What Is FSA?
FSA is an implementation of the Windchill RV&S server structured to serve client requests through a proxy. The proxy provides access to project members residing on the Windchill RV&S server by retrieving information from its local cache or, if changes are detected, directly from the server.
Previously, distributed development relied on the replication/synchronization paradigm. In the replication model, source repositories are replicated and transmitted to remote sites on a regular basis so that developers can access projects from a local server. Then remote changes are gathered up and returned through a synchronization process, facilitated by an administrator, that updates master project information. The risks of the replication model include:
Poor remote access visibility
Users do not have real time access to project information between synchronizations. Important decisions by managers can be delayed and developers may duplicate effort if they are unaware of other developers working on the same data.
Poor network availability
Development is delayed due to transferring large amounts of bulk data between locations via the corporate network. Time is also lost due to incomplete transfers over unreliable networks.
Administrative requirements
Because real time access to project information is not possible, administrators must coordinate and manage merging and conflict resolution processes to bring all development changes together. Once this is complete, another synchronization process is required to make the updated data available for all users.
FSA addresses these areas of concern in distributed development by providing real time remote access to users and improving network performance by replacing replication with intelligent caching and updates.