Revision History

Note
All SolidPractices are written as guidelines. It is a strong recommendation to use these documents only after properly evaluating your requirements. Distribution of this document is limited to Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks employees, VARs and customers that are on active subscription. You may not post this document on blogs or any internal or external forums without prior written authorization from Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation.
This document was updated using version SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2023 SP04. If you have questions or need assistance in understanding the content, please get in touch with your designated reseller.

1) Preface

This SolidPractices document provides guidance for installing the SOLIDWORKS® Electrical software. The information deals specifically with server and client installations. It includes additional troubleshooting steps to help alleviate issues that you may encounter during installation. Before submitting a request for technical support, you should read this guide and consider the information within.

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2) System Requirements

There are three main components with specific system requirements employed in any installation. These components include the SQL Server software and the SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic and/or SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D software.

• SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic and SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D require the Microsoft® SQL Server® Express software. It is possible to install the SQL Server software locally or on a server. For the specifications, see the topic "Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server" on the Microsoft website.
• SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic uses the same graphics engine as the DraftSight® software. For the specifications, see the topic "System Requirements for DraftSight."
• SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D requires the SOLIDWORKS software with the same service pack level as SOLIDWORKS Electrical. For the specifications, see the SOLIDWORKS System Requirements web page.

The SOLIDWORKS Electrical installation package includes Microsoft SQL Server Express. It is a free software and therefore has certain limitations. For more information, see the topic "Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2016" on the Microsoft website.

In addition to these specifications, you may require extra hard disk space to accommodate projects and libraries that are stored in the program data. The amount of disk space necessary depends largely on the size of the projects as well as the number of projects that are simultaneously active. For server and standalone setups, SOLIDWORKS Technical Support recommends 20 GB of free disk space for data and an additional two GB of free space for application files.

Following is a summary of the software and system requirements necessary to perform a SOLIDWORKS Electrical installation:

• Windows 10 (x64) or higher operating system
• 16 GB or more RAM (recommended)
• 20 GB of available disk space (recommended)
• Certified graphics card and driver, see the topic “Certified cards and drivers”
• SOLIDWORKS recommends using the latest Microsoft update of Windows, Office and Internet Explorer.
• Microsoft Office® Excel® and Microsoft Office Word 2016 or later. SOLIDWORKS supports Office 2013 until the release of SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP5.
• PDF reader software
• Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (optional)

SOLIDWORKS Electrical requires the following software. You can install this software as part of a SOLIDWORKS Electrical installation, or separately:

• SOLIDWORKS with the same level service pack
• Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (until SOLIDWORKS 2019 SP5), or SQL Server 2014 SP3 (until SOLIDWORKS 2021 SP5), or SQL Server 2016 or 2017, or later.

SOLIDWORKS Electrical supports installation in a virtual environment as shown in the following table:

3) Installation Types

There are three general types of installations:

• Standalone: This installation type includes all program components on a single computer. To perform a standalone installation, select the Install on this computer option. (Refer to page 23)
• Client: This installation type installs only the application files on a single computer. To perform a client installation, select the Install on this computer option. Client systems must have network access to the server and read/write privileges for creating projects, libraries, and symbols.
• Server: This installation type installs the program data, the SQL Server® software and the Collaborative Server. To perform a server installation, select the Install server components option. The server component installation must be performed only on the server system. (Refer to page 29)

4) Installation Prerequisites

Before proceeding with an installation, you must consider a number of questions. This section addresses a few of these questions.

a) Number of Concurrent Users

How many users will be working with the same SQL database?

SOLIDWORKS Electrical includes Microsoft SQL Server Express. This is a free SQL Server version that has certain limitations as follows:

A database size of 20 GB is sufficient to accommodate large projects. However, the memory and CPU limitations mean that there is a curtailment in performance when more than five users work concurrently.

Therefore, the recommendation is to determine the number of users before installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical. If six or more users work with the SQL Server simultaneously, then the recommendation is that you purchase a full version of SQL Server and that you install SOLIDWORKS Electrical on this version.

It is also a recommendation to create SOLIDWORKS Electrical databases on a separate and dedicated SQL instance.

It is also possible to use SQL Server to store SOLIDWORKS Electrical databases along with SOLIDWORKS PDM. However, work with your reseller to determine the proper license requirements. For more details, see the Knowledge Base article QA00000107360 or contact your VAR or technical support representative.

Failure to follow these recommendations can result in a decrease in performance of the application.

b) Existing SQL Server

Is there an existing SQL Server that is available to use?

Few networks have an existing SQL Server installation available on which to install the SOLIDWORKS Electrical databases.

Where this is the case, users require full administrative rights to the SQL Server software.

In addition, the client user may want to use the sa or System Administrator account when installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical. For this to be possible, it is necessary to define a password for this account. This password is user definable and you should obtain the password from the client user. If a company policy restricts providing this password to external individuals, then a company representative with administrative rights (such as IT personnel) should attend the installation.

c) Client/Server and Standalone installations.

Do you want to store data on a server or locally on a single computer?

Standalone: A standalone installation requires a local SQL Server and the storage of program data (such as project drawings and reports) on a single computer. This case requires a user to have full administrative rights to the specific computer before installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical.

Client/Server: A client/server installation is a requirement where the data storage is on a network server. It is also a requirement in cases where an existing SQL Server installation on a network server stores all SOLIDWORKS Electrical databases. In these cases, the installation requires full administrative rights on both the server and client computers from which SOLIDWORKS Electrical runs. Client computers must have network access to the SQL Server and have read/write privileges for the creation of projects, libraries, symbols, and other features.

d) Space Requirements

Is there sufficient space on the hard disk drive?

When running SQL Server, it is a strong recommendation that you do not select the Compress this drive to save disk space option under any circumstances.

The database and the number of projects grow over time and there needs to be sufficient space to accommodate this. Though the scheme, report and drawing file sizes are small, the amount of space necessary is relative to the number and complexity of drawings created, and the total number of projects. When creating SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D drawings and storing the parts to the project, it is a recommendation that the space required be approximately double the recommendation for a standard SOLIDWORKS installation. A project of 14 drawings and a small number of 3D assemblies is approximately 7 megabytes (MB) in size. However, this can grow rapidly when using hundreds of SOLIDWORKS 3D parts. The SQL database size is generally much smaller than the project size. For example, a project of 147 MB that has 100 SOLIDWORKS parts (which accounts for 145 MB of the project size), only has an SQL database size of 5 MB.

It is always possible to make more space available in SOLIDWORKS Electrical by archiving data. Because SOLIDWORKS 3D parts and assemblies account for a large portion of a projects size, it is easy to archive completed projects and then delete them from the program. If you require the projects in the future, you can unarchive them to make them available again. Archiving the data creates a compressed file that contains all aspects of the project.

Ideally, at least 15% of the hard disk drive should be free space. A full disk may cause out-of-memory crashes and cannot be defragmented to optimize performance.

e) Rights and Updates

Before installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical, it is a requirement that you log in to the computer or server with full administrative permissions. You must also deactivate antivirus and anti-spyware programs.

The installation process includes Java™ components. To avoid any compatibility issues with the installation program, also be sure to update the operating system with the most recent Windows updates.

f) Version Compatibility

SOLIDWORKS Electrical is not backward compatible. SOLIDWORKS Electrical works only with the same version of SOLIDWORKS. For example, SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2023 works only with SOLIDWORKS 2023. After performing an update on an SQL database, it is no longer possible to access this database from an earlier version.

If the Update Data Wizard appears, it indicates that the version of the SOLIDWORKS Electrical is higher than the database version to which it connects. Running the update wizard updates the database version to match the software. After performing this procedure, earlier versions of the software can no longer connect to the database. Therefore, it is a strong recommendation to perform environmental archives on a regular basis, and always before updating the software. For more information about how to set a reminder to perform regular environment archives, see the Knowledge Base article QA00000119748.

5) License Types

There are three license types for SOLIDWORKS Electrical: Schematic,3D and Professional.

• SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic is for 2D standalone electrical project design. There are two types of schematic licenses: SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic Standard and SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic Professional. SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic Standard is a single-user schematic design tool. SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic Professional is for collaborative schematic design. For information about the difference in command between the two licenses, see the Knowledge base solution QA00000119363.

• SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D enables you to place electrical components and use SOLIDWORKS routing technology to automatically interconnect electrical design elements within a 3D model. 2D schematics and 3D models are synchronized so any changes are automatically updated SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D is available from version 2022 and above.SOLIDWORKS Electrical Professional includes both

  

  SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic and SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D. You can only install and run the Schematic and 3D versions on a single computer. With this license type, it is not possible to run the Schematic version on one computer and the 3D version on another computer.

   

6) Program Components

SOLIDWORKS Electrical consists of a number of distinct components. A failure in any of these components causes issues that prevent the program from running successfully.

The different components that make up the application are as follows:

• SQL Server
       o Collaborative Server
• Application
  • Schematic
  • 3D
• Program Data

a) SQL & Collaborative Servers: Program Interaction Synopsis

Running the SOLIDWORKS Electrical application causes the program to connect to the Collaborative Server and the SQL Server instance (SQL instance) defined during the installation (or from SOLIDWORKS Electrical Application > Tools >

Application settings).

Opening a project causes the Collaborative Server to mark SQL table entries that are sent to other users connecting to the same SQL instance.

In addition to monitoring changes to the SQL databases, the Collaborative Server constantly monitors the files that users open; locking and freeing different program data files such as drawings and symbols, based on actions that the users take through the application user interface (UI).

A failure in the application connection between the Collaborative Server and the SQL Server or the databases results in a failure to run the program successfully.

The troubleshooting section of this document contains more information about communication failures. Many of these issues relate to firewall ports that are not open to allow bidirectional communication between the application and Collaborative Server and the application and SQL instance.

b) Application

In the default installation, SOLIDWORKS Electrical stores the application files in the following location:

C:\Program Files\ SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS Electrical\

These files allow the SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic and SOLIDWORKS 3D applications to run.

c) Data

The data files include all electronic data for projects, library symbols, templates, reports, macros and other data. In the default installation, SOLIDWORKS Electrical stores the data files in the following location:

C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS Electrical\

Until you run the program for the first time and complete the Update Data Wizard process, the \\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS Electrical\ folder contain very little information. Running the Update Data Wizard process populates this folder.

d) Collaborative Server

The Collaborative Server is a service that monitors connections made to the SQL Server holding the SOLIDWORKS Electrical metadata from the SOLIDWORKS Electrical application. The service manages locks that prevent users from modifying the same data at the same time, and sends notifications to users when there are changes to shared data.

Therefore, it is a requirement to maintain constant bidirectional communication between the Collaborative Server and all client computers that access the SQL Server database.

One of the most commonly monitored processes relates to which user is working on what project. For example:

Imagine that user A1 on the client computer PC-Z connects to the SQL Server database on the company’s server, and then opens the NewBuild project. The Collaborative Server will record this information. When the user B2 on the client computer PC-Y connects to the same SQL Server database as user A1, the Collaborative Server automatically displays the NewBuild project in the Projects Manager in red text.

When user B2 selects to open the NewBuild project, a message appears that provides information about the user that is currently working on that project and the computer from which that user is working.

Using this example, the Collaborative Server returns the following information:

**********

The project “NewBuild” is currently open by the following users:

* PC–Z- A1()

You will not be able to access files opened by another user in this project.

Do you really want to open this project?

**********

i) Computer identification and ports

During the installation process, you can specify the name of the client or server computer location of the Collaborative Server as well as the port to use for communication. It is not possible to modify or change the ports. Every user who accesses the SQL Server receives their own port number as defined by a simple increment. For example:

Each SOLIDWORKS electrical instance uses ports as following:

Server

26666                                                                                                      Used only for Collaborative server service

Client 1

Client 2

Client 3

Client 4

Despite the use of the name, the application uses IPv4 to identify the IP address of the client computer or server and includes the port number currently in use for communication. It is also possible to enter an IP address in the Address field in place of the server’s name.

If the IP address changes (connection to or disconnection from a VPN, for example), then communication with the Collaborative Server fails. When this occurs, SOLIDWORKS Electrical displays the following error message:

In this event, restart the program and re-establish communication between the application and the Collaborative Server. Failure to do so can result in data loss, and duplication of tasks.

e) SQL Server

SOLIDWORKS Electrical requires an SQL instance to store information relating to the program. Regardless of the installation type, an SQL server must be available for the program to connect to when starting.

An SQL instance contains databases. The databases contain tables that hold specific program information.

The following image shows an SQL instance with the name TEW_SQLEXPRESS, which appears in blue highlight. The instance contains databases, shown here in green outline.

i) SQL Server instance

During the installation, it is possible to define a specific name for the SQL instance. It is a recommendation to specify a name that is different from the default name. However, this is not always possible because there may already be a SQL Server installation.

ii) SQL Server databases

All SOLIDWORKS Electrical databases require a specific naming convention. The installation process applies this convention when creating the databases.

After installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical, the instance name that you select during the installation must contain the following databases:

• TEW_APP_DATA
• TEW_APP_MACRO
• TEW_APP_PROJECT
• TEW_CATALOG

• TEW_CLASSIFICATION

   

If any of these databases are not present, it is not possible to connect SOLIDWORKS Electrical to the SQL instance. If this occurs, the program does not run.

Many programs use a single database, which contains all program data. This is not the case with SOLIDWORKS Electrical. In addition to the databases mentioned here, every new project that you create in the program has a unique database. The purpose for this is to reduce process times, and to retain the integrity of much of the program information. In the case of a critical database failure, only one project is affected. Some companies have policies that restrict the creation of new databases. This is normally because backups do not occur automatically for the databases. Therefore, the creation of new databases may require the attention of the IT department to include them in the backup process.

To run SOLIDWORKS Electrical correctly, there can be no restrictions placed on the creation of new SQL Server databases by users who connect to the database from SOLIDWORKS Electrical.

Each project that you create in SOLIDWORKS Electrical has a unique ID number. This number appears in the Projects Manager. The ID column is not active by default, it needs to be activated from ribbon menu, click on Configuration and select ID

Every project also has a related database. The database name incorporates the unique ID number as shown in the next image.

iii) Database tables

SOLIDWORKS Electrical automatically creates and populates all required database tables. After installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical and running the program for the first time, the Update Wizard appears. Running through the wizard creates and populates tables with information held in temporary files within the Program Data folder.

7) SQL Server Management Studio Express

To review SQL instances, databases and tables, the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SQL Management) tool is available to download and install. Express versions of this tool are available free of charge from the Microsoft website. This tool is very useful for troubleshooting connectivity issues. To review the databases in SOLIDWORKS Electrical, the recommendation is to use the same SQL Management tool version as the installed version of the SQL instance. The SQL Management tool allows for connection to individual or multiple instances. You can review the information contained within these instances, and if required, manually create a new SQL instance.

It is a recommendation to use the SQL Management tool to review installation issues. For example, imagine that a user has installed server products on their network server. After installing a client computer, SOLIDWORKS Electrical cannot locate the SQL instance on the server. Installing the SQL Management tool allows you to attempt a connection directly to the SQL instance of the server. Where there is a failure, the SQL Management tool displays the following message with a specific error number reference.

With this error description and number, it is possible to identify potential fixes.

8) Individual (Standalone) Installation

The following images depict the installation procedure for individual installations of SOLIDWORKS Electrical.

There are two ways to use this installation type:

• As a standalone installation. This method installs the application files for SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic and/or SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D, SQL Server, program data and Collaborative Server on the computer.
• As a client installation. This method installs the SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic and/or SOLIDWORKS Electrical3D application files. The program data location, SQL Server and Collaborative Server are stored on another computer or server.

To use this installation type for a client computer successfully, it is a requirement to install the SQL Server first on another computer or server.

Welcome

Select the Install on this computer option and then click Next to continue.

Serial Number

Enter the serial number.

The following image indicates where to enter the serial numbers based on the license type.

1. SOLIDWORKS Electrical serial number

When installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic or SOLIDWORKS Electrical Professional, enter the serial number here.

2. SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D

If you purchased SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D, enter the serial number here.

Summary

The Summary page displays your installation choices. To access the Electrical Options to view or modify the installation locations for a range of data, click Change.

SOLIDWORKS Electrical Options

The following options are available:

Data Location:

This is the installation location of the program data. If there was a previous server installation, use the Browse function to locate this shared folder on the network.

Collaborative Server: When installing a Collaborative Server,localhostindicates the computer, on which the program is being installed.

On a client/server type installation where multiple users access the same data, all users should connect to the same Collaborative Server. The default port number is 26666.

SQL Server: The server name should include the computer or server name followed by the name of the instance. For example, localhost\TEW_SQLEXPRESS indicates that the SQL Server will install on the current computer and the instance name will be TEW_SQLEXPRESS.

Clicking the Browse function can reduce installation issues that relate to typographical errors. The installer automatically searches the network and returns a list of existing SQL Server instances. You can then select from this list. If there are no existing SQL Server instances, then a connection is not possible.

Install a new instance of SQL Server: This option installs Microsoft SQL Server Express on the computer you specify in the SQL Server field. The option automatically creates a new SQL Server instance using the name defined in that field.

Use an existing SQL Server database: This option allows users to connect to an existing SQL Server instance. Users must define the name of the computer or server on which the SQL Server instance is installed, and the instance name in the SQL Server

field.

Connect using Windows authentication:Selecting this option establishes a connection to the SQL Server by using Windows authentication (the Windows user account) at the time of installation.

Connect using SQL Server authentication:Use this option only when you cannot establish a connection when using Windows authentication.

When using SQL Server authentication to connect to the SQL Server, consider the following points:

• The SQL Server Mixed Mode authentication mode must be active on the server.
• The user ID and password must be set when trying to establish a connection. The user ID and password must map to a valid SQL Server user and password.

Password for ‘tew’ user: This field allows users to define the password for the user tew. SQL Server uses this user name when working in SOLIDWORKS Electrical. The default password is SolidworksElectricalSQLpwd4ew. It is a recommendation to retain this password in case installation issues arise that require technical support.

It is common for users to enter a password and then forget what it is. This creates a lot of extra work when addressing installation problems.

9) Server Installation

The following images depict the procedure for installing the SOLIDWORKS Electrical server. You perform this process on the computer that acts as the server for the client computers on the network.

To perform a client/server installation successfully, install the SOLIDWORKS Electrical Server products before installing the individual clients.

Welcome

Select the Install server components option, and then select the

Install SOLIDWORKS Electrical (share data) on this computer

option. To continue, click Next.

Summary

The Summary page displays your installation choices. To access the Electrical Options to view or modify the installation locations the server components, click Change.

SOLIDWORKS Electrical Options

Three core features are available for installation with the server products. These include the program data (Data), the Collaborative Server and the SQL Server.

Depending on the installation features that you select, the available options are as follows.

Data Location: This is the installation location of the program data. This folder must be shared with all users that work with SOLIDWORKS Electrical. The users must have full read/write privileges.

Collaborative Server:When installing a Collaborative Server,localhostindicates the computer, on which the program is being installed.

On a client/server type installation where multiple users access the same data, all users should connect to the same Collaborative Server. The default port number is 26666. Regardless of which port you use, the port must always be open to allow bidirectional communication.

SQL Server: The server name should include the computer or server name followed by the name of the instance. For example, localhost\TEW_SQLEXPRESS indicates that the SQL Server will install on the current computer and the instance name will be TEW_SQLEXPRESS.

Selecting the Browse function can reduce installation issues that relate to typographical errors. The installer automatically searches the network and returns a list of existing SQL Server instances. You can then select from this list. If there are no existing SQL Server instances, then a connection is not possible.

Install a new instance of SQL Server: This option installs Microsoft SQL Server Express on the computer you specify in the

SQL Server field. The option automatically creates a new SQL Server instance using the name defined in that field.

Use an existing SQL Server database: This option allows users to connect to, and use an existing SQL Server. Users must define the name of the computer on which the SQL instance is located, and the instance name in the SQL Server field.

Connect using Windows authentication: Selecting this option establishes a connection to the SQL Server by using Windows authentication (the Windows user account) at the time of installation.

Connect using SQL Server authentication: Use this option only when you cannot establish a connection when using Windows authentication.

When using SQL Server authentication to connect to the SQL Server, consider the following points:

• The SQL Server Mixed Mode authentication mode must be active on the server.
• The user ID and password must be set when trying to establish a connection. The user ID and password must map to a valid SQL Server user and password.

Password for ‘tew’ user: This field allows users to define the password for the user tew. SQL Server uses this user name when working in SOLIDWORKS Electrical. The default password is SolidworksElectricalSQLpwd4ew. It is a recommendation to retain this password in case installation issues arise that require technical support.

It is common for users to enter a password and then forget what it is. This creates a lot of extra work when addressing installation problems.

10) Administrative Image

The following images show the process for creating an administrative image using default settings, and configuring the image for deployment to a new computer.

Welcome

It is possible to create administrative images either by using the default settings that you can modify, or from an existing image. When selecting to create an image using settings and files from an existing image, it is a requirement to Browse to the location of the installation directory with the existing administrative image.

Serial Number

Enter the serial number.

The following image indicates where to enter the serial numbers based on the license type.

1. SOLIDWORKS Electrical serial number

When installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic or SOLIDWORKS Electrical Professional, enter the serial number here.

2. SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D

If you purchased SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D, enter the serial number here.

Summary

There are three core items to review and modify as necessary. These items are the Products to install, the Download Options, the Administrative Image Location and the Administrative Image Location and the Administrative Image Type.

Administrative Image Type

It is possible to specify the type of Administrative Image using this option. Click on Change to select from the options.

After configuring and confirming changes to reflect the requirements, go to Create Now to start the process.

Administrative Image Option Editor

The Administrative Image Option Editor has a help function that supplements the online SOLIDWORKS Help. Clicking Help provides more information about the various options available.

The Global Settings page displays the current installation settings. When deploying on network computers that connect to a SOLIDWORKS Electrical server, it is necessary to change the location of the SQL Server, Collaborative Server and Data. This is because the server locations are local. However, you must configure the settings on the client computers to reflect the server location.

New Machine

Clicking the New machine icon prompts you to enter a Machine Name and any Notes that may be relevant to identifying the setting in future. Clicking Add Multiple Machines automatically searches the network for domains and workgroups that are available to add.

Clicking OK creates the machine setting. To modify these settings, select the machine and the click the Edit icon.

There are a number of editable settings. This SolidPractices document gives focus to the Electrical Options only, based on creating the administrative image on a server and the new machine as an individual client.

The Electrical Options shown in the preceding image all relate to the current local server computer. It is necessary to revise these options.

You should replace the localhost entries with the IP address or name of the network server as shown in the next image.

It is now possible to deploy the administrative image either manually or automatically by using the methods outlined in the supporting documentation described previously.

11) Archiving Environment Process

a) Archive Environment from Application

If you have an earlier version of the SOLIDWORKS Electrical software on your computer, it is a strong recommendation that before carrying out any installation updates, that you create an environmental archive. If you are performing a new installation, this task is not necessary.

It is good practice to create environmental archives often. These archives store all aspects of the program including metadata (SQL information) and electronic file data such as drawings, symbols and *.sldprt format files.

To archive the environment, open the SOLIDWORKS Electrical application and go to File >Archive environment

. Select to include everything within the program. To define the save path for the archive, click Finish.

If it becomes necessary to replace or restore data, you can use the Unarchive environment command to unpack environments at any time.

b) Environment Archiver and Scheduling Process

You can archive the SOLIDWORKS Electrical projects and environment by running the EwEnvironmentArchiver.exe file from SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2021 version onwards. The EwEnvironmentArchiver.exe file runs on Windows® 10 and Windows 11. You can schedule the archive process by using Windows Task Scheduler.

To start the archiver application, do one of the following:

• Run the EwEnvironmentArchiver.exe file from the following default path:

C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS Electrical\bin\EwEnvironmentArchiver

• From the Windows Start menu, search for and run the EwEnvironmentArchiver.exe program.

i) Archiving with the Environment Archiver 

To archive the environment:

1. Run the EwEnvironmentArchiver.exe file.
2. In Archive mode, specify the objects to archive.
3. Under Output folder, browse for and specify the output folder path.
4. Click Archive now.

ii) To schedule a task

To schedule the Archiver by using Windows Task Scheduler, follow these steps:

1. Open the Windows Task Scheduler.
2. Click Action > Create Task.
3. In the General tab, enter a name for the task.
4. In the Triggers tab, click New, specify the frequency and time and then click OK.
5. In the Actions tab, click New.
6. In the New Action dialog box, for Action, select Start a program.
7. For Program/script, click Browse and select the path to the EwEnvironmentArchiver.exe file.
8. In the Add arguments (optional) field, enter runwithlastoption and then click OK.
9. Select the suitable options in the Conditions and Settings tabs.

To use the Environment Archiver, the workstation must have a SOLIDWORKS Electrical installation and you must have a valid license. The user must test the tewzipfiles by simply unarchive the files.

12) Tips for Troubleshooting and Identifying Issues

There are countless different possible combinations of server, computer, operating system, virus scanner, firewall and company policies and practices. For this reason, it is impossible to identify every potential issue and provide a solution in this document.

However, these issues fall into four general categories:

1. There are insufficient rights.
2. There are firewall or virus scanners blocking the program.
3. A breakdown has occurred between the keyboard and mouse.
4. There is a software defect.

In cases of the first three points, the issue does not relate to the SOLIDWORKS Electrical software. For example, changing user rights and deactivating or changing firewall or virus scanner settings should always involve the company’s IT representative. Although point 3 may seem humorous, one of the most common types of installation issues is when a user runs through the installation process and presses Next all the way through without reading the options or considering the long-term effects of their software deployment.

Correspondence about potential issues is a time-consuming task for Value Added Resellers (VARs) and Technical Support Engineers (TSEs), and often lengthens the amount of time it takes to resolve the issue. Therefore, in many cases it is possible to resolve installation issues more quickly by conducting a video conference using Skype®, ZOOM, or a similar application and walking through the installation process together.

To avoid common causes of the program failing to install or run, perform the following standard operational troubleshooting.

a) Rights

Before starting any installation, make sure that the user has full administrative rights. Membership in an Admin group does not ensure that a user has full administrative privileges. Confirm this with the IT representative. This applies to not only the client computer or server on which you run the installation, but in the case of adding to an existing SQL Server, users require full rights to the SQL Server instance also.

b) Virus Scanners and Firewalls

SOLIDWORKS Electrical requires a number of dependent files to run correctly. These include the SQL Server files and communications port, the Collaborative Server program file and communications port, and the SOLIDWORKS Electrical program file. To avoid related issues, apply the following exceptions.

For the SOLIDWORKS Electrical application:

The default installation location for this file is:

C:\Program Files\ SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS Electrical\bin\SOLIDWORKSElectrical.exe

Make sure that the default ports range of 26666 to 26672 are open and any ports that are necessary to connect to the Internet.

For the Collaborative Server:

The SOLIDWORKS Electrical Collaborative Server service must have authority to run. To confirm or change the settings, go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools >Services.

The default installation location for this file is:

C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS Electrical\server_x64\EwServer.exe

For SQL Server Express:

The SQL Server application must be authorized (this runs as a service).

When using the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager, the default installation location for the SQL Server program file is:

C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS Electrical\MSSQL15.TEW_SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe

Otherwise, if the SOLIDWORKS Electrical installation is on a computer with an existing SQL Server installation, the location for this file is:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL15.\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe

If there are multiple versions of SQL Server installed on a single computer, the path includes the instance name suffix to MSSQL.

The SQL Server port TCP 1433 must be open.

The SQL Server browser port TCP 1434 must be open.

Be aware that by default, named instances of SQL Server use a dynamic port whenever the service restarts. It is possible to change this to a static port in SQL Server Configuration Manager.

For more information about the SQL server, see the Microsoft topic “How to: Configure a Windows Firewall for Database Engine Access” at:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms175043(v=sql.105).aspx

Failure to open ports, run services and allow virus scanner exceptions for the preceding files and ports result in an error when running the program. The error normally relates to the affected item. A quick way to understand that an issue does not relate to SOLIDWORKS Electrical, but is the result of blocking by some user settings, is to turn off all virus scanners and firewalls and verify that the program runs correctly without them on.

c) Authentication Mode

SOLIDWORKS Electrical uses SQL Server Authentication mode to access the SQL Server. To confirm this, use the same SQL Management tool version as the installed SQL Server instance. In most cases, this is SQL Server Management Studio 2014 or later.
1. Upon starting, connect to the SQL Server computer that contains the SOLIDWORKS Electrical databases.

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2. Then, right-click the instance and select Properties.

3. In the Server Properties dialog box, select the Security page, activate the SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode option and then click OK.

4. For your changes to take effect, right-click the instance and then click Restart.

d) SQL Protocols

For other computers to connect to the SQL server, ensure that the SQL Server configuration is correct. To view or change the configuration, go to Windows Start > SQL Server Configuration Manager.

In the dialog box, select the server and make sure that the Shared Memory, Named Pipes and TCP/IP protocols have a status of Enabled. Also, make sure that you are selecting the SQL Server Network Configuration and not the 32-bit version.

e) Services

Ensure that both the SQL Server Browser and SQL Server services are running. To confirm this, open the Windows Services app.

To start a service, right-click the service name and then click Start.

Never restart services without first determining if the server is currently in use. If there are active user connections to the SQL server, advise the users to disconnect before restarting the services.

f) Cannot Connect to TEW_APP_DATA

After starting the SOLIDWORKS Electrical software, if the errorCannot connect to TEW_APP_DATAappears, it is because of one of the following reasons:

• The SQL Server access is blocked

Refer to the previous troubleshooting sections.

• The server is not running, has been stopped or should be restarted

Open the Windows Services app and restart the service or follow the method in the previous section.

• The program configuration is looking in the wrong location for the server

In SOLIDWORKS Electrical, go to Tools > Application Settings > Databases. Confirm that the server name is correct. This is the name of the computer or server on which SQL Server is installed, followed by the \ (backslash) symbol and the name of the SQL Server instance.
 

If all settings appear correct, click Display query execution error log. This opens the Notepad application, which displays an SQL error log. Review this log to help locate connection issues.

• The server does not contain a TEW_APP_DATA database

To confirm this, open the SQL Management tool and connect to the SQL Server that was specified during the installation as the location for the SOLIDWORKS Electrical databases. Expand the Databases folder. If the TEW_APP_DATA database does not appear in the list, then the installation did not install the files on the server.

g) Cannot connect to Collaborative Server

After starting the SOLIDWORKS Electrical software, if the error Cannot connect to Collaborative Server appears, it is because of one of the following reasons:

• The ewServer.exe access is blocked by a virus scanner and/or firewall

To confirm this, turn off all firewalls and virus scanners and then run the program. If the connection is successful, then this is the source of the problem.

The default installation location for the Collaborative Server is:
C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS Electrical\server\EwServer.exe

• The service is not running, has been stopped or should be restarted.

Open the Windows Services app and restart the SOLIDWORKS Electrical Collaborative Server service or follow the method in the previous section.

• The program configuration is looking in the wrong location for the server
 

In SOLIDWORKS Electrical, go to Tools > Application Settings > Collaborative Server and confirm that the address (of the computer on which the Collaborative Server is installed) is correct.

To confirm the connection, close all projects and then click Connect. If the connection succeeds, the following message appears in the lower right corner of the program.

h) Collaborative server issues - 100% CPU use

Any issue regarding with the connection with the collaborative server or the updating of any data between 2 users or SOLIDWORKS Electrical and SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D, must start by analyzing the ports status:

Run the following command in a 'Prompt command' in each client and server having SOLIDWORKS Electrical and / or SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D running:

"netstat -an /P TCP" or "netstat -an /P TCP >c:\tmp\ports.txt" to have the list in a file

In the client file, 26666 as local port must be present and, in each client, 26667 and/or 26668,9,70 must be present. If any of these ports are not listed in the client while SOLIDWORKS Electrical is running, involve IT to check the firewall rules.

Only performing the previous command with SOLIDWORKS Electrical running will give you the proof that the ports are opened.

We hope that you find this document informational and useful and request that you leave a brief feedback about the topics that you want us to cover in the next revision of this document. Click here for a complete list of SolidPractices documents available from DS SOLIDWORKS Corp.