1. ENOVIA SmarTeam Data Loading Strategies
Marc Young, CEO
xLM Solutions, LLC

2. Strategies to ease the migration pain…
Loading, or migrating, data into ENOVIA SmarTeam can be a daunting task…
With diligent planning and thorough testing, the process can go smoothly

3. Data Clean-up and Process Review
Data Formats
Data Loading Rules
Migration Cost Estimation
1. Pre-Migration Data Analysis
Bulk Loader
Import Tools
Custom Scripts
2. Data Loading Options
Testing the Migration Process
Data Verification
Pre-Data Load Planning
Production Data Load
3. Execution

4. Analyze the Data to be Loaded
Determine legacy data nature and location
File-/Folder-based
Legacy systems (databases, vaults, etc.)
Hard copy (e.g., aperture cards)
Type of data: CAD (with internal links), office, etc.
Anticipate data access issues
All sources available?
Third-party systems accesses?
Additional experts?
Additional resources?
Is CAD data conversion needed?
e.g., ProE → CATIA
V4 → V5
Data volume and estimated time to load
Will/Can downtime be scheduled for data loading?
Data Analysis

5. Analysis: Data Clean-Up
Opportunity for Data Clean-Up
Typically involves human intelligence
May be time consuming
May not be worthwhile

6. Analysis: Data Clean-Up
What types of data clean-up are required?
Duplicated part numbers per file
Duplicated file names
Missing or incorrect file attributes
Missing or incorrect file associations or links
File revision not current
Non-current parts in current assemblies
Non-compliance or old revision/versioning scheme
Validate data accuracy

7. Analysis: Process Reviews and Updates
An opportunity to review business processes
Opportunity to evaluate and update user experiences
Important: new changes to the underlying data model must be verified with the migration processes

8. Analysis: Data Formats
CAD Data
File-based
Typically has relationships among files
Attributes and properties contained within the file
Meta Data to be Loaded or Added
Text description of data external to the associated (CAD) file
Users
Import from existing Active Directory
Lookup Lists
Projects
File location pointers
Combined Data
CAD data with embedded relationships; but…
Attributes and properties reside outside of the CAD file
e.g., in an Excel spreadsheet
Construct a link between the CAD file and attribute data
CAD Data
Meta Data to be Loaded or Added
Combined Data

9. Analysis: Determine the Data Loading Rules
What are the rules to determine where the data goes?
How will data fields be mapped from legacy system to SmarTeam?
What state(s) will the data be loaded to?
Will the data be linked to other SmarTeam data?
How to handle the cases with missing data?
Which data revision to load: latest or full history?
Should the data be located in a folder?
Should a folder be automatically created for the data?
Text, Lookup, Reference To Class, URL
If so, what is the ruleset?
If a full data history is desired, determine how the revision history is maintained in the legacy system

10. Analysis: Effort and Cost Estimations
Data Load Project Cost Quantification
Time (data loading tools development and testing)
Price
Resources involved
Impact of downtime for users

11. Data Clean-up and Process Review
Data Formats
Data Loading Rules
Migration Cost Estimation
1. Pre-Migration Data Analysis
Manual Processing
SmarTeam Import and Export Tools
Custom Scripts (executables, add-ins, etc)
Combined Manual Processing and Custom Scripting
Pre-Developed Data Migration Programs
2. Data Loading Options
Testing the Migration Process
Data Verification
Pre-Data Load Planning
Production Data Load
3. Execution
2. Data Loading Options
3. Execution

12. Overview SmarTeam Bulk Loading Tool
Load CAD File data that SmarTeam has integration for
CATIA, SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Inventor, AutoCAD
Highlight a set of files that should be loaded into SmarTeam
The bulk loader will open each file in the CAD application one at time and perform a SmarTeam Save
Recommended way to bulk load standard parts

13. Setup for SmarTeam Bulk Loading Tool
CAD Integration should be configured
Associated CAD File Type to SmarTeam Class
Map CAD Attributes to SmarTeam field
Sequence needs to be assigned to the primary Id
Batch Mode Save Option should be turned on
Otherwise, you will have to hit okay for each file to be loaded.
Default Class to be specified

14. Issues with SmarTeam Bulk Loading Tool
Speed – an open and save performed on all files being loaded
CAD data integrity – If links are bad/missing in the CAD data:
the files will not be saved
may require user intervention per occurrence
Attribute data needs to exist in CAD properties*
No log created for data load*
Difficult if CAD data is to be associated with more than one class*
An Engineering Part, Manufacturing Part, Standard Part
All data is linked to only one project*
May require copying CAD to data from various directories to one directory
Does not handle loading of multiple revisions
*Avoidable with scripting

15. Overview of SmarTeam Import Tool
Out of the box tool provided by SmarTeam to load meta data
The ability to pick a class to load data
Leaf Classes
Link Classes i.e. Document Project Links
The ability to map data from:
Database – SmarTeam DB or non SmarTeam DB
Text File – Delimited or Fixed Width
Default Value – Defined in SmarTeam
Default Value – Specific for the data load
Populate field by a Sequence
Log created for data that is imported
Import Tool can run in an Add or Update mode

16. Issues with SmarTeam Import Tool
Limited to 32,000 records per load
Greater than 32,000, data needs to be split and multiple loads conducted
Tool can be “buggy”
Crashing from time to time
Data Mappings may get lost
Tool is manual
For each class to be imported mappings should be configured
Can be tedious to do for many classes
Tool does not handle certain condition (with out Scripting)
Loading multiple revisions and specifying the latest revision
Loading data to internal SmarTeam fields or Reference to Class fields

17. Overview Custom Scripts / Programs
Best suited for larger data migrations
Almost any type of data loading rule can be created
Determine what class to load the data
Modify data to be loaded based on data in the system
Re-formatted before going into SmarTeam
Need to create or build link relationships in the system
Various complex Data load scenarios will be conducted
Need custom logging an error handling

18. Custom Script Data Loading - Simple Example
Data exists in a legacy Folder
File Name contains meta data attributes such as
ID_Descritpion_Rev
.doc files will go into an Engineering folder
.xls files will go into an Manufacturing folder
Project will need to be specified
Maintain latest revison

19. SmarTeam Custom Script Tool Example

20. Combination Bulk Load and Custom script / Import Utility
Bulk Load CAD data into SmarTeam
Hook scripts to the SmarTeam “Before Add” Event to retrieve information
i.e. from the file name to update fields on the Profile Cards
Write custom code that will query the database based on the file name
Update information from another source where the file name is used to link the file data /object already in SmarTeam and the other external source for data

21. Data Clean-up and Process Review
Data Formats
Data Loading Rules
Migration Cost Estimation
1. Pre-Migration Data Analysis
Bulk Loader
SmarTeam Import and Export Tools
Custom Scripts (executables, add-ins, etc)
Combined Manual Processing and Custom Scripting
Pre-Developed Data Migration Programs
2. Data Loading Options
Testing the Migration Process
Data Verification
Pre-Data Load Planning
Production Data Load
3. Execution
2. Data Loading Options
3. Execution

22. Execution: Testing the Migration Process
Test the migration process!!!
Mitigate all discovered issues
Legacy data issues
Missing data files
Orphan links and/or blank fields
Inconsistent legacy data such as revision schema
Bad formats
E.g., Attempts to load characters into integer fields
Class determination rules fail
Repairing the legacy data
Manual clean-up
Change data load rules (i.e., change the code)
Modify the SmarTeam data model to better accommodate the legacy data
Bug(s) in the migration tool code
Data loading procedural issues
e.g., failure to delete all files with a creation date before 12/31/1999
Document the migration procedure or update the tool to automate the migration process
Test again!!!

23. Crucial to implement a data verification strategy
Analyze migration process log files
Spot-check data
Randomly verify the data objects loaded
Check at least 10% of data
User validation (done through testing with the pilot system) – an important part of the verification process
User validations >> IT/CAD administrators sign-offs
Develop a tool to compare and analyze the data in SmarTeam and legacy system(s)
Verify the number of records between systems
Ensure pertinent fields and data are preserved in both systems

24. Execution: Pre-Data Load Planning
When will the legacy system be turned off?
How long will it take to load the data?
Will the data loading occur during non- business hours?
Specify the data load process:
What are the required pre-data loading activities/events?
e.g., legacy data clean-up
Document the data load sequence
Populate the lookup tables
Import users before documents
Import projects and documents, followed by the associated links
Create references to class data
Identify personnel responsible for the various parts of the data load process

25. Execution: Final Data Load
With proper planning and testing, the final data load process “should” go smoothly
Advices:
Follow the documented procedures
Allocate buffer time for unexpected issues
Prepare to support users in the new system

26. Thank You!
Questions?
Script example shown is available at:
Marc Young
xLM Solutions, LLC.