      R
      RandyJones20-Turquoise
      20-Turquoise
      February 29, 2016

      Like Tom I also apply every CPS, so monthly. I always apply first on a test server and then on production.  I also always take zfs snapshots before applying. Takes right at an hr per environment. Our setup is monolithic with master and 3 replica servers.

        S
        SimonLucas1-Visitor
        1-Visitor
        March 1, 2016

        Interesting discussion as we have just moved to 10.2 and are looking into our strategy with regard to this.

        Our dilemma is that we obviously want to install those CPS that include security patches, however some CPS force an upgrade of the WGM for 3rd part CAD apps which means we would need to upgrade several hundred CAD machines around the group at the same time. Not something we would want to be doing on a monthly basis.

          P
          pmooteri14-Alexandrite
          14-Alexandrite
          March 1, 2016

          Hi,

           

          PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager for CPS is currently an optional installation in PTC Windchill 10.2 M030 CPS. This means the administrator has the option to choose whether to install PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager CPS.

           

          • If the administrator chooses not to install 10.2 M030 PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager CPS and goes ahead with only PTC Windchill 10.2 M030 CPS, then there is no requirement to reinstall PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager on all client systems; however, the administrator would not receive any of the PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager fixes that were provided in PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager CPS.

           

          • If the administrator chooses to install PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager CPS, then reinstallation of PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager on all client systems is mandatory.

           

          • The administrator can also update the server installation later, if PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager CPS is required.

           

          Regards,

           

          Pankaj Mooteri

          Product Manager - PTC

            G
            GaryMansell12-Amethyst
            12-Amethyst
            March 1, 2016

            Hi Pankaj,

            We were under the impression that the CPS WGM upgrade was not always optional - ie on occasion the CPS may insist that the WGM is updated - is this not the case?

            Rgds

            Gary

              M
              mmuth1-Visitor
              1-Visitor
              March 3, 2016

              We talked about this at the TCs in January some. One admin told me that it didn't take him all weekend to install the patch, only 7 to 8 hours.

              We are still doing practice migrations, so no data to destroy yet. Just running the PSI has taken between 1 and 4 hours. Hopefully that will converge with experience. Add on taking backups, testing and restoring or deleting the backed up data, and I would expect to need about 4 to 6 hours per CPS.

              Mary-Ann

                S
                sking12-AmethystAuthor
                12-Amethyst
                March 3, 2016

                Mary-Ann,

                Thank you for your input.  Are you running a monolithic or clustered environment?

                M
                mmuth1-Visitor
                1-Visitor
                March 3, 2016

                A monolithic environment with multiple remote file servers.

                  S
                  sking12-AmethystAuthor
                  12-Amethyst
                  March 4, 2016

                  ‌Would love to hear from someone with a multi node cluster configuration.   Thanks for all the feedback so far which has been great!

                  J
                  jessh12-Amethyst
                  12-Amethyst
                  March 4, 2016

                  So shouldn't that be just a matter of installing the CPS on one node and using your node mirroring strategy (rsync, robocopy, or SCM, e.g. git) to mirror that to the other nodes.

                  [I assume a node mirroring strategy as running a cluster without one is a not recommended.]

                  M
                  mdebower18-Opal
                  18-Opal
                  March 4, 2016

                  It seems to me that if PTC is trying to emulate MS with monthly updates/patches, then the goal would be to have it as automatic as MS does as well.  The software needs to be intelligent enough to download, stop WC, install new software, and restart either automatically or with very minimal software interaction.  (Like MS.)

                  Anything less and PTC is placing additional burden on it's customers to maintain the system.

                  -marc

                    R
                    RandyJones20-Turquoise
                    20-Turquoise
                    March 4, 2016

                    Marc DeBower wrote:

                    It seems to me that if PTC is trying to emulate MS with monthly updates/patches, then the goal would be to have it as automatic as MS does as well.  The software needs to be intelligent enough to download, stop WC, install new software, and restart either automatically or with very minimal software interaction.  (Like MS.)

                    Anything less and PTC is placing additional burden on it's customers to maintain the system.

                    -marc

                    I am extremely glad that PTC does NOT do that. I would never want my Windchill systems to automatically download something, install it, and restart. There are also Windchill installs that are not connected to the outside world because of security reasons.

                    Installing CPS's and maintenance updates is just not that difficult if you practice on a test environment, create a cheat sheet from that, and then update the production system.

                      M
                      mdebower18-Opal
                      18-Opal
                      March 4, 2016

                      ...and just like MS allows for those cases, so would PTC.

                      The software would need to give options for automatic download and install or for manual intervention.

                      Why should a $49.00 software be more feature rich than a $100K one?

                      I
                      Invisigoth1-Visitor
                      1-Visitor
                      May 16, 2016

                      Hello,

                      I landed here while looking for hints to see if my upgrade is 'stuck' or if some parts of the install just take a really long time.
                      This is a 10.2 M010 CPS-9 to M030 CPS-13 update.  Only the Windchill Directory server service is running, since the install stopped to notify that was needed.

                      It's been stuck here for about an hour:

                      ---------------------------------

                      Beginning installation sequence...

                      Stopping PTC HTTP Server...

                      PTC HTTP Server is not running

                      Packaging PTC Solution Installer for Remote File Server Support...

                      Installing Java Development Kit (JDK)...

                      Java Development Kit (JDK) installed to E:\PTC\Windchill\Java

                      Packaging Java Development Kit (JDK) installer for Remote File Server Support...

                      Installing PTC Embedded Servlet Engine (based on Apache Tomcat)...

                      PTC Embedded Servlet Engine (based on Apache Tomcat) installed to E:\PTC\Windchill\Windchill\tomcat

                      Packaging PTC HTTP Server installer for Remote File Server Support...

                      Packaging PTC Embedded Servlet Engine (based on Apache Tomcat) installer for Remote File Server Support...

                      Installing PTC HTTP Server...

                      PTC HTTP Server installed to E:\PTC\Windchill\HTTPServer

                      Installing PTC Pro/INTRALINK Oracle...

                      --------------------------

                      The screen says "Installing . . .Executing Action ptc.windchill.install.suite.SubinstallerManager" with the status bar at 3%.

                      This is a single VM test environment so if I have to cancel out I can.  How would I know if I have to?

                      The disk and CD icons for the VM are very active.

                      Thank you,

                      ML Starkey

                      R
                      RandyJones20-Turquoise
                      20-Turquoise
                      May 16, 2016

                      ML Starkey wrote:

                      Hello,

                      I landed here while looking for hints to see if my upgrade is 'stuck' or if some parts of the install just take a really long time.
                      This is a 10.2 M010 CPS-9 to M030 CPS-13 update.  Only the Windchill Directory server service is running, since the install stopped to notify that was needed.

                      It's been stuck here for about an hour:

                      .
                      .
                      .

                      The screen says "Installing . . .Executing Action ptc.windchill.install.suite.SubinstallerManager" with the status bar at 3%.

                      This is a single VM test environment so if I have to cancel out I can.  How would I know if I have to?

                      You can tail the <Windchill-InstallDir>/PSI/installer/logs/PTCSOLNINSTALLER_PtcInstall.log file. The installer writes to this file.

                        I
                        Invisigoth1-Visitor
                        1-Visitor
                        May 16, 2016

                        Thanks Randy!

                        Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement