Migrating from Pro/INTRALINK 3.x
An In-Depth Look at the Migration From Pro/INTRALINK 3.x to Pro/INTRALINK 8.0
or Windchill PDMLink 8.0
P T C . c o m
With the concurrent release of Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 and Windchill PDMLink
8.0, PTC is pleased to deliver a single, scalable solution to our customer
that leverages today’s powerful Windchill architecture. PRO/INTRALINK
3.x customers have the opportunity to take advantage of the powerful new
capabilities each of these applications has to offer.
In this paper, we will discuss the process of moving from Pro/INTRALINK
3.x to Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill PDMLink 8.0, the tools and services
available to facilitate the process, and the factors customers should
consider when making their plans to migrate.
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Migration Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Important Differences Between
Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 and Windchill PDMLink 8.0 . . . . . 3
Making the Transition from
Pro/INTRALINK 3.x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
General Migration Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Migration Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Resources Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Training Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Windchill PDMLink 8.0 or Pro/INTRALINK 8.0
System Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Migration Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Conflict Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Conflict Resolution and Data Cleansing . . . . . . . . . . 6
Rehearsal Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Production Migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
What Can Customers Do To Prepare? . . . . . . . . 7
Know the Data and Project Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Prevent the Creation of New Duplicate Data . . . . . . . 7
Understand Upcoming Release Schedules
and Shutdown Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Determine Who Will Lead the Migration . . . . . . . . . 7
Appendix A: The Pro/INTRALINK Data
Migrator 8.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Data Transfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Database Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Conflict Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Specific Windchill PDMLink Migration Considerations . . 9
Migration FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pro/INTRALINK is one of PTC’s most successful products and has been
delivering powerful Pro/ENGINEER workgroup data management
capabilities for many years. With the concurrent release of
Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 and Windchill PDMLink 8.0, PTC is pleased to deliver
a single, scalable solution to our customers that leverages today’s
powerful Windchill architecture. This release delivers critical new capabilities
and enhancements. For example:
• Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 provides distributed
network performance improvements, usability enhancements, and
Web-based connectivity.
• Using the same improved user interface, Windchill PDMLink 8.0
inherits the excellent Pro/ENGINEER data management capabilities
of Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 while delivering enterprise data management
capabilities, enhanced heterogeneous CAD integrations, lifecycle
management, and integral classification and reuse.
Furthermore, Windchill PDMLink 8.0 delivers significantly
improved local area
network (LAN) performance over Windchill 7.0.
Note: A separate white paper, PTC Data Management Strategy for
Pro/INTRALINK Customers, provides a detailed discussion of the
benefits of each of these solutions, to help customers determine which
solution is the best fit for them.
This paper discusses the process of moving to Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or
Windchill PDMLink 8.0, the tools and services available to facilitate
the process, and the factors customers should consider when making
their plans to migrate. It is intended for system administrators, IT
planners, or other technical resources that will be involved in the data
migration process.
Migration Overview
Important Differences between Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 and
Windchill PDMLink 8.0
When planning your migration, it’s important to understand a key
difference between Pro/INTRALINK 8.0, and Windchill PDMLink 8.0.
Like Pro/INTRALINK 3.x, Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 has been designed to
manage Pro/ENGINEER data, but can also be used to manage desktop
documents, such as those generated by a word processor or spreadsheet
application. Documents are classified as either CAD documents or WT
documents (non-CAD related documents), both of which are managed
as separate objects within Pro/INTRALINK 8.0.
Windchill PDMLink, on the other hand, was designed to manage and
maintain a company’s complete “digital product”, not just its
Pro/ENGINEER data. The “digital product” is typically a company’s
most strategic asset; it is a comprehensive collection of electronic
information including mechanical and electrical CAD files; design,
quality, and manufacturing specifications; market and technical
product requirements; software modules; and documentation and
other media used to define and communicate the product and test
its behavior electronically. To support the definition of a complete
digital product, Windchill PDMLINK includes the concept of an
enterprise part (or WTPart), which represents a single physical part.
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Windchill PDMLink users can develop a complete product representation
by associating a wide variety of documents (e.g. MCAD models,
ECAD models, software configuration information, drawings,
requirements documents, specifications) to this enterprise part. The
resulting product representation is extremely valuable because it
provides context for all of the participants in the product development
process and can be shared with downstream enterprise applications,
such as ERP.
It is recommended that customers migrating from Pro/INTRALINK 3.x
to Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 give some thought to whether or not they plan
to ultimately move to Windchill PDMLink sometime in the future.
Because Windchill PDMLink manages a broader set of product information
than Pro/INTRALINK 8.0, this long term plan will influence
the deployment of Pro/INTRALINK 8.0. PTC Global Services or a PTC
Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 provides distributed network performance improvements,
usability enhancements, and Web-based connectivity.
As a leading enterprise data management system, Windchill PDMLink allows
customers to manage the complete digital product.
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Certified Migration Partner can assist customers in understanding
their options and making the decision that best suits their situation.
Making the Transition from Pro/INTRALINK 3.x
The process of moving from Pro/INTRALINK 3.x to either Pro/INTRALINK
8.0 or Windchill PDMLink 8.0 requires customers complete some key
steps:
1. Select the best solution based on your business needs. You may either
migrate directly to Windchill PDMLink, to Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 with
the intent of going to Windchill PDMLink within 1-2 years, or move
to Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 for the foreseeable future. PTC Global Services
or a PTC Certified Migration Partner can help identify the path that
is best for your company. Whichever path you take, you can be confident
that the solution you select is fully supported and will
support your growing needs.
2. Install the new system (either Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill
PDMLink 8.0)
3. Migrate data from the Pro/INTRALINK 3.x system to the new system
4. Take any additional training necessary to administer or use the
new system
To facilitate this process, PTC provides key migration tips, a proven migration
methodology, various service offerings, and the Pro/INTRALINK
Data Migrator 8.0, a tool to automate the actual transfer of data from
one system to another.
General Migration Considerations
Prior to beginning any data migration project, its important customers
understand the scope of the migration project, so they can make some
important decisions when planning for it. Similar to any data migration
project, this migration involves the transfer of potentially large, complex
data sets, objects and configurations from one system. Along with the
complex transfer of data come certain challenges and risks. Its not a
project to be taken lightly. When executed properly, such a project will
quickly deliver the benefits of newer, more advanced technology. When
such projects are executed without proper planning and commitment,
the results can be costly: project delays, rework due to lost data or poor
configuration, frustrated employees–possibly even project cancellation.
To minimize risk and set the proper course toward a successful migration,
PTC firmly suggests that our customers follow these simple, yet
essential recommendations:
• Treat migration as a significant implementation project and follow
all steps in the proven migration methodology provided by PTC.
• Understand your company’s long-term vision for not only
Pro/ENGINEER data management, but for full product lifecycle
management. This vision will play a role in determining the initial
plan of action as well as well as the end goal.
• Determine the proper level of support you need from a services
provider. One option is for the customer to take on the bulk of the
migration project and leverage PTC Global Services or a PTC Certified
Migration Partner for the training, project plan, tools, and support
they need to be successful. The second option is for the customer to
lean on PTC Global Services or a PTC Certified Migration Partner to
take a larger role and lead the migration efforts themselves.
• Allocate the appropriate number of resources to the project.
-Ensure resources have the appropriate skills. It is critical that the
personnel executing the migration are properly trained on the
migration tools.
-Assign an experienced project manager who can effectively identify,
communicate, and mitigate risks.
-For companies with capacity issues, consult PTC Global Services
or a PTC Certified Migration Partner for further recommendations,
rather than trying to “sneak by” with insufficient resources.
• Set expectations carefully regarding the purpose, strategy, and risks
concerning migration.
Migration Approach
Overview
One of the most critical elements of a successful migration is the use
of a proven migration plan. PTC Global Services has incorporated the
best practices and lessons learned from years of customer migration
experiences into the creation of a standard migration roadmap. The
roadmap includes five phases; migration planning, conflict identification,
conflict resolution and data cleansing, rehearsal migration and
production migration.
For customers planning to manage the migration in-house, PTC
strongly recommends that customers strictly adhere to this migration
plan to enhance the probability of migration success.
This section discusses each phase of the migration roadmap as well as
pre-requisites and resource requirements.
Understanding your long term vision for data management and product lifecycle
management will help you determine the migration path that best meets your
business needs
Migration
Planning
Conflict
Identification
Conflict
Analysis
& Data
Cleansing
Rehearsal
Migration
Production
Migration
Migration Roadmap
The Migration roadmap provides a proven path to a successful migration
• Perform an in-depth review of the current Pro/INTRALINK 3.x
environment(s) and data to understand the quantity, location,
and organization of all data, as well as the configuration of each
Pro/INTRALINK 3.x system. Examples include release levels,
revision sequences, and attributes.
• Complete each of these steps PRIOR to making any design or
implementation decisions
• PRIOR to migration, managers should develop and pilot a complete
set of expected use cases using representative data, to fully validate
the target system design.
Migration Planning
The Migration Planning step sets the foundation for a successful
migration with the creation of three critical documents:
• Project Plan–Includes all migration tasks, estimated dates and
resource assignments.
• Migration Specification–Records all data mapping decisions, identifying
how crucial data will be transferred from the Pro/INTRALINK
3.x database into the new database.
• Validation Plan–Documents all the validation tests that will be used
later in the project plan. Validation tests ensure that all steps in the
migration approach were executed correctly and the Pro/INTRALINK
Data Migrator 8.0 migration tool is configured properly.
Each of these documents plays a critical role throughout the migration
process and will be updated as noted in later phases.
NOTE: PTC Global Services or a PTC Certified Migration Partner will
provide templates for each of these documents as part of the services
engagements defined in Section 5.4.
Conflict Identification
The Conflict Identification step identifies any potential data conflicts
that may cause migration issues during the actual production migration.
These conflicts are usually the result of data discrepancies or inconsistencies
between the source system and the target system. During the
Conflict Identification step, the Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 (see
Appendix A) is executed only on the metadata, using data mappings
from the Migration Specification. Data conflicts will automatically be
identified by the Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0, and recorded in
conflict report logs.
Examples of possible conflicts include the following:
Revision Sequence:
Customers attempting to implement a new version sequence that differs
significantly from their Pro/INTRALINK 3.x sequence may run into issues
if they don’t fully understand how both the new system and the
Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 handle version sequences (See
Appendix A for details). In addition, customers with different revision
sequences across multiple Pro/INTRALINK 3.x environments may also
experience data inconsistency issues if they plan to merge these multiple
environments into a single Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill
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Resource Requirements
A critical component of any successful data migration project is the
team of resources allocated to it. This section lists both the hardware
and resources required to successfully perform a migration:
• Hardware
-PTC recommends that customers allocate hardware to act as a clone
of the production Pro/INTRALINK 3.x data server(s) and a staging
environment of the target system during the migration process.
• Personnel
-Project Manager
-Pro/INTRALINK 3.x System Administrators and Users
-Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill PDMLink 8.0 System
Administrators and Users
-Engineering Management
-Pro/ENGINEER Users
The amount of time allotted to each of these individuals to accomplish
their role is highly dependent on a number of factors: the size of the
project, the volume of data to be migrated, and the amount of conflicts
identified during the migration process.
Training Prerequisites
PTC also recommends that customers meet the following requirements
prior to beginning the migration process.
• Companies should identify and appoint project administrators with
sufficient training and knowledge of both the Pro/INTRALINK 3.x
and the target (Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill PDMLink 8.0) system
• Customers performing their own migration must complete
Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 Training so they understand the
capabilities and configurations of this migration tool
Windchill PDMLink 8.0 or Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 System
Configuration
The two most important steps in preparing for the data migration
process are to establish an effective system design and effective system
configuration. Customers must carefully design their Pro/INTRALINK
8.0 or Windchill PDMLink 8.0 system to suit the existing Pro/INTRALINK
3.x data and the migration capabilities. For example, products and
libraries must be designed in a way that enables administrators to map
the Pro/INTRALINK 3.x data from the current folder structure. An
ineffective system design can cause project delays by forcing the
project team to revisit design and configuration choices.
To reduce the risk of system design issues, PTC recommends customers
take the following steps:
• Conduct administration training to instruct system users how to
administer the target system
The conflict identification and conflict resolution steps are then
repeated to ensure that no further conflicts exist.
Rehearsal Migration
The Rehearsal Migration is a full practice run of all migration activities,
and is intended to rehearse, validate, and time the migration process.
In this step, the migration is executed using all data mappings and
conflict resolutions documented in the Migration Specification.
Following migration, the Validation Plan is executed to verify
migration completeness and correctness. If necessary, the Migration
Specification, Project Plan, and Validation Plan are updated to reflect
any changes or adjustments that were needed to resolve issues
encountered during the rehearsal.
Following the Rehearsal Migration, PTC recommends customers check
post-migration system performance. During the migration, large
amounts of data are quickly transferred to the database. Because the
original system may have been configured for a much smaller data set,
customers may encounter a performance decline after migration. By
checking post-migration system performance now, customers can
proactively identify whether performance tuning will be necessary and
can prepare for that additional step. If necessary, PTC recommends that
customers perform basic performance tuning activities to optimize the
performance of the populated system.
Production Migration
At this point, the migration has been rehearsed, tested and documented.
The next step–Production Migration is a full execution of all
migration activities, using the data mappings and conflict resolutions
documented in the Migration Specification. For consistency, the
procedures for executing the Production Migration should be the
same as those used on the Rehearsal Migration. The migration should
only be declared a success after all tests included in the Validation
Plan are executed successfully.
What Can Customers Do To Prepare?
Naturally, with all of this information around migration, many customers
may ask themselves “What can we do to start getting ready?” “How can
we prepare ourselves to make the migration process as smooth as possible?”
This section is intended to answer those questions.
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PDMLink 8.0 system. Here, PTC recommends taking a closer look at the
implementation objectives to determine the best way to cleanse data or
configure their systems in order to resolve the inconsistency.
Duplicate Object Names:
Customers with pre-existing data in Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill
PDMLink 8.0 database may experience conflicts due to duplicate object
names. For example, if bolt.prt already exists in Pro/INTRALINK 8.0,
then bolt.prt cannot be migrated from Pro/INTRALINK 3.x. The
Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 will detect and report such name
duplication, so customers can resolve these issues at the time of
migration. Customers with multiple Pro/INTRALINK 3.x systems should
review their data-sharing practices and cleanse data as needed to
prevent this issue. Duplicate object names are NOT an issue for
customers migrating to a completely empty Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or
Windchill PDMLink 8.0 system.
Duplicate Base Names:
Duplicate base names represent a variation of object name duplication
that is possible even in a migration of a single Pro/INTRALINK 3.x database
to an empty Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill PDMLink 8.0 system.
Two objects have duplicate base names when they share the root part
of their object name. For example, part.prt and part.asm have duplicate
base names.
This issue could be encountered during the creation of enterprise
parts in Windchill PDMLink (WTParts). If the WTPart name takes the
base name of the associated CADDocument, then two CADDocuments
with the same base name would require that the Pro/INTRALINK Data
Migrator 8.0 create two WTParts with the same number. This scenario
is not possible, resulting in a conflict. The Pro/INTRALINK Data
Migrator 8.0 will detect and report duplicate base names allowing
customers the opportunity to resolve the issues at migration time.
Note: Duplicate base names are not an issue in the following cases:
• Migration to Windchill PDMLink 8.0 without the creation of WTParts
• Migration to Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 (Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 does not
include WTParts)
• Duplicate base names among parts and drawings or assemblies
and drawings (WTParts are not created for drawings)
Conflict Resolution and Data Cleansing
The purpose of this phase is to resolve any open conflicts discovered
during the Conflict Identification step. Here, conflict report logs are
reviewed. Each issue is then resolved via one the following methods:
• Modifying the data in Pro/INTRALINK 3.x
• Modifying the data or the configuration of Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or
Windchill PDMLink 8.0
• Changing the configuration of the Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0
to change the way the data is transferred between the two systems
Pro/INTRALINK 3.x
Cap.prt
Bolt.prt
Pipe.pr t
Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or
Windchill PDMLink 8.0
Axle.prt
Bolt.prt
Bolt_1.pr t
Conflict
Report Log
The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 will identify data conflicts such as
duplicate object names during the Conflict Identification Phase.
• Engage either PTC Global Services or a PTC Certified Migration
Partner take the lead
Customer-Led Migrations
PTC recognizes that certain customers will opt to perform their own
migrations, and we’ve prepared a number of tools to help in that process.
Each of these services is designed to eliminate common customer
mistakes during migration. Available Services include:
• Migration Questionnaire - PTC will provide the aforementioned
questionnaire that will allow you to gain a general understanding
of the complexity of your migration. Based on the results, a level of
complexity will be determined and customers will receive a recommended
course of action based on your migration complexity. By
taking this questionnaire, you will be able to set realistic expectations
for the level of effort required for a successful migration. This
questionnaire will be available on the Pro/INTRALINK Advisor site,
http://www.ptc.com/community/prointralink8/index.htm, and in
the Pro/INTRALINK Migration Training class.
• Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 – A tool used to migrate
Pro/INTRALINK 3.x data to Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill
PDMLink 8.0 (See Appendix A for more detail). All Pro/INTRALINK
maintenance paying customers will receive access to the
Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0.
• Training –Both Migration training (2 days) and Administration training
(3 days) are available. Migration training teaches administrators
the configuration, capabilities, and usage of the Pro/INTRALINK Data
Migrator 8.0. Administration training teaches basic administrative
functions of the target system.
• Migration Advisor Package - An affordable services package that
provides you with a set of migration best practices and tools including
templates for project plans, migration specifications, and validation
tests. You also receive 4 remote sessions with a PTC Global
Services migration expert that can ensure you are on the right track,
proactively identify issues that may delay your migration, and answer
any migration questions you may have. Even if you have a simple to
moderately complex migration, PTC strongly encourages you to take
advantage of this service to ensure a swift and successful migration.
Provider-Led Migrations
For those customers seeking a low-risk alternative to in-house migration,
or simply don’t have the staffing required to perform a migration themselves,
both PTC Global Services and PTC Certified Migration Partners
are available to lead the migration project. The advantages of using
experienced services personnel to lead the migration include:
• Minimize Risk–PTC service experts know Pro/INTRALINK and
Windchill PDMLink better than anyone, and bring the experience of
numerous successful migrations
• Resource Capacity–Often, customers have the knowledge to perform
a migration, yet lack the internal resources to complete the
project in a timely manner. Provider-led migrations minimize the
need for customer resource time.
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Know the Data and Project Objectives
To determine the overall complexity of the migration project,
customers should understand key information about their data such as
size, distribution, complexity, and usage. Migration service providers
have questionnaires and tools to help customers determine this information.
The questionnaires walk you through some basic migration
questions such as:
1. Which application are you migrating to: Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or
Windchill PDMLink 8.0?
2. How many Pro/INTRALINK 3.x databases will be migrated?
3. Where are these databases located: on the same LAN as the eventual
Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill PDMLink 8.0 system?
4. Where are the associated Pro/INTRALINK 3.x file vaults located: on
the same LAN as the eventual Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill
PDMLink 8.0 system?
5. Do any inconsistencies exist among the Pro/INTRALINK 3.x databases
(e.g., release schemes, revision sequences, and folder structures)?
6. What data duplication exists among the databases? (For example,
was data shared via export from one Pro/INTRALINK 3.x database
and imported into another?)
Prevent the Creation of New Duplicate Data
Customers should be careful to avoid creating any new duplicate data
that could impact migration. In particular, the following activities
should be avoided:
• The creation of new duplicate base names (between parts and
assemblies)
• The creation of new objects whose names might be in use in another
Pro/INTRALINK 3.x system
Understand Upcoming Release Schedules and Shutdown
Periods
Customers should look ahead in their product release plans and vacation
schedules to determine the optimal time for a production migration. As
described in this paper, the execution of a number of prerequisite
activities will lead to a successful production migration. It will be
easiest to plan those prerequisite activities if there is a production
migration date in mind.
Determine Who Will Lead the Migration
Due to the importance of a migration initiative, customers should
carefully review the steps, decisions, and resources required to make this
project a success, and then determine how to best leverage either the
PTC Global Services group or a PTC Certified Migration Partner.
Customers should decide whether to:
• Lead the migration efforts themselves and engage PTC or a PTC
Certified Migration Partner for the requisite education, guidance,
adoption, and support
ca objects. This knowledge is then leveraged later in the migration
process. When migrating additional Commonspaces, the Data Migrator
recognizes the data in question as package replicated in
Pro/INTRALINK 3.x and keeps note of this information. The result: only
one object exists in the target system, and that object contains the
metadata and file information from the master object.
In other cases where data with the same name already exists in the
target system, naming conflicts require human intervention. When the
Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 encounters these conflicts, it
generates a conflict report. The migration administrator resolves each
issue by either renaming the object in the source Pro/INTRALINK 3.x
database, or renaming the conflicting object in the target Windchill
solution. Either resolution can be entered directly in the
Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator interface. Once the issue is resolved, the
migration process continues.
Specific Windchill PDMLink Migration Considerations
For those who plan to migrate to Windchill PDMLink 8.0 as opposed
to Pro/INTRALINK 8.0, there are additional items to consider,
detailed below.
Gateway Support
For customers that have already implemented the Pro/INTRALINK
Gateway, the Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 transfers data from a
layered system to a unified environment where data is completely
managed in Windchill PDMLink 8.0. Each object’s metadata is automatically
updated, transferring object ownership to the Windchill
PDMLink system, and migrating the file content over to the target’s
file vaults. If there are any prior revisions, or versions in the
Pro/INTRALINK Commonspace that were not published with the
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• Faster Migration–With certified experts managing the project,
provider-led migrations also provide the quickest path to a
successful migration.
Appendix A: The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0
PTC is committed to simplifying the data migration process as much as
possible. To achieve this objective, we developed the Pro/INTRALINK Data
Migrator 8.0, a tool that can automate as much of the migration process
as possible. The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 automates the transfer
of data from Pro/INTRALINK 3.x into Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill
PDMLink 8.0, reducing the likelihood of migration errors.
Data Transfer
The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 is capable of migrating the
following data from a Pro/INTRALINK 3.x database:
• Administrative data
• All versions of all Pro/INTRALINK objects (Pro/ENGINEER data and
other document types)
• File vault contents
• Versioned, non-versioned, and dependency attributes
• Release levels and release schemes (mapped to life cycles and life
cycle states)
• Pro/ENGINEER and user-defined relationships
• Both baseline and as-stored configurations
• Completed Request to Promote forms and check-in form comments
• Rename history
Migration is considered completed when the last eligible object has
been successfully migrated.
Database Consolidation
In many instances, companies have deployed multiple Pro/INTRALINK
Commonspaces throughout their organizations. Consolidation of these
disparate systems is a common initiative. The Pro/INTRALINK Data
Migrator 8.0 supports consolidation by treating the migration of each
Pro/INTRALINK 3.x Commonspace as an independent event between
the particular data server in question and the target system (Windchill
PDMLink or Pro/INTRALINK 8.0). Migration of each database is
then done serially.
Conflict Handling
As discussed earlier, conflicts often arise when combining databases.
For example: a bolt.prt may exist both in the source system and the
target system. The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 provides both the
logic and tools for solving such a situation. Pro/INTRALINK 3.x provides
package replication functionality for sharing design data between
Commonspaces in a controlled fashion. When data is “package
replicated,” the system will record where the data originated and where
it has been replicated, while also keeping track of the master and repli-
Pro/INTRALINK 3.3
or
Pro/INTRALINK 3.4
Pro/INTRALINK 3.3
or
Pro/INTRALINK 3.4
Pro/INTRALINK
Data Migrator 8.0
PDMLink
or
Pro/INTRALINK
8.0
Pro/INTRALINK 3.3
or
Pro/INTRALINK 3.4
The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 automates the transfer of data to
either Pro/INTRALINK 8.0 or Windchill PDMLink 8.0
Pro/INTRALINK Gateway, the migration tool will attempt to migrate
these objects by inserting these prior versions into the revision history.
Part and Product Structure Creation
In addition to migrating document information into Windchill
PDMLink as either CAD or other document types (such as MS Word), the
Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 also provides optional loaders for
creating, and/or linking to enterprise part objects and for creating
product structure as part of the migration process. It should be noted
that additional data analysis and cleansing may require more effort due
to conflicts associated with the creation of enterprise parts (WTParts).
Consult PTC Global Services for more details.
Migration FAQ
How is an object’s revision value migrated?
The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 transfers information by mapping
the Pro/INTRALINK object’s release level to the positional equivalent
version value defined by the Windchill PDMLink version sequence.
Assuming that the out-of-the-box sequences are utilized in both
systems the following would apply:
Therefore, when a Pro/INTRALINK object release level of 1.0 is migrated,
the corresponding CADDocument (and WTPart, assuming the same
object initialization rules) would be version A.1.
This approach is taken during migration for two fundamental reasons.
First, the version value of the target document must be part of a valid
version sequence. Secondly, the order in which objects have been
created must be preserved (i.e. Version B doesn’t occur before Version
A in the above sequence). Thus, the Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0
does not blindly assign revision values from Pro/INTRALINK to the
document objects it creates in Windchill PDMLink.
Since the preservation of metadata is a critical component of any
migration, PTC recommends matching the version sequences in
Windchill PDMLink with the Revision sequence previously used in
Pro/INTRALINK. Taking this approach guarantees an accurate
representation of the migrated legacy data.
For Windchill PDMLink migrations where parts and product structure
are to be created, the version sequence used for WTParts MUST be the
same as the one used for migrated CAD documents & WT documents.
Does the Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 also create ProductView
viewables?
No. The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 does not migrate or
create ProductView viewables. However, if the Windchill Visualization
Services is installed and enabled, viewables can be generated as a post
migration activity.
Can Pro/INTRALINK users access Pro/INTRALINK while the
migration is on going?
No. Access to the source Pro/INTRALINK data server is locked while the
Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 is processing data. Locking the server
is necessary to ensure that no changes can be made in the source
system that could corrupt the migration process.
P T C . c o m
White Paper Migrating from Pro/INTRALINK 3.x Page 9 of 9
Can I access Windchill PDMLink while the migration is going on?
Although this is technically possible, PTC recommends that access to
the target system also be restricted during the migration process. By
restricting access, customers eliminate the possibility of introducing a
new, unknown conflict. Be aware that the migrated data will not be
available in the source system until the migration process is completed
in its entirety.
What happens with the existing folder structure? Does this move to
library or product?
By default, the Pro/INTRALINK 3.x folder structure is preserved and
re-created under a user-prescribed product and/or library (note: these
must exist prior to migration). It is also possible to reconfigure your
folder structure during the migration. However, every Pro/INTRALINK
3.x folder must be mapped to a folder in the target system.
The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 will support migration of
package-replicated objects, but does the master server have to be
available during the migration?
No. The Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0 understands the notion of
both master and replica objects as it relates to Pro/INTRALINK Package
Replication functionality. It is acceptable for the Pro/INTRALINK Data
Migrator 8.0 to migrate the Pro/INTRALINK database containing the
replica data. Later, when the database containing the master object is
migrated the master object will overwrite any data that was migrated
for the replica.
Can we extend or customize the Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator 8.0?
No. Customization of the Pro/INTRALINK Data Migrator8.0 is
not supported.
©2005, Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC). All rights reserved. Information described herein is furnished
for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a
guarantee, commitment, condition or offer by PTC. PTC, the PTC Logo, Pro/ENGINEER, and all PTC product
names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of PTC and/or its subsidiaries in the United
States and in other countries. All other product or company names are property of their respective owners.
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