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Integrating Solidworks files into PDM Standard from Home Worker

Question asked by John Wayman on Aug 2, 2018
Latest reply on Aug 20, 2018 by John Wayman

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Hello,

We are currently users of PDM Standard.

We have 10 users here on site, and we are considering engaging the services of another design engineer who will work mainly at home.

In the case of brand new Solidworks files, I can see that it makes very little difference whether he sits here or at home.

However, when he uses a Toolbox component and/or makes a minor modification to an existing part, how do we integrate the resulting changes into PDM Standard?

Is there a well-defined process for using PDM Standard and Toolbox with off-site workers? The Toolbox resides within the PDM Standard Vault, by the way.

SW2018, SP3

PDM Standard, 2018

Cheers,

John

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13 Replies

Todd Blacksher Aug 2, 2018 11:29 AM
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Bookmarked!
As a side note, the designer engineer that will be working from home will need a full Professional or Premium license, as you cannot install PDM Standard with a home license.
(I doubt that this is the case, but I just found out about this recently, so I thought I would share.)
todd
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- John Wayman @ Todd Blacksher on Aug 2, 2018 11:49 AM
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  Good call, Todd.
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Paul Wyndham Aug 2, 2018 12:21 PM
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If the user has the permissions to check out the toolbox files to make changes to the database those changes should show up for everyone that is using the vault toolbox.

We don't really use toolbox so I don't have all the answers. We have too many vendors or partners that use their own toolboxes. We found it easier to just use non-toolbox parts so that we don't have weird things happen so I don't have any best practices for you. Sorry
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John Wayman Aug 17, 2018 9:13 AM
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Do I take it that Todd and I are the only people on the forum to whom this subject is relevant? Or has it simply fallen through the cracks?
I really hope there are others who have done, or are currently doing, this.

John
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- Greg H. @ John Wayman on Aug 17, 2018 10:26 AM
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  We use PDM Pro, so I don't know the differences, but we often work from home with no issues. Just check the files out that need modifying and check them back in. We also don't use toolbox, but I'm assuming those that do use a server based TB, so again, everyone pulling from the same location so I'm not seeing the difficulty.
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  - John Wayman @ Greg H. on Aug 17, 2018 10:59 AM
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    Thanks, Greg, that's interesting.
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Christian Chu Aug 17, 2018 10:57 AM
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What type of SW license the user who works form home has? if it's premium or pro. then that user can connect to work PDM vault thru VPN othrewise, for standard SW lic., you have to pay extra for using PDM
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- John Wayman @ Christian Chu on Aug 17, 2018 11:01 AM
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  I'm not too concerned about licensing and other practical issues, it's the file housekeeping that bothers me. I am worried we will end up paying someone huge amounts of money to produce CAD files we can't re-integrate into our PDM system.
  I hope I'm over-analysing it!
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  - Greg H. @ John Wayman on Aug 17, 2018 11:06 AM
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    If they are using the same vault, shouldn't matter where they are. Vault is on a server. Everyone at the office or at home are pulling (get) files from the server to their PC. When editing they are checking the files out, and when finished, they are checking tem back in to the server. As long as they are VPN'ed into the server no issues should arise.
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  - Christian Chu @ John Wayman on Aug 17, 2018 11:09 AM
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    Wayman John wrote:
    
    I'm not too concerned about licensing and other practical issues, it's the file housekeeping that bothers me. I am worried we will end up paying someone huge amounts of money to produce CAD files we can't re-integrate into our PDM system.
    I hope I'm over-analysing it!
    we're here in California and have some engineers in Michigan and they access to the Vault here thru VPN without any issue
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    - John Wayman @ Christian Chu on Aug 20, 2018 5:58 AM
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      Yes, I should have made it more clear in my original post, I am talking about working completely remotely, without a VPN connection.
      
      John
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      - Steve Ostrovsky @ John Wayman on Aug 20, 2018 7:52 AM
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        Without VPN connection you're going to have some logistical issues but it can be done. The reason for the VPN is that PDM Standard or Pro both want users on the domain. There are several reasons for this but one is that domain users get authenticated to simply Access the Vault. Out of the box, you can' have someone hooking up to a web page and accessing the files as if they were sitting next to you. Even with PDM Pro via a web client, that user still has to be domain authenticated.
        
        Depending on the proximity (sorry if it was mentioned early and I didn't read it), this user could come into the office, login and locally cache everything they need such as Toolbox, check out files and then set their vault to Work Off-line. Then when they come in again, they can work back on-line and synch back up. I have customers doing exactly this. Like I said, it's a logistical mess, but it can be done.
        
        VPN or logged into the network are key to gaining access to your vault. Otherwise, you're back to sending them files the old fashion way. By the way, why can't this contractor use VPN? I see it almost everywhere with my customers, even the ones with high levels of secrecy in their company. They just use higher levels of VPN controls.
        
        SolidWorks is working on a distributed data management strategy, but I think it's going to a bit longer before you'll see it.
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        John Wayman @ Steve Ostrovsky on Aug 20, 2018 10:56 AM
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        Thanks, Steve,
        That's helpful.
        I'd like the sub-contractor to be connected via VPN, but I am having some difficulty convincing the right people that it is OK.
        I am therefore trying to formulate a contingency plan.
        
        John
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Integrating Solidworks files into PDM Standard from Home Worker

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