SmarTeam to 3DEXPERIENCE Migration

Introduction

Today, all SmarTeam customers worldwide are aware that, 3DEXPERIENCE is at the center of Dassault Systèmes product strategy for the future. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform delivers the flexibility, open standards, scalability and industry-specific functionality to today’s global enterprises and SMB companies. SmarTeam customers are evaluating various methodologies, approaches, and tools for migration to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Challenges

Below are key challenges being faced by SmarTeam customers when migrating to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform

• For many ENOVIA SmarTeam customers, particularly those deployed more than 2 years ago, the base data model (the one from which their specific environment was derived) is SMDemo, whereas, for other customers, the base data model is PLMDB. It is important that, in both cases, the migration to 3DEXPERIENCE should be able to map all data, including CAD data.
• After the introduction of 3DEXPERIENCE and paradigm of one interface for all DS products, simple migration will not help. There has to be some mechanism which will map the SmarTeam data compatible with either Designer Central data-model (typically for the 3DEXPERIENCE versions before the introduction of POWER’BY data-model) or POWER’BY data-model supported by post 3DEXPERIENCE 2018x versions.
• Workflows in out-of-the-box 3DEXPERIENCE are different than those in SmarTeam. The functionality does not do one-to-one mapping between these two platforms. It is important that all SmarTeam workflow functionalities are mapped in 3DEXPERIENCE.
• The metadata could be very large and complex. It is important that the migration tool has capabilities to execute several threads, processes, machines to get high throughput, in order to reduce the migration time window.

SmarTeam Migration Tool

SmarTeam migration tool is a sophisticated piece of software, developed by SteepGraph Systems, to migrate SmarTeam data to 3DEXPERIENCE for various migration paths, i.e., Full Migration or Co-existence modes.

Key Capabilities

Support for Data Models: PLMDB or SMDemo

For many ENOVIA SmarTeam customers, particularly those deployed more than 2 years ago, their base data model (the one from which their specific environment was derived) is SmDemo, whereas for other customers, the base data model is PLMDB. SMDemo database has specific classes for CATIA, SolidWorks, UG, and PROE data, whereas PLMDB has the same classes for all CAD data.

SmarTeam migration tool supports both the data models and migrates all CAD, non-CAD data that exists in these databases.

Migration of Projects, Folders Data

Our SmarTeam migration tool supports migration of projects, folders and the data in the folders.  Post-migration, the user will see the data in 3DEXPERIENCE in a similar way as it was in SmarTeam.

CATIA V5 Data Migration:

SmarTeam migration tool migrates all CATIA Data that includes:

• CAT Products
• CAT Parts
• CAT Drawings
• External Reference Links
• Metadata and Files

• Revisions
• Versions
• Maps State Management
• Attribute Mapping

For 3DEXPERIENCE versions prior to 2018x, data is migrated to Designer Central based data model. The designer central data model supports multi-CAD environment including CATIA V5. When performing a migration, the finalization relationships are maintained well, based on state of the object. Also, Designer Central for CATIA integration requires that object name and file names to be the same. To take care of this, renaming features of Designer Central are used.

For 3DEXPERIENCE versions post 2018x, a new data-model POWER’BY was introduced and our migration tool supports the migration to this new data-model. This way, CATIA V5 data will be available as well as editable in 3DEXPERIENCE environment, thereby removing the compulsion to open the CATIA V5 app separately.

SolidWorks Data Migration

The tool can migrate all SolidWorks data that includes:

For 3DEXPERIENCE versions prior to 2018x, data is migrated to Designer Central based data model. The designer central data model supports multi-CAD environment including SolidWorks. When performing a migration, the finalization relationships are maintained well, based on state of the object. When it comes to files, in SmarTeam, file names are appended with object ID and class ID. These are updated as part of the migration.

Also, the Designer Central data model requires that, when the SolidWorks data is checked in, it should be managed as configurations. This data model is elaborate and complex. SmarTeam migration tool takes care of this aspect very well and creates all required objects, relationships to ensure that it complies with the configuration schema of Designer Central. This is a key aspect of the migration of SolidWorks data.

For 3DEXPERIENCE versions post 2018x, a new data-model POWER’BY was introduced and migration tool supports the migration to this new data-model. This way, SolidWorks data will be available as well as editable in 3DEXPERIENCE environment, thereby removing the compulsion to open the SolidWorks app separately.

SmarTeam Customizations

• Typically, SmarTeam customers do customizations to map their business processes to SmarTeam. It is important to understand the customizations and map them to 3DEXPERIENCE.

• SmarTeam migration tool has configurability in XML to map attributes from SmarTeam to 3DEXPERIENCE.

Documents, Items and BOMs

Our tool migrates all Documents, Items, and BOMs to 3DEXPERIENCE. All revisions, versions, profile attributes of the data are migrated as well. It creates BOM structure in 3DEXPERIENCE. Post-migration, 3DEXPERIENCE’s comprehensive BOM management capabilities can be used for Parts and BOM Management.

Migration Monitoring Console

When actual migration is running, it is important to get complete visibility of the migration progress. To provide the up to date progress, Migration Monitoring Console is provided.

Key Features of Interactive Monitoring Console

• Provides monitoring of each phase of the migration process – Extraction, Transformation, Loading
• It provides overview of the progress – indicating successful/remaining/failed data with ability to drill down to a specific category
• Indicates progress per running thread on each of the machines being deployed for migration
• Filter the data per type
• Monitor the progress of specified duration – say last 30 minutes
• Very intuitive user interface and very fast data navigation
• Automatic refresh of the console after every 60 seconds

Scalable Migration Framework for High Throughput

SmarTeam migration tool is based on a very extensible and scalable framework for migration. The framework has below capabilities to provide high throughput for migration and minimize the migration window.

• Ability to Scale Vertically by configuring more threads
• Ability to Scale Horizontally by adding more nodes (machines) for processing
• Loose coupling between Source and Target Systems. Can replace one of them or both by keeping framework components as reusable
• Has good logging mechanism

• Has good exception handling
• Has good Transaction Handling capabilities, and in case of any error – it aborts transaction leaving database state consistent
• Highly Configurable in terms of mappings. All mapping configurations in XML
• Highly Extendible to OOTB/Custom classes, attributes
• Real-time monitoring of migration process
• Time and Cost Effective – With migration framework, efforts and timeline of migration projects are estimated to be reduced up to 60%

Workflow Mapping to 3DEXPERIENCE

Workflows in out-of-the-box 3DEXPERIENCE are different than those in SmarTeam. The functionality does a one-to-one mapping between these two platforms. It is important that all SmarTeam workflow functionality is mapped in 3DEXPERIENCE.

To take care of this, SmarTeam migration tool is bundled with workflow tool for 3DEXPERIENCE.

Workflow Tool Kit – Key Features

Supports Workflow Instantiation and Initiation From

• Manual
• On creation of object
• On promote/demote events

Workflow Types Supported

•  Rigid : WF is derived from Template. No activities can be added/removed.
•  Flexible : WF is derived from Template.
  WF Leader(Object Owner) can add/remove activities. Can change assignments

Workflow Template Definition Supports –

• Define activities in series, parallel or cyclic
• Define manual, start, end, automatic activities
• Define multiple paths/branches from activities
• Define tasks under activity
• Define the scope of the workflow to – All / Organization / Project
• Define expressions for auto selection of Path / Branch
• Define actions on workflow events
• Define FF / SF / FS / SS dependency on other activities

View Graphical Status of Workflows

• Color-coded representation of workflow activities, tasks, etc.