Windchill replication increases user productivity by reducing the amount of time it takes to access data. Users access data that is stored on replica vaults, which are more rapidly accessible external vaults. Replica vaults store data that has been copied from slower external vaults (for example, because they are on a WAN) or from the Windchill database.

The only difference that Windchill users notice when accessing replicated data is that the access time is faster. Otherwise, the user experience is identical whether data is accessed from a replicated or non-replicated source. The Windchill user's only explicit interaction with content replication is setting preferences in the Windchill interface.

A Windchill site, also known as a cluster, is a group of hosts with one URL. For the purpose of content replication, a site can play the role of a master site, a remote site (formerly known as a replica site), or both. When a site is playing the role of a master site, content can be replicated from Binary Large Object (BLOB) storage, from external storage, or both to one or more remote sites. When a site is playing the role of a remote site, content can be replicated to it from master sites.

In general, a master site stores vault and folder configuration information for each of its remote sites. Remote sites retrieve vault configuration information on startup or an update of the information is pushed from the master site on its startup or sent explicitly by the master site administrator. However, a remote site can also be configured to have vaults and folders for designated master content. Similarly, a master site can be configured to include replica vaults and folders.

A remote site provides Windchill users with local access to content data in replicated vaults. The data in each replicated vault can come from only one master site. Attempts to disregard this rule can result in the loss of data.

The method servers of sites that are playing the role of master site or the roles of both master site and remote site must have a connection to an DBMS. A remote site can run in a lightweight mode, called Windchill File Server, which requires only minimal Windchill services that support the receipt of configuration information and the processing of requests to replicate or upload/download content. The advantage of running in File Server mode is that no database instance is needed and most of Windchill services are shut down, which provides easier maintenance and improves performance and startup time.