Intralink with 3 databases

[Zestje]

ProE

Hello,

I have a question about running multiple part databases with Intralink 3.4 and ProE WF2.
We are running 1 Intralink server with 3 part databases (1 for testing purposes, 1 general and 1 for a specific client)
We start our Intralink with one of 3 batch files in the Intralink /bin directory, which contains the settings for the specific database. These are edited versions of the proilink34.bat, which Intralink creates during installation.

Then we strat ProE from within Intralink. Now we must choose between 1 of 4 different licenses. These are setup in the proe?.psf files in the ProE /bin directory (where the '?' in the name stands for the license number). These .psf files all contain the following variables:

ENV=INTRALINK_DIR=C:\ptc\proiclient34
ENV=ILINK_CMD_NAME=proilink34_testserver.bat
ENV=INTRALINK_CMD=%INTRALINK_DIR%\bin\%ILINK_CMD_NAME%

The 'ILINK_CMD_NAME' is different for each database.


Now to the actual question:

When I start ProE from Intralink, do I need to have these variables in the .psf set at all?

E.g. we have problems when I start Intralink with the test database and then I choose a license with the 'ILINK_CMD_NAME' pointing to another database.
It seems to work when I simply leave these variables empty in the .psf file, as if I would be running ProE without Intralink at all.

I don't want to create different .psf files for each database, because then the user can still choose the wrong database. I need a 100% fool-proof solution.
I also don't like to use .bat files to copy the corresponding .psf files to the ProE /bin directory each time I choose the intralink server, because it's not a neat solution to have 3 different .psf files for each license.

Does anyone know or have a different solution to avoid the risk of selecting the wrong license to the chosen Intralink server?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[jnoval]

I would try to do it in a different way


It look like you have intralinkclient install on the local harddisk. If I understand you correct you must have 3 intralink dataservers and fileservers. In the client there is a file (proiclient34\tnsname.ora) that tell Intralink the name for the dataserver. You can open the file in notepad. I would make 3 version of this file. One for each dataserver.:
<UL>
<LI>General-server.ora</LI>
<LI>Test-server.ora</LI>
<LI>Client-server.ora</LI>[/list]


Then make3 bat file that copythe needed ora file totnsname.ora.The bat file must also set thepath to the correct location for the workspaces (.proi). It is important to have 3 different location for .proi. You can do this byt set pdb_ldb_path. I have done it this way to be able to connect to different dataservers.


Then youcan havea clean installation of ProE. You will only need one ProE start file (.bat + .psf)or one per license (Foundation, AAX...), and one Intralink start file


The start-intralink-testserver.batfile could look like this:


set PDM_LDB_PATH=d:\ptc\local_work_testserver
del /q D:\ptc\proclient34\tnsnames.ora
copy D:\ptc\proclient34\test-server.ora D:\ptc\proclient34\tnsnames.ora
set work_dir=%PDM_LDB_PATH%
cd /D %work_dir%
echo Server is testserver
"c:\ptc\proclient34\bin\proilink34.bat"


I hope this will help you. This should be a 100% fool-proof solution.


BTW. I would not have the start-intralink .bat filesin the client installation, but on a secure location on the network. Where the users do not have access to modify the files. The same casefor the3 .ora files.

 

[Zestje]

@jnoval
Thank you for your reply. Your suggestion seems to be a bit more practical than the copying of .psf files, but your suggestion has the same problem I have: when you have only 1 .psf file, you must leave the 3 variables I mentioned before empty, or else it is set to one specific server/database.
As I wrote, it seems to work fine, but I'm not sure if it is safe?

Also, when you start Intralink from a batch file (in windows XP) which sets variables, the variables cease to exist the moment the .bat file has ended. So when starting ProE from Intralink, the variables are already gone! Otherwise I would have simply set the 'ILINK_CMD_NAME' to a variable %ilinkinstance% and set this variable to the correct instance in the .bat file for each instance, like e.g. to proilink34_testserver.bat.

That would have been the easiest and fool-proof solution...

 

[jnoval]

No you are not correct about batch filen. I have use this in years on different windows OS (NT4, 2000 and XP). It is working perfect. It will keep the set variables as long as you start Intralink from the .bat file and start ProE from Intralink. You can check the set variablesin aopens a commandline (dos prompt) start from proE. If I remember correct it is in menu Windows and is call open system.


If you follow my sugestion you can have the 3 environment to the same.


ENV=INTRALINK_DIR=C:\ptc\proiclient34
ENV=ILINK_CMD_NAME=proilink34.bat
ENV=INTRALINK_CMD=%INTRALINK_DIR%\bin\%ILINK_CMD_NAME%



All that have to be different is the tnsname.ora and PDM_LDB_PATH


I never manuel change anything in the psf file or proilink.34.bat. I only run ptcsetup and make the needed change in my start-ilink-script that is calling proilionk34.bat

 

[Zestje]

@jnoval
You are right about the variables!

I tested around some more and found that it does work exactly as you wrote. That means that what I originally had in mind works!

I now simply edited the instalink start batch file proilink34.bat and declared variables:
%proi_base_dir% to C:\ptc\proiclient34 (the intralink folder) and a variable %proiclient_startfile% to proilink34.bat (the intralink start batch file itself)

I did this for all 3 batch files (i.e every single database)

In the .psf I have simply set:

ENV=INTRALINK_DIR=%proi_base_dir%
ENV=ILINK_CMD_NAME=%proiclient_startfile%
ENV=INTRALINK_CMD=%INTRALINK_DIR%\bin\%ILINK_CMD_NAME%

This way I must only edit each intralink batch file once and everything is set to go!

This has some good advantages:
<ul>[*]Now I do not have to change the .psf file, regardless of which intralink server or which database I want to start.[/list]<ul>[*]This method is fool-proof, because in the intralink start bacth file I set the variables which are needed by the .psf file later on when starting ProE.[/list]<ul>[*]There is no copying of files with batch files necessary during intralink or ProE start.
[/list]Thank you for help!

 

[jnoval]

I don't understand thatthis can work for you.

Do you have 3 different Intralink servers?


Do you have one or 3 intralink client installation.


If you have 3 servers but obly one client installation you will need to change the server name in the tnsname.ora file. I also think it is a very good idea to have 3 different places for .proi.

 

[Zestje]

We have:
<ul>[*]1 Intralink server 3.4[*]3 Databases on this 3.4 server
[*]1 Intralink Client 3.4 on each PC[/list]I have 1 tsnames.ora on my PC, which does contain the references to all 3 databases. I'm not at work now, so I don't have the file at hand to show you what it looks like.

I think the difference between out methods is that I set the needed variables for the .psf files in the proilink start batch files and have all databases listed in the tsnames.ora, and that you have a tsnames.ora + batch file for the required variables for each database/server and copy the needed one before starting intralink. It's not that different at all.

(One reason why I don't want to copy files is that I'm using a script utilility I wrote that laets me choose between servers and configs/search.pro files, and this needs reprogramming if I must also copy batch files.)

sidenote: speaking about .proi. files. I don't know where I can change the location that Intralink writes these to. Do you happen to know that?

 

[jnoval]

I diden't know that it is possible to have more than one Intralink database on the same server.. That is interesting. How did you manage that? How do the client know whict to select?


Could you sent me the startup files. Perhaps by PM. tnsname.ora, proilink.bat, start-script


You select the location of .proi by setting env: PDM_LDB_PATH d:\ptc\local_work

 

[Zestje]

I'll send you the relevant files in the next few days. I have to edit out some confidential information first. Don't want to getinto trouble ...

BTW I'did not setup the server myself, neither am I the ProE adminof our company. Someone from PTCsetup our initial structure and taught our admin everything he needs to know (well, at least we all hope so

).


It's just out of interest that I got involved helping with somebatch files and writingsome scripts. I always want toknow what is going on on my PC, guess I really am acomputer freak...

And thanks for the .proi. tip, I'll check it out tomorrow.

 

[Zestje]

@jnoval:
I just sent you a PM about the files. Check it out!