PLM Replication

Overview

Ilesfay® PLM Replication improves productivity for engineers and knowledge workers by assuring that all PLM relevant data and files are efficiently replicated to all necessary vault locations.

  • Replicate data in near real-time or based on user-defined scheduling
  • Replicate data that is vaulted or data that is not located in the vault
  • Replication workflow is fully integrated within the PLM vendor’s structure


Benefits

Dramatically Reduced Wait Times

By leveraging Ilesfay’s PointToCloud® architecture, PLM Replication dramatically reduces the time necessary to deliver data throughout the network of PLM vaults.

Radically Reduced Data Transmission

Ilesfay’s MatchMaking® methods radically reduce the amount of data that is transmitted throughout the network, which reduces the bandwidth necessary to support vault replication.

Reduced Cost & Complexity

By increasing data transmission speeds and reducing the bandwidth requirement, Ilesfay is able to reduce the reliance on dedicated, lease-line connections and provide comprehensive PLM Replication over standard internet connections.  Additionally, with no special hardware and no special telecom there is streamlined infrastructure and reduced complexity.

 

Features & Functions

Unlimited Capacity

The Ilesfay solution is cloud-based (Amazon AWS) and capable of leveraging all the available resources within the AWS cloud. With physical sites located in every major global region, AWS is also capable of scaling services to meet the most demanding global delivery demands.

Parallel Multi-Site Updates

As a cloud-based service, PLM Replication insulates all file origination sites from the act of replicating data to each vault in the network. As files are transmitted to the Content Delivery Engine (CDE™), analysis is done to understand what portions of the file should be transmitted to other vaults. Then, because all sites in the Ilesfay network are connected and managed independently, any data replication from the CDE occurs in parallel.

Pre-emptive Binary File Analysis

Ilesfay’s holistic pre-emptive binary analysis of all files within the network means that Ilesfay can rapidly determine if entire files need to be transmitted or if significant blocks of data already exist at the target location(s). By understanding the blocks of data, (i.e., portions of files) that already reside at the targeted vault, Ilesfay is able to reduce the amount of physical data that is transmitted from the CDE to each target location. Since this binary analysis occurs in the background as an independent, pre-emptive process, Ilesfay is able to decide in real-time how to best deliver a replicated file in the target location.

Streamlined Deployment

Participation from/to each vault location occurs by simply downloading a small agent from the Ilesfay product site. In less than five minutes, the agent is then installed on the appropriate server. Once implemented, the agent communicates with the cloud-based CDE to instantly share data and files throughout the customer’s Ilesfay network. Communication between the CDE and each cached vault does not require dedicated hardware or software, which means that site deployment can be completed within minutes of installing each agent.

Centralized Administration

Leveraging the functions of Ilesfay’s CDE operations core, each customer is provided a simple console to manage all aspects of the PLM Replication environment. Transmitting files, requesting files, and defining PLM workflow integration points are all handled through Ilesfay’s centralized administration console.

Continuous Monitoring & Reporting

Continuous and reliable oversight of the PLM Replication environment is native to providing solutions that leverage cloud computing’s scale and availability advantages. In addition to providing comprehensive administration capabilities the administration console also provides continuous monitoring and reporting for the PLM Replication environment. This eliminates endless uncertainty about file transfer and availability.

 

Examples

Distributed Vault Replication

Vaults to support on-going product development collaboration are globally distributed among internal locations and partner locations.

PLM Replication is used by firms that have multiple distributed vault locations and are looking for ways to reduce the cost and complexity of replicating PLM-related data to each location.

Ilesfay’s multi-site distribution, pre-emptive binary analysis and centralized operations provide un-paralleled data replication capabilities to the multi-vault collaboration environment.

With Ilesfay PLM Replication companies can improve the productivity of engineers and other involved knowledge workers. Companies will create a much more timely data distribution schedule that eliminates errors due to incorrect information, which can dramatically reduce engineering/design re-work and reduce product quality issues.

Project-Based Global Collaboration

Distributed teams are asked to support product development efforts, but the team may only be involved for a specific deliverable or a specific project-based timeframe.

Ilesfay’s PLM Replication is also used by firms that are struggling with trading data with a geographically remote partner that may not be involved with future projects. In these cases, it is important to find a replication solution that is easy to implement and does not require a long lead time.

With Ilesfay’s IaaS service delivery model initial implementations are completed with hours rather than days or weeks. This means that even short duration projects can gain benefit from the Ilesfay solution. Additionally, the level of administration complexity is greatly reduced because the PLM Replication solution is implemented, controlled and analyzed by a single common administration console. This means that Ilesfay does not demand tremendous overhead that can drain the productivity and profitability of smaller short term projects.

With Ilesfay, projects that are driven by PLM-based collaboration are easier and quicker to support meaning that a much broader pool of supplier (external partners) can be used to add value during the product development cycle.

Product-Specific Collaboration

Distributed teams are asked to support product development efforts, but the team may only be involved for a specific deliverable or a specific project-based timeframe.

Product development is becoming an increasingly global activity, and holistically outsourcing product (component) design is becoming a common practice. However, these types of critical design relationships can be hindered by the lack of network infrastructure and direct connections to a company’s entire supplier community. In essence, because product/component specific collaboration has historically required a pre-existing dedicated network between the company and a supplier, a company’s pool of viable suppliers has been limited to partners that have been used for previous projects (the network connection is pre-existing). This limits competitive bids and reduces creative product solutions.

With Ilesfay, however, the need for dedicated network connections is eliminated. Complex hardware and software and expensive administration support is no longer a requirement for creating and maintaining a collaborative connection with any approved supplier. Therefore, with Ilesfay a company can leverage more suppliers, create a more aggressive pricing environment, and leverage additional creative approaches to product development.

 

Pricing

Pricing for Ilesfay PLM Replication is defined by two parameters:

  1. Number of servers/vaults in the PLM Replication network – a per server/vault fee.
  2. Amount of data managed within the PLM Replication network.

Site/server and data fees are invoiced on a monthly basis.  Annual usage plans can be developed to help in eliminating monthly variations, which may address fluctuating budget concerns.

PLM Replication – No Fee Pilot

A 90-day No Fee Pilot is available to organizations that register on the Ilesfay website and request the PLM Replication No Fee Pilot service.  Limitations apply with regard to the amount of data supported (e.g., 1 terabyte) and the number of servers/vaults supported (e.g., no more than 3).

To begin a No Fee Pilot period, get started today and Ilesfay Sales will contact you within 24 hours.