DriveWorks Pro 23

How To: Take An Implementation From Development To Production

How To: Take An Implementation From Development To Production

Taking an implementation that is ready to be deployed to a production environment requires planning and knowledge of the data being updated.

Planning the deployment is essential for implementations that are already in production to minimize disruption to the users of the implementation.

Knowing the key data in the production group and the key data required from the development group enables the correct selections to be made when using the tools available to assist with this.

It is important the data being pushed from development does not overwrite critical data in the production group, for instance:

• Specification Information

  Specifications should always be maintained in the production group.

  A safety feature of the Data Management Tool is that it will not copy Specification Information when specifications exist in a target group.

• Further information on which group holds the controlling data is detailed in the section DriveWorks Group Data.

This topic details the following scenarios for taking an implementation from development to production:

• Updating an existing production implementation
• Getting an implementation into production for the first time

Updating an existing production implementation

The process to update a production implementation with information from a development group can be summarized in the following three steps:

1. Copy the Production Group to a Staging Group
2. Merge the Development Group into the Staging Group
3. Merge the Staging Group into the Production Group

An implementation requires the following data to function:

• A DriveWorks Group and all captured data
• Project data and all physical files required for the implementation

The image below shows the recommended process flow along with the data being transferred between each group, see DriveWorks Group Data below for a full description.

DriveWorks Group Data

The following table lists the information stored in a DriveWorks Group and identifies which group controls the data.

	Data	Group controlling the data
	Security Settings Which includes: Teams Users	Typically this information will be controlled in the development group. However if a project in production uses any Task to control security (see Security Tasks for all tasks that will affect security) the security information in the production group will need to be maintained.
	Group Tables	Typically this information will be controlled in the development group. However if a project in production controls Group Table data (for example Export to Group Table, Delete Group Table Rows, etc.) the group table information in the production group will need to be maintained.
	Captured Information	Controlled in the development group.
	Projects	Controlled in the development group.
	Specification Information	Controlled in the production group.
	Released Files	Primarily controlled in the production group. However if using Intelligent File Names for any model that has been generated in the development group this can be merged.
	Released Master Files	Primarily controlled in the production group. However if using Intelligent File Names for any model that has been generated in the development group this can be merged.

Additionally the following data could exist:

• Group Level Styling
• Project Level Styling
• Master Document Templates
• Any documents and images used on user forms in a project

These files are controlled with the development data and will be copied when the development data is merged into the staging group.

Getting an implementation into production for the first time

For a first time deployment no production group will have been previously created.

Therefore the process is slightly different to the updating an existing production implementation process, where the first step is not required.

1. This step is not required for a first time deployment
2. Merge the Development Group into the Staging Group
3. Merge the Staging Group into the Production Group

1. Copy the Production Group to a Staging Group

Copying the production group to a staging group creates an area where subsequent steps can be fully proven before the production group is ultimately updated.

Copying data to the staging group requires:

• A connection to the production group.
• An empty group for all group data from development and production to be merged into.
• A storage area for all physical files associated to the group and projects to be deployed.

1. Launch DriveWorks Data Management and open the production group (source group).
2. Select DriveWorks Tasks from the task explorer and click Copy Group.
3. In the Copy Group wizard, click Browse at the end of the Target Group field.
4. In the Create/Open Group dialog, select one of the following:
   • Create a new group

     Select this option if a staging group has not been created before.

   • Open an existing group

     Select this option if a staging group exists. We recommend all data be cleared from the group and folders before proceeding.

5. Proceed through the wizard to create or open the staging group.

   Ensure the correct credentials to login to the group are entered and the Data Backed Up checkbox has been selected.

6. Click Next
7. Step through the wizard to copy all data from the production (source) group into the staging (target) group.

   More information on the steps involved can be found in How To Use Copy Group.

8. Re-enable the production environment.

2. Merge the Development Group into the Staging Group

1. Launch DriveWorks Data Management and open the development group (source group).
2. Select DriveWorks Tasks from the task explorer and click Copy Group.
3. In the Copy Group wizard, click Browse at the end of the Target Group field.
4. In the Create/Open Group dialog select one of the following:
   • Create a new group (for first time deployment where a staging group does not exist only).

     Proceed through the wizard to create the staging group. We recommend creating a shared group to replicate how the production group will be used.

   • Open an existing group (when the staging group was created in the previous section).

     Proceed through the wizard to connect to the staging group.

     Ensure the correct credentials to login to the group are entered and the Data Backed Up checkbox has been selected.

5. Click Next
6. Step through the wizard to copy the required data from the development (source) group into the staging (target) group.

   Getting an implementation into production for the first time

   All data can be copied from the development (source) group.

   There will be an opportunity to remove unwanted data before copying the staging group into production.

   Updating an existing production implementation

   It is important particular attention is given to the following steps:

   • Select Projects

     Select the projects required to be deployed to the staging group. This should include new or existing projects that have been updated.

     New projects (not in the staging group) will be added.

     Existing projects (already in the staging group) will be overwritten.

     Projects can be removed prior to moving the data to the production group.

     Rule History

     Rule history is not required. Excluding this will minimize the size of the group database.

     Rule history will be maintained in the development (source) group.

   • Select Group Tables

     When updating an existing production group (not a first time deployment):

     • Select any new group tables required to be deployed to the staging group.
     • Group tables that have previously been deployed to a production group will be considered before merging to the production group. See Group Table Considerations for information.
   • Captured Components

     Select the captured components required to be deployed to the staging group.

     New captured components (not in the staging group) will be added.

     Existing captured components (already in the staging group) will be overwritten.

     Captured components can be removed prior to moving the data to the production group.

   • Additional Options
     • Source Root Folder

       Ensure the root folder is a common root location where all files can be located.

       This should include:

       • Group Content Folder (if used for Group Level Styling for instance).
       • Any location where Master Document Templates used to create documents are stored.
       • Any location where documents and images displayed on user forms are stored.
     • Target Root Folder

       Ensure the target root folder is the area allocated for the staging data.

     • Copy New Security Users and Teams
       • Select this to copy all new security users and teams.
       • Existing security users and teams (that have been updated) will be considered before merging to the production group. See Security Users and Teams Considerations for information.
     • Copy All Connectors

       Select this only if any Connectors used by DriveWorks Autopilot have been added or updated and are required to be in the staging group.

     • Copy All Specifications

       This will be ignored if selected as specifications (copied from the production group) already exist in the staging group.

       Subsequent specifications created in the production group (since the initial copying of the production data), will be maintained at the point production is taken offline while the data is updated.

       Any specifications made in the development group will be maintained in the development group.

     • Copy All Released Files and Information

       Select this only when models generated in the development group are required in the production group.

       Copy All Reports

       Optionally select if Copy All Reports is required. Excluding this will minimize the size of the group database.

       Reports will be maintained in the development (source) group.

       Reports can be removed when Copy Group is used to copy the staging data to the production group.

   • File Selection

     Review this section to ensure all required files are copied to the staging area.

   More information on the steps involved can be found in How To Use Copy Group.

Review the staging data

Reviewing the staging data ensures that all staged data (with the exception of any specification information, which will not be copied) is the data required for the production group.

Open the staging group in Data Management and:

1. Select Captured Information from the task explorer.
   • Ensure the location of all captured information is the folder selected for the staging data.
   • Ensure all models and drawings displayed are required for the production group.
   • If any model or drawing is not required in the production group:
     1. Expand the folder list to display the folder where the model or drawing is located.
     2. Select the model or drawing to be removed from the captured list.
     3. Click the Delete References button from the command bar.
2. Select Projects from the task explorer.
   • Ensure the location of all projects is the folder selected for the staging data.
   • Ensure all projects displayed are required for the production group.
   • If any project is not required in the production group:
     1. Expand the folder list to display the folder where the project is located.
     2. Select the project to be removed from the project list.
     3. Click the Delete Project button from the command bar.
3. Select Specification Information from the task explorer.
   • Ensure the location of all specifications is the folder selected for the staging data.

   Specifications created prior to the update will retain the original project information.

   Only data obtained from an updated group table or database will be used and only when the specification enters a state that triggers rule re-calculation.

4. Select Released Files from the task explorer.
   • If any models released while in development use intelligent file naming, these may require copying to the production group (to minimize model generation time in the production group).
   • For released files that use the special variable DWSpecificationId (including DWSpecification) in the name we recommend maintaining the reference in the production group.
   • Remove unwanted released files:
     1. Select the released files that are not required.
     2. Click the Delete button from the command bar.
     3. Ensure the options to Remove References from DriveWorks, Delete File from Windows Explorer and Delete Component Reports are selected in the Delete Specification Information dialog.
     4. Click OK.
5. Select Released Master Files from the task explorer.
   • Released Master Files display the reference of the master file used to generate any components.
   • Released Master Files will be removed if references to Released Files have been deleted.
   • Ensure the location of any remaining Released Master Files is the folder selected for the staging data.

Test the staging data

A thorough test will be performed when the data is merged into production, prior to going back online.

This test should ensure all new and updated project data has been copied correctly and outputs generate as expected.

Open the staging group in DriveWorks Administrator and:

• Run a specification for each project using Specification - Test Mode
• Check each tab to ensure Forms display, rules evaluate as expected and Documents (if applicable) generate.
• Check Model Rules (if applicable) are accurate and use one of the available Generation methods to run through generation scenarios.

3. Merge the Staging Group into the Production Group

Group Table Considerations

If a project in production controls group table data (for example Export to Group Table, Delete Group Table Rows, etc.) the information in the production group will need to be maintained.

This could have potentially changed since the production data was copied to the staging group.

Now the production group has been taken offline:

1. Open the production group in one instance of DriveWorks Administrator.
2. Select Group Tables from the task explorer, and select the group table that has the updated information.
3. Select the View/Edit button from the command bar.
4. Select all the data in the table, right click and select Copy.
5. Open the staging group in another instance of DriveWorks Administrator.
6. Select Group Tables from the task explorer, and select the group table that requires updating.
7. Select the View/Edit button from the command bar.
8. Select all the data in the table, right click and select Paste.

Repeat the above for all other group tables that could be updated by functionality in the production group.

Security Users and Teams Considerations

New security users and teams added to the development group will be merged into the production group.

Only updates to existing users and teams, made in the development group need to be considered.

These updates will need to be re-applied in the production group.

1. Open the production group in one instance of DriveWorks Administrator.
2. Select Security Settings from the task explorer, and select each user and team that requires updating in turn.
3. Select the Edit button from the command bar.
4. Apply the required update.

   Settings applied in development group can be compared by opening the development group in another instance of DriveWorks Administrator.

Merge the Staging Group into the Production Group

1. Launch DriveWorks Data Management and open the staging group (source group).
2. Select DriveWorks Tasks from the task explorer and click Copy Group.
3. In the Copy Group wizard, click Browse at the end of the Target Group field.
4. In the Create/Open Group dialog select Open an existing group.
5. Open the production (target) group.

   Ensure the correct credentials to login to the group are entered and the Data Backed Up checkbox has been selected.

6. Click Next
7. The staging (source) group should now mirror how the production (target) group is required to be.

   Step through the Copy Group wizard to copy all data to the production group.

Specification ID

For first time deployments to production consider if the Specification ID pool should be reset in the production group.

See Reset Specification Id Pool for more information.

Group Settings

Before going online with the production group ensure all required settings are applied.

1. Open the production group in DriveWorks Administrator.
2. Click the Settings button from the header bar.
3. Select the General Settings category, and apply the required settings.

   The development group can be opened in another instance of DriveWorks Administrator to compare settings.

SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional

When integrating with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional the plugin settings that are stored locally will need to be applied in the production group.

See SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Plugin Settings for more information.