Dual Computers??????
Dual Computers??????
(OP)
anyone using a dedicated "Solidworks only" workstation and a second computer for email/internet? Our IT guys are convinced that this is necessary. Right now, they are starting to roll out a new computer to us just for Solidworks, and we are keeping our old computers to run M$ office and internet access. Anyone have anything I can show to them to disprove their theory?






RE: Dual Computers??????
RE: Dual Computers??????
RE: Dual Computers??????
RE: Dual Computers??????
That said, I could understand if you were running a lot of FEA or something to where you need to be able to do other work while your PC is just sitting there chugging away. Otherwise, although I've never run a SW dedicated PC myself, I've never had issues with running office, Lotus Notes, IE/FF, etc. alongside SW. Dual processors actually help in this, because if I am doing taxing stuff in SW the other processor is free to do email, office, etc.
RE: Dual Computers??????
Harold
SW2007 SP4.0 OPW2007 SP1.0
www.lumenflow.com
RE: Dual Computers??????
Robert Stupplebeen
RE: Dual Computers??????
Just looking for something to help back up my plea to have 1 machine in my tiny cube, not 2.
RE: Dual Computers??????
Dan
www.eltronresearch.com
RE: Dual Computers??????
Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
sw.fcsuper.com
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
RE: Dual Computers??????
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Dual Computers??????
One day, we get an answer that this is just temporary (due to the fact the new machines are our company's first x64 systems) until we get the bugs worked out. The next day, they tell us this is just how it's going to be from now on.
We started on the mission to get new machines in hope they will help us open our larger assy's quicker & more efficiently, but I fear now while we can open them quicker, we are not gaining any time by having to switch back & forth on two different machines.
RE: Dual Computers??????
If both computers are connected to the network, each should be able to access information from the other.
Having said that, the IT guys are just plain wrong if they think that a worthwhile performance gain will be seen.
RE: Dual Computers??????
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Dual Computers??????
My only other comment is that unless IT has a CAD expert in their department, IT has no business tell Engineering what and how its Engineering tools should be set up. Real world, of course, means that most IT departments have somehow gained this authority without the knowledge base necessary to exercise it. This is a petpeeve of mine. The computer you use is an Engineering Tool. It's not just some computer like everyone elses in from accounting (glorified calculator) to the receptionists desk (toy). That makes its requirements for operation under the authority of Engineering or at least someone with Engineering/CAD expertise. Just my two cents. :)
Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
sw.fcsuper.com
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
RE: Dual Computers??????
In normal operation everything is set to the new PC. I then use remote desktop to connect to the old PC, which I use for internet, office apps and e-mail. The remote desktop window is on the second monitor. Maximized it is almost like working directly on that PC, minimized it is out of the way.
I have a folder on the old computer where I put any files that I download. That folder is shared on the network, and I have write access to it on the other computer, so there is almost no hassle to get files from one to the other.
This setup resulted from getting the new computer when I was busy enough that I didn’t care to take the time to transfer e-mail and all that stuff to the new computer. But it has grown on me, the new computer can stay lean and clean while the old computer deals with anything sketchy.
Eric
RE: Dual Computers??????
Did the it-guys have to fix a lot of problems because of non-sw software crapping up your systems?? It's the only argument I think of that could justify such an investment. The perfomance argument can be ignored because it is solvable with a good multicore processor and lots of memory as other people pointed out.
If every year you cannot use your system for about five hours because of non-sw software causing problems, and taken in account a three year period of use, one can buy a acceptable new system (five hours that you are not working and five the it-guy has to spend on your pc makes 10 hours of loss). I assume the return money on your old system is more than cancelled out by the energy costs of running an extra pc with screen (sharing one screen is very impractical imo), extra datatraffic hardware, more importantly the hours that IT has to spend to setup AND support all extra systems, cost of extra software licenses, extra time and maybe annoyance too to switch between pc's over and over again.
If you want to discourage IT, put in the right numbers to make your calculation show that it is a crap idea.
Then propose to spend a fraction of that money on backup-software and an extra harddrive to put on several periodically taken images of your systemdrive. If you experience slowdown and suspect non-sw causes, you have your system running smoothly again within ten minutes.
have a nice weekend, pietje
RE: Dual Computers??????
RE: Dual Computers??????
RE: Dual Computers??????
My SolidWorks PC has everything except Lotus Notes which is e-mail.
Our IT people have been removing other users 2nd pc's with 1 big fast workstation. They have no complaints. IT does not want to pay for 2 OS's.
Bradley
SolidWorks Premim 2007 x64 SP4.0
PDM Works, Dell XPS Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 5 GB RAM, Virtual memory 12577 MB, nVidia 3400
RE: Dual Computers??????
If you really need x64 computing, that's fine. You'll have some limits for drivers, etc., and you can keep a laptop or old system around for the more complex printing, whatever.
There's no way I could justify the additional amount of time necessary for jumping from one system to another just to communicate. If I needed x64 computing, I'd figure out whatever it takes to get the basics in communication covered and run with it. I wouldn't, however, jump through the hoops required for having a totally segregated system. Light-weight anti-virus programs (such as Avast) and open platform email programs (such as Thunderbird) would probably do a fine job of enabling an x64 computer communicate at normal levels--you just may need to move from silly limited programs such as Outlook Express or Norton to do so without hindrance.
I use a single system as my primary workhorse and I do everything through this system. File sharing on network, shared printer, etc. No problems with system instability, etc. Of course, I'm using XP Pro (32-bit), so it's convenient--but I also use 64-bit, multi-core chips--so it does 32-bit stuff about as fast as possible. No way I could charge clients for all the extra time it would take for me to have a dedicated SW machine.
Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.