Often when the time of year rolls around to upgrade to
SolidWorks 2009 there are a couple key members of the family that are forgotten in the upgrade.
One item that is often overlooked is the Solid Network License (SNL) Manager. When in an SNL environment new version current SNL Manager software and a new license file must be installed for each version of SolidWorks. Each of these items can be obtained through the customer portal. As a side note licenses for previous versions can be managed with the latest version. For example the 2009 license manager will distribute a license to 2008 SolidWorks on the client PC. This makes upgrading the license manager software a great place to start your upgrade and also assures that it is not overlooked and downtime is very limited.
Another often forgotten, yet equally important piece to the puzzle is the Solidworks Workgroup PDM Vault. This must also be upgraded to match the current version of SolidWorks. A 2008 Vault will be unable to properly communicate with SolidWorks 2009 and vice versa. So it is critical to keep these items in sync. Planning ahead is important in a Workgroup environment to limit any down time. It is best to set aside a certain timeframe that will allow ample time for updating the vault and all client PC's with limited impact to the users. This is usually done overnight or during the weekend at many Alignex customer installations.
Remembering these two items can be the difference between a seamless, successful upgrade and a frustrating day of fire fighting. So make a note and don't forget the extras during your next upgrade!
Cole McLeod
Application Engineer
Alignex, Inc.
So far,
SolidWorks 2009 has been a fantastic release and now
Service Pack 1 is available. This is the time when many of our users begin the process of upgrading to the new version. Already, the first wave of installation-related questions has hit the help desk.
Preparing for an upgrade to a new major release is not a trivial task. There are many considerations that are beyond the scope of this article. That said, I want to make this recommendation to all users and administrators:
Do a little ‘Fall Cleaning' before making the switch to SolidWorks 2009 (or even if you aren't planning on upgrading anytime soon). Important Note: If you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with any of these procedures, be sure and consult your IT gurus. Make sure to set a Windows restore point before any major system maintenance. This is not an exhaustive list of maintenance tasks, just some things that I see many of our users neglecting.
1. Each new release requires a new graphics-card driver. This driver may be a different version than the latest OEM driver. Download the latest drivers here.
2. While you're on that page, be sure and check out the "SolidWorks System Requirements" links. Each year the requirements may increase as the power and technologies are expanded. How long has it been since your last new desktop? A typical engineering department has a two- to three-year hardware lifecycle.
3. Clear out your Windows temporary directory:
a. Start > Run > %temp%
b. Most of these files can be deleted safely
c. If you don't feel comfortable deleting these, run the Disk Cleanup utility in the System Tools program group.
4. Defrag your hard drive. You'll find the Disk Defragmenter tool in the Windows Accessories/System Tools program group. Let this run overnight several times a month.
5. Uninstall the Bloat-Ware! Software such as iTunes, RealPlayer, etc, are fun but also can cause unnecessary processes to startup when Windows boots and cause an overall performance degradation. Leave those at home or create a clean partition for running SolidWorks.
6. Watch the scope of your Windows Desktop Search. See that little blue magnifying glass icon in your system tray? When it's glowing, it's indexing and impacting your hard drive and CPU performance. Make sure its search paths are limited to your local SolidWorks file locations. You can remove it from the Start Up program group so it doesn't run everything Windows boots.
7. Clean the registry! There are plenty of utilities out there that can clean up the Windows registry. A free one that I use is ‘CCleaner', find it here. These utilities remove odds and ends from the registry and improve overall performance in some cases. The longer you have been running an installation of Windows, the more junk you accumulate!
8. Once clean, keep it clean. I use Spybot Search and Destroy as my anti-spyware application.
9. Set Windows for "Best Performance." Go to Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance Settings > Visual Effects > "Adjust for best performance".
10. The Ultimate in "Cleanup" is always a re-installation of Windows. Even if you uninstall everything, it seems that over time the Windows environment just bogs down. The thought of reformatting scares most novice Windows users, but to most Windows Pros it is a necessity. This will completely refresh your environment. This requires a lot of backup and planning, but once you have a procedure in place, it isn't that bad (about a half-days work). Personally I keep a backup of all applications and drivers I need to install on a network location along with personal backup files.
These recommendations should keep your box running better all year long. I typically will do a complete Windows re-installation every 4 to 6 months to keep my environment in top shape. Again, be sure not to get into any of these if you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar! Alignex can't replace your IT support, so make sure they are kept in the loop anytime you plan on doing any major system maintenance. You can check out this Microsoft site for some further beginner information.
Enjoy SolidWorks 2009! As always, if you run into installation issues, please call on Alignex Support.
Brian Zias
Mechanical Application Engineer
Alignex, Inc.