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How To: Copy a DriveWorks 6 Implementation (KB12121003)

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Introduction

This document provides an overview of the process of copying a DriveWorks 6 Implementation, so that the copy can be migrated to DriveWorks 7.

It is highly recommended, when migrating to DriveWorks 7, that you copy your existing DriveWorks 6 implementation, and migrate the copy. This ensures that your DriveWorks 6 implementation remains in a working state the whole time, and makes the migration process more likely to succeed.

Overview

The process of copying and migrating an implementation will generally resemble the following:

  1. Plan the migration
  2. Make a backup of the DriveWorks 6 implementation in case you accidentally change the original implementation rather than the copy at any point
  3. Copy the DriveWorks 6 Group
  4. Copy the DriveWorks 6 Projects and related files
  5. Use DriveWorks 6 File Management to update the copied group to point at the copied files
  6. Change any paths that are used in constants/variables/etc in the copied projects
  7. Use DriveWorks 6 to test the copied implementation
  8. Migrate the implementation to DriveWorks 7
  9. Use DriveWorks 7 to test the migrated implementation

The process of migration should be undertaken carefully to ensure that it does not affect your DriveWorks 6-based production systems, and to make sure that a minimum of work is necessary to get DriveWorks 7 up and running.

Planning

Before migrating your implementation, you need to plan what you are going to migrate, and how you are going to effectively test both the copied implementation, and then the migrated implementation.

Planning what you are going to migrate is a case of documenting the following information about your DriveWorks 6 implementation:

  • Where is your DriveWorks 6 Group? is it a Microsoft Access file? or is it a SQL Server database?
  • What other systems does your implementation talk to? Are there any external databases? have you integrated with ERP? CRM? PDM? if so, document any information you can to do with the integration between DriveWorks and these systems, for example, DSNs, user names, passwords, settings, plugins, and so on - it may make it easier to migrate and troubleshoot if anything goes wrong.
  • Where are your files? you're CAD files will probably be shared between DriveWorks 6 and 7 and can stay wherever they are, but where are your DriveWorks project files? do you have any image files? are you using any external macros? if so, document these so you remember to copy them, and update your copied project to point at the new locations.
  • Devise a test plan. Making sure the copied implementation works will make the migration process much easier. Try to come up with a series of tests that will provide a good indication that the copy is working. For example, work out how to create specifications that provide a good test of whether models are generating correctly, that documents are being created correctly, and that data is being retrieved from and saved to databases correctly. Use the specification test capability to exercise your projects' forms, and make sure any file paths are the ones you expect for things like pictures.

Back up your DriveWorks 6 Implementation

Make sure you take a backup of the DriveWorks 6 Group and any project files. In your planning process you should have identified all the files that need to be backed up.

If your DriveWorks 6 Group is a Microsoft SQL Server database, you can consult our How To: Backup a SQL Server Database document for information on how to back it up.

Copy the DriveWorks 6 Group

Copying the Group involves two things:

  1. Copy the Access/SQL Server database
  2. Create a new DSN that points to the copied database

Copying an Access file is as simple as copying it from the old location, to the new location.

For help copying a SQL Server-based Group, you can consult our How To: Copy a DriveWorks 6 Group in SQL Server document.

Once you've copied the Group, use the ODBC control panel to create a new DSN to point at the copied Group. For example, if the Group was called "ConveyorProductFamily", you might call the new DSN "ConveyorProductFamilyForMigration".

Copy the Project Files

During your planning, you will have determined what files you need to copy, so for example, if your project is laid out on a network share like this:

  • \\CompanyDataServer\Engineering
    • ConveyorProductFamilyDriveWorks
      • ContractProject
        • Content
          • ...
        • Documents
          • ...
        • ContractProject.dwproj
        • ContractProject.xls
        • ContractProject.Design.form.xml
      • ConveyorProject
        • Content
          • ...
        • ConveyorProject.dwproj
        • ConveyorProject.xls
        • ConveyorProject.Design.form.xml
    • CAD
      • Common
        • ...
      • ProjectSpecific
        • Job-01008
        • Job-01402
        • ...

In this case, the CAD folder can remain as it is, but the ConveyorProductFamilyDriveWorks folder contains all the DriveWorks 6 project information and related files, so the easiest thing to do would be to copy it so that you end up with something like this:

  • \\CompanyDataServer\Engineering
    • ConveyorProductFamilyDriveWorks
      • ContractProject
        • Content
          • ...
        • Documents
          • ...
        • ContractProject.dwproj
        • ContractProject.xls
        • ContractProject.Design.form.xml
      • ConveyorProject
        • Content
          • ...
        • ConveyorProject.dwproj
        • ConveyorProject.xls
        • ConveyorProject.Design.form.xml
    • ConveyorProductFamilyDriveWorks7
      • ContractProject
        • Content
          • ...
        • Documents
          • ...
        • ContractProject.dwproj
        • ContractProject.xls
        • ContractProject.Design.form.xml
      • ConveyorProject
        • Content
          • ...
        • ConveyorProject.dwproj
        • ConveyorProject.xls
        • ConveyorProject.Design.form.xml
    • CAD
      • Common
        • ...
      • ProjectSpecific
        • Job-01008
        • Job-01402
        • ...

File Management

The Group and the Projects are now copied, but the copied Group still points to the original, uncopied, projects. To repoint the Group at the new, copied, projects, you need to use the file management tool in DriveWorks by doing the following:

  1. Open DriveWorks Administrator (6)
  2. Open the copied Group (make sure you do not accidentally open the original group).
  3. Click the "File Management" option in the To Do pane.
  4. Select the Models tab and right click the .dwproj from the list.
  5. Replace this .dwproj with the copied .dwproj.
Run a specification through and see if everything works correctly. If it doesnt work correctly make sure that if you are using an excel project you have copied over all necessary files.

To migrate up to DriveWorks 7 see Migration From Earlier Versions Of DriveWorks Pro.


Knowledge Base Article Ref:KB12121003

The application of SolidWorks models and drawings combined with the documents, user forms, rules and data required to produce the required outputs automatically.