Key Considerations for File Vaulting
In environments where database storage is limited or expensive, storing revision bulk data in a database can be prohibitive. File vaulting data can offer an effective control mechanism for database growth over time. However, PTC recommends that Windchill RV&S administrators weigh the following considerations carefully before implementing file vaulting.
Data Corruption Risk
To mitigate the risk of data corruption:
• PTC recommends a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configuration for the configuration management file vault.
• Once the file vault is operational, PTC recommends that you synchronize the backup of both the database component and the file system including all vaulted data. For more information on file vault backups, see
Backing Up and Restoring File Vaults.
• Ensure that the Enable Checksum Verification of Member Revisions configuration management policy is enabled in the Windchill RV&S administration client. This policy is enabled by default. This policy ensures data integrity between the Windchill RV&S server and the client by calculating checksums for each revision, and verifying those checksums against the database. For more information on this policy, see the topic “General Policy Options”.
Existing Revision Data Migration
You can migrate existing revision data from the database to the Configuration Management file vault using a bulk migration diagnostic command. However, this optional one-time migration step is not bidirectional. Once
Windchill RV&S revisions are stored in the file vault, there is no way to move those revisions back in to the database. Access to the file vault must be maintained in perpetuity to access vaulted revisions. For more information on migrating existing revisions, see
Migrating Existing Revisions to the File Vault.
File Vault Security
When using the file vault to store revision data outside of the primary Windchill RV&S repository, securing the file vault location is the responsibility of the system administrator.