Relocating SOLIDWORKS PDM Archive Folders
Article by Dewayne May updated April 7, 2017
Article
As your SOLIDWORKS PDM vault continues to be utilized—through the addition of new files and the creation of updated versions—the associated archive folders will grow accordingly. Over time, this can result in a substantial increase in storage requirements. To maintain optimal performance and ensure adequate capacity, you may need to relocate these SOLIDWORKS PDM archive folders. Typical scenarios include moving the entire archive to a larger storage drive or distributing portions of the archive across multiple drives for improved scalability and disk management.
These operations can be performed safely and efficiently using the Archive Server Configuration utility, which must be run directly on the machine hosting the SOLIDWORKS PDM Archive Server service. This utility provides a controlled interface that handles all necessary updates to archive paths and maintains data integrity throughout the process.You can access the Archive Server Configuration tool using one of the following methods:
- Navigate to Windows Start → All Programs → SOLIDWORKS PDM → Archive Server Configuration, or
- Use the Windows Search function and type “Archive Server Configuration.”
If the utility does not appear when launched, it is likely already running in the background. In this case, check the Windows system tray located in the bottom‑right corner of the taskbar. Locate the SOLIDWORKS PDM Archive Server icon, right‑click it, and select Open to bring the configuration interface to the foreground.This approach ensures that archive folders are managed properly and that changes are made within the supported PDM framework, preventing issues that can arise from manual file movement or direct filesystem modifications.
Within the utility, you can access the list of archive folders using either method below:
- Double‑click the “Archives” folder displayed in the main pane, or
- Expand the “This Computer” node in the left navigation pane and select the “Archives” folder.
Once selected, the interface will display all archive folders currently hosted on this server. Depending on your environment, you may see multiple archives listed—for example, if you have configured sandbox, testing, or training vaults in addition to your production vault.
Right‑click the vault you intend to relocate, and select “Relocate” from the context menu.
In the File Vault Relocation dialog box, you will be able to view the current storage locations of the archive folders. In this example, 100% of the archive folders are presently stored on the C: drive.
All SOLIDWORKS PDM vaults contain 16 archive folders, named 0–9 and A–F. These folders collectively store the actual vaulted copies of all files managed within the system. Each file version is distributed across these folders according to PDM’s internal hashing and storage algorithms, ensuring efficient retrieval and balanced use of storage resources.
Considerations when using the Archive Server Configuration tool to relocate archives:
During the relocation process, no users should be accessing the vault at any time. Before initiating the relocation, the administrator must Block Log‑ins on the vault to prevent user activity and ensure data integrity throughout the move.
For large archives, it is often advisable to perform the relocation in increments. SOLIDWORKS PDM vaults contain 16 archive folders, each of which is moved as a complete unit. This allows the relocation to be completed in segments as small as 1/16 of the total archive, or approximately 6.3% at a time. This approach helps reduce the operational impact and minimizes the duration of any required maintenance window.
The archive can be distributed across as many storage drives as necessary, providing flexibility in managing capacity and optimizing performance.
If the vault is exceptionally large—such as environments storing several hundred gigabytes or more—you may want to consider performing a manual relocation by moving the archive folders directly and updating the corresponding Archive Folder registry values, rather than relying on the Relocate function in the Archive Server Configuration tool. This method requires careful execution and should only be performed under guidance. Contact your SOLIDWORKS Value‑Added Reseller (VAR) for detailed instructions and best practices for this approach.
If you are experiencing excessively long backup times due to the overall size of the archive, relocating the archive will not reduce the data footprint and therefore will not resolve backup duration issues. In such cases, you should consider additional strategies such as adjusting your backup method, reviewing storage performance, or optimizing the backup schedule or infrastructure. compressing the archive.
Relocate Process:
If you are relocating the entire vault from one storage location to another, follow these steps:
Within the File Vault Relocation dialog, click Add to insert a new row under the Archive Locations section. Next, click the “…” browse button and navigate to the new target folder where the archive will be stored.This destination must be a folder on a local, physical hard drive. Do not select a network share, mapped network drive, or an external USB hard drive. Using anything other than a direct‑attached local drive will significantly degrade archive access performance for all users and is not supported for production environments.
Adjust the Size slider to specify how much of the archive you want to relocate to the new storage location. If the vault is relatively small and you have an adequate maintenance window before users require full access again, you may choose to move 100% of the archive at once. Otherwise, you may opt to perform the relocation incrementally to minimize downtime.
You must manually adjust the sliders for both the current and new archive locations. For example, if you set the new location’s Size value to 100%, the Total Size indicator will display 200% until you also set the original location’s slider to 0% (or adjust the sliders to appropriately reflect your intended distribution).When relocating the vault in increments, ensure the Total Size value always equals 100%. The indicator will turn green once the distribution is valid, confirming that the allocation is properly configured.
Step 3:
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