The SolidWorks Workgroup PDM® application is project data management software that runs inside the SolidWorks® environment or as a standalone application. Workgroup PDM controls projects with procedures for check out, check in, revision control, and other administration tasks.
Workgroup PDM Structure
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Vault
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The vault is a folder or directory (usually on a server) where projects and documents are stored. The vault service is software that controls access to the vault through Workgroup PDM. The vault and vault service are installed and maintained by a vault administrator. Users store documents in the vault by means of Workgroup PDM clients.
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Vault Administration
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In addition to installing the vault, the vault administrator uses VaultAdmin to create users and projects, specify revision and lifecycle schemes, and establish global settings.
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Client
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After the administrator establishes projects and user accounts, users can check documents in and out, change revision and lifecycle status, and generate reports. The client runs inside SolidWorks or within SolidWorks Explorer.
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Documents
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Documents are stored in a vault. Users check documents out of the vault, and the documents are copied to the user's local work space. Modified documents are checked back in, typically incrementing the revision level.
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Ownership
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To check a document out of the vault, the document must not have an owner. The user who checks a document out becomes the owner. Only the owner of a document can check the document into the vault, but ownership does not imply read/write status, nor does it guarantee eligibility to check the document in (if the lifecycle status prevents it, for example). Only one user at a time can be the owner of a document.
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Users
If the Workgroup PDM administrator has created a project and given you access to the project, you can begin managing the project documents with Workgroup PDM using a client.
Administrators
As administrator, you are responsible for setting up the projects, user accounts, and so on in the VaultAdmin tool. For installation and upgrading, see the Workgroup PDM Installation and Administration Guide, available in <install_dir>\VaultAdmin\lang\<language>\install_pdmworks.htm.