Explaining SharePoint Fields Found in 'Edit Properties'

Here's a quick run through of SharePoint Fields found in 'Edit Properties':

• Name is the filename
• Title is the title of the document that corresponds to Title in the file properties
• SEDocID is the GUID for the item – that is how SharePoint locates everything – do NOT change it
• SERevisionRoot is the GUID for SharePoint to know the revision – do NOT change it
• SERevisedFrom is a GUID for SharePoint to know how to find the document that this one was revised from – do NOT change it
• SE Status is the status (Released, Available) – use Life Cycle Assistant to change it – you should not change it here
• SEStatusUser is the person that last made a change to the status – do NOT change this
• SELastKnownLocation is the last place it was opened and saved – Do NOT change this: SharePoint uses the DocID to locate it if it can’t find it here and then once you open and save, it updates this field
• SELinkData provides a list of the documents that the assembly has in it – typically I look here if someone is opening an assembly and saying that they are not getting the right part – this will show the GUID of the part it is looking for and you can then do properties on the part to see if it is the right GUID – I only see this when someone has deleted a PartA.par and created a new on PartA.par thinking SharePoint uses the name – it does not – it uses the GUID – you have to then do a replace in rev manager – do NOT change this field here

• SERevisionLevel is an internal way for SharePoint to know what rev level – do NOT change this
• SEModelType – do NOT change it - any of the ones that start SE are internal ones used by the system
• Material is the material (you need to have this mapped to SharePoint)
• Document Number should be your part number no extension so 123.par is 123 and this corresponds to the windows properties (can change this here)
• Revision Number is the Revision Number A, B, C or 1, 2, 3 and will use _ or – depending on your settings in options – this corresponds to the windows set up (use Life Cycle Assistant to change this)

Adding file extensions to SharePoint 2010 - Solid Edge ST7

SharePoint 2010 does not display the file extensions which can be frustrating. The file type can be sorted by clicking the "Type" dropdown in the view but if you want to display the extensions click HERE.

If you have any issues, contact techsupport@allyplm.com.

Madison Rye
Application Engineering Manager
Ally PLM Solutions, Inc

Learn about the New Search Service from SharePoint 2010 and Performance Fix for Insight

With the new search service we must use from SharePoint 2010, I wanted to put out some information on it.  This is used by the “where used” functionality in Insight.  Anything like releasing or revising will use the “where used”.  The incremental crawl is not instantaneous it operates on a schedule that you set in central administration.  Anytime the users do anything that uses “where used” and then do another function that uses “where used”, they may have an issue with this incremental indexing not completing.  Simply waiting the duration of the crawl in between the two things they are doing that require “where used” will resolve this.  

1) Keep an eye on your incremental search schedule time (central admin…manage service applications…search service application…crawl log…crawl history – to see how long it is taking). You want it to be long enough that it completes before another starts, but as short as possible to get the new “where used” information index as in the above example.  So, 5  minutes is a pretty typical incremental schedule, but it will need to be adjusted for your db size and amount of users.  Look in the crawl history to see how long it is taking and set it down if you are able – if it is completing during the time when the most users on the system in 3 minutes then set it at 5 or 6 minutes.  If it is taking longer, then set it higher.  Also you need to check as the time to complete will get longer as you get more users and more data.  Adjust as you grow. 

2) Check the crawl history (again central admin…manage service applications…search service application…crawl log…crawl history) to see if you have any errors.  Click on the error and drill down to find the URL for file causing the error.  Very typically, it is a draft file that for some reason caused a failure with the ifilter.  All you need to do is give a Solid Edge user that URL and have them open it, save it, and close it.  This will resolve after the next incremental crawl and you won’t see the error anymore.  If it is a released file, than a user in the Eng_Control group will need to do this.

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Also, there is a performance fix for Insight in MP6 for ST6 and MP11 for ST 5 that is due out in a few weeks.  This will turn off property synching on file open with empty cache.  The only thing we need to remember is that by turning this off – if you go into the SharePoint page to change any properties (open internet explorer and navigate to your server website and navigate to your file and then hover over and get the arrow dropdown and edit properties) – it will not update in the file properties until you open that file and save it.  Most people are not editing properties this way anyway.  Please consider getting this loaded if you are using Insight to see improvement in time to open files on empty cache.

Remember that you need to do the following:

MAINTENANCE PACK

Done each month or every other month (usually I suggest staying one month behind in case of any issues) – Maintenance pack on server, Solid Edge client and viewer-only client must all match levels - So if MP6 is out, you load MP5 unless there is a very good reason and when MP6 comes out, there is a very good reason – performance improvements.  

Since MP5 is available now and MP 6 is not this example is for MP5 – 

You will load the MP5 for the server (https://download.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/solid_edge/ST6/InsightServerSPF2010/64bit/MP05/)

then the MP5 for Solid Edge (https://download.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/solid_edge/ST6/SolidEdge/) - need to choose whether you are running 32 bit SE or 64 bit SE – if on a 32 bit machine, you will have 32 bit Solid Edge installed.  If on a 64 bit machine and you check to see if the install is in  C:\Program Files\Solid Edge ST5 then it is 64 bit Solid Edge and if it is installed in  C:\Program Files (x86)\Solid Edge ST5 then it is 32 bit), 

and then MP5 for the Viewer Clients (https://download.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/solid_edge/ST6/SEViewer/32bit/MP05/). 

On the server, you download the maintenance pack and put it on the desktop.  With all users out of Solid Edge and all checked in, this can be simply double clicked to run.  It takes about 5 minutes to complete if you are moving from maintenance pack 5 to maintenance pack 6.  If you are going from no maintenance pack to maintenance pack  5, then it might take about 15 min as it will load all the fixes for the previous maintenance packs automatically.   

On the client machine (Solid Edge or Solid Edge Viewer machines), you just download the appropriate maintenance pack (there is a separate maintenance pack for the machines just running the viewer as shown above) and put on the desktop.  With Solid Edge or the viewer closed, then you just double click to run.  It takes about 5 minutes to do.

Thanks, 

Madison Rye

Application Engineering Manager at Ally PLM Solutions

How does your company manage product data?

There are things that I see at every company without data management...files are stored out on a network drive, employees are not sure which version of a file is the latest and sometimes having to redo work, employees are working on the same assembly at the same time causing rework, manufacturing is working from print or a pdf without having the benefit of 3D, and finding out why a prior engineering change order was created involves finding a packet or file folder somewhere in a filing cabinet.  If you don’t have a data management system, you are probably shaking your head up and down right now knowing that some or all of these issues occur at your company, but you don’t have the time or money to fix them.

These are the reasons that Insight, product data management (PDM) tool, was created.  Insight licenses come free with Solid Edge Classic so only the installation costs money.  I can minimize downtime by working out the details on my virtual machine before I even go to install the software.  I have installed Insight for Solid Edge at companies with the issues discussed above and have seen the following major benefits at every company:

• Searchable history – search tools are extremely fast and easy to use
• Security – the right people get access to the right data at the right time – only allow manufacturing access to released data
• Single source of data – check in and check out policy
• Instantaneous access to information – as soon as a change is made - it is flagged as new in the system
• Seamless integration – do not have to learn a new software package 

Solid Edge Insight is based on Microsoft SharePoint, the leading business productivity solution that brings information management and access, collaboration and people-driven processes into a familiar environment where people do their work every day. The all new Insight for Solid Edge ST5 is Solid Edge Insight XT. Insight XT builds on 10 years of technical leadership and customer success in the area of Microsoft SharePoint-based CAD file management with Solid Edge Insight. This entry-level solution for managing Solid Edge files was first introduced in 2001, and has been deployed by more than 1,000 customers. Find out more about how Solid Edge customers have improved their CAD data management over the last 10 years.

Join me for a webinar on August 28, 2012 from 10AM-11AM EST covering Solid Edge Insight: Learn how to manage your Solid Edge data with software you already have.

You can register here.

Madison Rye

Application Engineering Manager

Ally PLM Solutions