Unified Work Order Database - UWOD (Overview)
Before build 15.6, the only option for ‘database type’ when working with work order databases was for each work order folder to contain its own standalone work order database. These discrete databases were SQL CE database files located on the local computer with an SDF file extension.
As of build 15.6, you now have the option of consolidating all the separate work order databases into a single database – which we have given the name “Unified Work Order Database.” Of course, you may continue to work with discrete work order databases if you wish.
There are several reasons you may consider transitioning to a unified work order database.
- Database maintenance is less complicated for your IT personnel. It is more challenging to maintain multiple databases scattered about on multiple computers than a single database located on a single server.
- The database capacity is greater. The SQL CE databases that are created when using discrete databases are limited to 4 GB, SQL Server Express 2017 databases are limited to 10 GB, and standard version SQL Server databases are limited to 524 PB (petabytes).
- They extended reporting potentials. Using discrete work order databases, factory level reports are limited to a single work order database. With the unified work order database, you may create factory-level reports incorporating data from multiple work orders.
- The unified work order database may be included in existing SQL Server backup scripts, thereby simplifying and expanding the scope of your backups.
For these or other reasons, you may wish to transition from the discrete work order database type to the Unified Work Order Database (UWOD) type.
The Unified Work Order Database is recommended only for use with
SQL Server Standard Edition in a normal manufacturing environment When deployed against SQL Server Express Edition, there will be issues with storage limitations. If it is determined that it must be used with SQL Server Express, it should be for only temporary use or sandbox testing.
Continue reading for the process to follow when making the transition. It contains links to other articles that will help you understand the process in general and the specific steps involved in making the transition.
Step #1: Install SQL Server Database Using SQL Server Standard Edition (or Express for testing).
The first series of steps to get your UWOD set up is to install a version of SQL Server.
The SQL Server Express Edition supports databases up to 10 GB in size and is available at no charge to the User (see the note above).
The SQL Server Standard Edition supports databases up to 524 PB in size, supports up to 24 core processing, has maximum memory up to 128 GB, and is available from Microsoft (contact Microsoft for pricing). It is recommended that you deploy your UWOD against SQL Server Standard Edition or SQL Server Enterprise Edition.
The SQL Server Enterprise Edition supports databases up to 524 PB in size, supports unlimited core processing, has maximum memory up to the OS system limit, and is available from Microsoft (contact Microsoft for pricing).
Microsoft ended mainstream support for SQL Server 2008 products as of July 2014. For that, and other reasons, we strongly recommend that you install software from either the SQL Server 2016 or SQL Server 2017 product family to configure your database.
Click
here for an article providing the procedure to install a SQL Server 2017 Express database.
Step #2: Configure SQL Server Database Using SQL Server Express (or Standard Edition).
The second series of steps to set up your UWOD is to configure your SQL Server instance set up in step #1.
Click
here for a general article explaining how to create and configure SQL Server 2017 databases.
You should be aware that the Unified Work Order Database (UWOD) structure requires two new databases on your SQL Server instance. Use the tutorial above to create one database named “MicrovellumWorkOrder” and another named “MicrovellumGeometry.”
In addition to creating these two databases, map the required Users to those databases and assign the database role membership as described in the article just above about configuring your SQL Server database (db_owner). These Users will include anyone in your organization that will be using the configuration containing this unified work order database.
Step #3: Configure Microvellum Software to Connect to the Two New Databases.
The third series of steps to set up your UWOD is to configure your Microvellum software to connect to the two databases configured in step #2.
Click
here for an article explaining how to create and configure Microvellum to connect to your new SQL Server 2017 databases.
You will need to connect to your SQL Server factory database if your configuration is not already connected to it. You will also need to connect to your two SQL Server unified work order databases. The article referenced in the link above explains both procedures. After completion of the steps in that article, the last step is to transfer data into those new databases, as explained in step #4.
Step #4: Transfer Existing Data from Work Order Databases to the New Database.
The fourth and final series of steps to set up your UWOD is to transfer the factory database and each work order database from a previous configuration into the new UWOD configuration.
Click here for an article explaining how to transfer data from an SQL CE database to your new SQL Server databases.
You should now be ready to begin using your new Unified Work Order Database configuration and benefiting from a single source for work order data.
Related Articles
Transferring Data to an SQL Server Database (Unified Work Order Database)(Tutorial 4)
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