difference between delete from Windchill and delete form Windchill and directory server

[SC_8321054]

Hello,

Could someone explain what is the difference between delete from Windchill and delete form Windchill and directory server? I am confused which one I should opt for. 

Is directory server means Windchill database? could someone please explain?

I have read the PTC support article but still confused. please help

Br,

Sandeep C

[shussaini · Accepted solution]

Delete from Windchill removes users from the Windchill database. Delete from Windchill and delete form Windchill and directory server will remove user from both the Windchill DB and the LDAP (provided Windchill has READ/WRITE permissions on that LDAP).

Below is an extract from the WHC on this topic

The results of deleting a user from the Windchill database are:

•The user is removed from all groups.

•All access control policy rules that specifically identify the user are removed.

•The user is removed from all notification lists within notification policy rules and, if deleting the user from the list results in an empty list, then the rule is also deleted.

•When a user is deleted, the entitled license is automatically returned to the pool of available license count.

•If the user was a member of a local or shared team, the user row in the Members table includes (Deleted) after the user name to inform the team that the user has been deleted. The deleted user can then be replaced or removed from the team.

•A user can be created with an identical user name as a user that was previously deleted, but if the original user's personal cabinet was not deleted, the new personal cabinet will have a different name.

•If a deleted user is specified as the user of a collection defined in the index properties, a stack trace prints in the method server log when an attempt is made to index an object.

The results of deleting a user from both the Windchill database and the directory service include all results described earlier for deleting a user from the Windchill database and additionally include the following:

•A user is not authenticated when attempting to log into Windchill.

•The user's name is not included in search results.

If a user is not removed from the user directory service, a new user object is created in Windchill database when the user tries to log on or when the user is selected from a search. This new user object is not the same object that was deleted, and all of the results of the earlier deletion are still true. For example, the user is no longer a member of the groups to which the user had been a member.

After deleting a user from the Windchill database, you must perform the following clean-up steps:

•Reassign any items in the user's list of tasks.

•Unlock any objects the user has checked out of the Windchill database.

Hope this helps.

regards
~Syed

[BenLoosli]

We never delete anyone who has left the company if they had anything done in Windchill. Deleting them will remove their name from the database fields that track who did something. I rename the user's full name with an IU prefix, Inactive User. This allows me to search for any work done by them and also see what work they did if someone else has worked on those same files after that person left.

[avillanueva]

I think they fixed that. In 12 at least you can search on delete users.

[SC_8321054]

If you delete a user from database and directory server, you can't find them in search.

[avillanueva]

I do not think that is true:

You cannot find them in participants search sure but you can find things from them like created by and modified by. They show up with (deleted) next to names.

[SC_8321054]

Thanks  @shussaini, i have already read the PTC blog it is help full. @BenLoosli  what is the meaning of keeping a license for someone who already left the organization? that's why we delete the user right? to get the license back and can be again used by someone else.

[HelesicPetr]

Hi @SC_8321054 

That is the point. Licensing. If user left company and he would be deleted from the system, and he come back, you can not give him same account and licence as before. You need to create new user and that user need a new license. That is why the users are usually deactivated and the person can come back to the company and use the same account for his future work. Admin just redeactivated the user. 

PetrH 

[joe_morton]

For users coming from LDAP, I don't think they count against your licenses once they become disconnected. 

You can always remove the user from the license group to free up the license.

We typically only delete users as part of our upgrade process.

[SC_8321054]

okay, so if I chose option "delete from Windchill" I still could able to find the user in search but if a chose "delete from Windchill and directory server", the user is gone completely.