SOLIDWORKS PDM Backup Awareness

I’ll cut to the chase regarding SOLIDWORKS PDM backup awareness.  With this blog I hope to raise awareness about backups and bring forth important questions about your data (PDM related or not):

• Is your organization well prepared for a disaster-recovery scenario?
• How is the integrity of your backups?
• Are you backing up the right things?
• Does your IT have a rehearsed procedure in case your servers go down?

This past summer, we received many calls concerning server machine crashes and consequential data loss. How much data loss from server cashes? Try anywhere from a day’s worth of work, to all of it. Yes, I have had organizations lose years' worth of data because backup procedures have not been put in place by their IT if a server would die out.

This issue is very real – more so if you think this will never happen to your organization. I have had to deliver bad news too many times and I would like that to end. Therefore, I implore you to ensure your IT is well prepared in the event of a disaster.

In general, data loss is 100% avoidable – you just need to back things up correctly. Backing up and restoring data is your IT’s responsibility. There are many ways of backing up data and only your IT will be able to determine the best way to back up your organization’s data. Having said this, when it comes to PDM, there are a few things you and your IT should know about.

PDM Specifics

If your IT department is not sure how to back up your PDM data, the official documented procedure can be found in this 2019 SOLIDWORKS PDM Installation Guide. 

(Backup and restore procedures on page 151)

Use these next links to supplement your PDM backups “know-how”.

• GoEngineer video: Backups are Important Too
• GoEngineer blog: Automatic SQL Backups - SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard
• Oldie but goodie: SOLIDWORKS Backup and Restore 

Even though backing up and restoring data is IT’s responsibility, we would love to lend a hand in whatever we can for PDM. Unsure of what to backup still? Have questions regarding backups or restoring? Contact technical support. Let’s prevent a data loss scenario that no one wants to be in.

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