{"id":16206,"date":"2017-03-12T11:00:17","date_gmt":"2017-03-12T15:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/?p=16206"},"modified":"2017-03-10T11:30:41","modified_gmt":"2017-03-10T16:30:41","slug":"creating-a-testing-vault-for-solidworks-pdm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/2017\/03\/creating-a-testing-vault-for-solidworks-pdm.html","title":{"rendered":"Creating a Testing Vault for SOLIDWORKS PDM"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16207 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/pdm-tips-header-1.jpg\" alt=\"SOLIDWORKS PDM Tech Tip\" width=\"600\" height=\"317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/pdm-tips-header-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/pdm-tips-header-1-300x159.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Written by: Michael Nolte, Application Engineer, DASI Solutions<\/em><\/p>\n<p>From time to time, there is a need to create a test environment so that any potential changes to a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault can be tested away from the production vault or a vault that is actively being used. This way, change can be vetted out without causing delay or problems to a company\u2019s normal activities in a production PDM vault. Some examples are: new workflow approval process, updating file and folder data cards, etc\u2026<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>In this Tech Blog, we only copy the settings from the production vault and none of the CAD data. Some of the items that come over are: Workflows; File, search, folder cards; SOLIDWORKS PDM templates; variables; users; group; etc\u2026<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>To get started: Open the \u2018Administration\u2019 program, log into the production vault, right click over the vault name, select \u2018Export\u2019<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16210\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/PDM_CEX_Export.png\" alt=\"SOLIDWORKS PDM Administration Panel\" width=\"429\" height=\"405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/PDM_CEX_Export.png 429w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/PDM_CEX_Export-300x283.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 429px) 100vw, 429px\" \/>This will open a window titled something like: \u2018Administrative Export File1\u2019. Go to the File menu, select \u2018Save As..\u2019. I recommend saving this (.cex) file to a location you can easily get to but also make a backup of this file just in case it\u2019s needed in the future. I recommend naming these file something like: \u2018VaultName Full Settings Backup 20170221\u2019<\/li>\n<li>Next, we need to check to see what data format and what Database server the production vault is using. This way, when we make a test vault, it matches the existing production vault. Right click over the production vault while in the \u2018Administration\u2019 program, select properties. Write down a note or even screen capture the \u2018Database server:\u2019 and \u2018Date format:\u2019 fields<\/li>\n<li>To create a new vault requires the necessary credentials for SQL and for the PDM server(s). Collect these prior to moving onto the next step.<\/li>\n<li>Time to create the new vault. Right click over the server name in the \u2018Administrator\u2019 program, select \u2018Create New Vault\u2026&#8217;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16208\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Create_new_Vault.png\" alt=\"PDM - Create New Vault\" width=\"312\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Create_new_Vault.png 312w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/Create_new_Vault-300x257.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 312px) 100vw, 312px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>This will open a wizard to create the new vault. If prompted for the \u2018Type of Vault\u2019 select \u2018Professional Vault\u2019 (formally called Enterprise PDM) or \u2018Standard Vault\u2019<\/li>\n<li>Type in a name and description that clearly indicates that this is not the production vault. i.e. \u2018Test Vault\u2019, \u2018For testing workflow changes\u2019, etc\u2026<\/li>\n<li>On the \u2018Select vault root\u2019 in most cases the default selection is fine.<\/li>\n<li>When presented with the \u2018Choose database\u2019 screen, please choose or type in the Database Server that was collected back in step 2. I recommend not changing the database name.<\/li>\n<li>No changes are needed on the \u2018License Server for Vault\u2019 screen<\/li>\n<li>Set the data format that was collected back in step 2 to be the same on this new test vault.<\/li>\n<li>On the \u2018create the admin user\u2019 screen I recommend unchecking \u2018using server default\u2019 and typing a different \u2018admin\u2019 password. This way users that may have the \u2018admin\u2019 password for the production vault don\u2019t accidentally go into the wrong vault. Be sure to write this down or share with only the users that will be testing in the new vault.<\/li>\n<li>\u2018Configure vault\u2019 screen we will set the \u2018Use a predefined configuration\u2019 to \u2018Empty\u201d. We will go into why we did this a little later.<\/li>\n<li>Click Finish for the test vault be created.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Create a vault view. This can be done by either logging into the vault in the \u2018Administration\u2019 program or using the \u2018View setup\u2019 program.<\/li>\n<li>Now we can import the .cex setting file that was created back in step 1. The reason that we selected empty in step 4-h. and then created the vault view in step 5 is so that when we import the .cex settings file, it brings along the data cards and even possibly files that are part of PDM template(s).<br \/>\nThere are 2 ways of importing setting files into a new vault. The first is to right click over the vault name in the \u2018Administrator\u2019 program, select import. The second method is file, open, then when the settings file window is open, drag and drop the top of the tree in the settings window to the new test vault that was created.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16209\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/drag_in_settings.png\" alt=\"Settings for New Vault\" width=\"663\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/drag_in_settings.png 663w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/drag_in_settings-300x135.png 300w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/drag_in_settings-615x276.png 615w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>At this point you can now start doing your testing without effecting the production vault. Make a copy of a project assembly to your desktop and then copy it into the new vault for testing, if needed. Some permissions may need a backup in the copied testing vault.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> If Dispatch scripts are used in the production vault and are needed for testing, they will need to be exported separately. To check to see if the production vault is using any dispatch scripts: Open the \u2018Administration\u2019 program, log into the production vault, expand, Add-ins, right click over Dispatch, select \u2018Administrative Actions\u2019. If the \u2018Administrative Actions\u2019 is empty or Dispatch isn\u2019t listed, then you don\u2019t have any Dispatch scripts.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/my.solidworks.com\/try-solidworks?utm_medium=Social_Network&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=201703_MySolidWorks&amp;utm_content=Techblog_trial_&amp;utm_term=link-banner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16261 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/MySW_Online_Trial_Hero_Banner_961x250_Opt_1.jpg\" width=\"961\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/MySW_Online_Trial_Hero_Banner_961x250_Opt_1.jpg 961w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/MySW_Online_Trial_Hero_Banner_961x250_Opt_1-300x78.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/MySW_Online_Trial_Hero_Banner_961x250_Opt_1-768x200.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/MySW_Online_Trial_Hero_Banner_961x250_Opt_1-615x160.jpg 615w, https:\/\/blog-assets.solidworks.com\/uploads\/sites\/4\/MySW_Online_Trial_Hero_Banner_961x250_Opt_1-728x189.jpg 728w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 961px) 100vw, 961px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by: Michael Nolte, Application Engineer, DASI Solutions From time to time, there is a need to create a test environment so that any potential changes to a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault can be tested away from the production vault or<\/p>\n... <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/2017\/03\/creating-a-testing-vault-for-solidworks-pdm.html\">Continued<\/a>","protected":false},"author":144,"featured_media":16209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,35,36],"tags":[1521,1013,1774,1006,60,453],"class_list":["post-16206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solidworks-enterprise-pdm","category-tips-tricks","category-usability","tag-pdm-professional","tag-pdm-standard","tag-pdm-vault","tag-solidworks-pdm","tag-tech-tip","tag-tips-and-tricks"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/144"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16206"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16267,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16206\/revisions\/16267"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}