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:
- Plan the migration
- Make a backup of the DriveWorks 6 implementation in case you
accidentally change the original implementation rather than the
copy at any point
- Copy the DriveWorks 6 Group
- Copy the DriveWorks 6 Projects and related files
- Use DriveWorks 6 File Management to update the copied group to
point at the copied files
- Change any paths that are used in constants/variables/etc in
the copied projects
- Use DriveWorks 6 to test the copied implementation
- Migrate the implementation to DriveWorks 7
- 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:
- Copy the Access/SQL Server database
- 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
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
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:
- Open DriveWorks Administrator (6)
- Open the copied Group (make sure you do not accidentally open
the original group).
- Click the "File Management" option in the To Do pane.
- Select the Models tab and right click the .dwproj
from the list.
- 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.