With nearly 20 years of experience helping businesses of all sizes migrate data into the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and other solutions, our team couldn’t be more excited about the new 3DXTA-OC 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant in Dassault Systèmes’ R2023x FD03 release.
We’re looking forward to utilizing the solution just as much as you are, however it’s important to know that your data needs to be clean (ie. no broken links, etc.) in order for the loading process to be a success.
We find that most data is not clean and has issues that need to be addressed. We have developed a process and toolset that will analyze your data, report back and, in many cases, fix the data so it can be successfully loaded into 3DEXPERIENCE on the Cloud. More details about our tool at the 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant are described below.
The Future of PLM is in the Cloud with 3DEXPERIENCE
We’ve been working in this field since before cloud-based software was even a thing, and it’s amazing to see how far these technologies have come. There still is, and probably always will be, a place for on-premise installations, but more and more companies are embracing a cloud-first strategy. Ninety-four percent of companies currently use the Cloud in some form and an estimated 75% of companies will adopt a cloud-based digital transformation strategy by 2026, per Gartner.
There’s no denying that the future of software and business, in general, lies in the Cloud, and benefits like lower IT costs, improved reliability and flexibility and greater efficiency are clear draws. Many businesses are choosing the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the Cloud for these very same reasons, and data migration is an essential component of every implementation – which is why we’re pleased to see more options for completing those processes become available.
What is the 3DXTA-OC 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant?
As discussed in another recent blog post, the 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant is a new solution from Dassault Systèmes’ that facilitates data migrations from SOLIDWORKS PDM and ENOVIA SmarTeam to the 3DEXPERIENCE on the Cloud. As Dassault Systèmes’ explains, you can use it to:
- Configure the complete migration scenario and mapping of data within a single utility streamlining the overall process
- Analyze migration jobs prior to migration execution to fix errors upfront and reduce the number of trial runs
- Utilize a temporary sandbox cloud environment to prepare for the final migration to the production environment
- Complete the migration on the production environment
Up until now, we have used a variety of tools and processes to support data migrations to 3DEXPERIENCE on the Cloud, but we expect the new 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant to be a game changer. It was designed for ease of use and to address unique complexities in Dassault Systèmes’ suite of solutions, but there are a few things you need to know before using the tool.
Note: The 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant is not an independently available role. It is part of the 3DXTA-OC data migration package, which includes all of the roles you need for a data migration project. The package also includes a sandbox tenant for trial migrations. XTA enables you to download the 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant installer.
The Success of Your Migration Depends on the Quality of Your Data
This is true for any data migration project, whether you’re working with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform or any other type of software on the market, but it’s especially critical if you plan to utilize the XTA-OC 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant.
Simply put, the 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant may not work if you have missing or broken references or other issues with your data. You’ll receive an error message and the data migration won’t proceed.
Hopefully, you’re reading this blog post before you hit a wall on your data migration project but, if not, don’t worry. We’ve developed a new process and tool sets to prepare your SOLIDWORKS PDM data for loading into 3DEXPERIENCE on the Cloud using the 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant.
Introducing xLM’s SOLIDWORKS PDM Reference Clean-Up Process
The SOLIDWORKS PDM Reference Clean-Up Process from xLM is a must-have for anyone planning a data migration involving the solutions mentioned above. We use a two-part process to run and generate a report based on your SOLIDWORKS PDM data and then use that report to automatically make corrections. It’s that simple.
The end result, in most cases, is clean data that’s ready for loading into 3DEXPERIENCE on the Cloud via the 3DEXPERIENCE Transition Assistant. Run time varies depending on the amount of data you have, but it’s quick, efficient and eliminates time-consuming manual processes that are prone to error.
The SOLIDWORKS PDM Reference Clean-Up Process reports on missing or broken references. Plus, it…
- Identifies situations in which a drawing has a reference to a valid model file, but the model file is missing the corresponding configuration
- Checks for broken references from file to file, as well as from file to configuration
- Checks circular references
- Identifies potentially broken reference files, and creates the reference if found. If not, the tool will create a temporary/holding reference based on a SOLIDWORKS PDM template file to advance the migration process
Keep Your Data Migration and Digital Transformation on Track with xLM
If you’ve adopted a digital-first strategy or are planning to do so, you’re not alone. A whopping 91% of businesses are involved in digital initiatives and that number grows every year. That said, digital transformation is more of a winding journey than a straight path and those who plan appropriately and bring in outside support are more likely to succeed.
xLM Solutions has years of experience working with PLM and PDM technologies and is here to help with data migrations in both on-premise and Cloud environments, but we can also support your broader digital transformation strategy.
We have helped businesses of all sizes assess as-is processes and identify concerns and objectives at a strategic level. We then help companies map their strategic priorities to solutions, implement them, develop KPIs to monitor performance and work with customers at both the executive and implementation levels to ensure success.
Whether you’re already planning a data migration to 3DEXPERIENCE on the Cloud and need help cleaning up your SOLIDWORKS PDM data or, at a more basic level, are wondering if moving to the Cloud fits with your digital transformation strategy, we’re here to help. Please get in touch with our team today to learn more about our SOLIDWORKS PDM Reference Clean-Up Process or for support with any of your digital strategy objectives.