2018 PDM Standard Server Installation Guide

This guide is written for administrators of SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard. The goal of this guide is to detail the steps necessary for an administrator to successfully install the server components of the PDM Standard installation. Please see the installation guide for the PDM Client for information about installing that component.

SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard is used to securely store and manage files. The server components of PDM Standard run as services, and are supported on Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016. The Database server component is supported with Microsoft SQL Server 2012, 2014 and 2016.

SOLIDWORKS also supports a small number of virtual environments for the PDM Server components.

Before the Installation

Before the PDM Standard server components are installed, please ensure that the following are true:

1. All Windows updates have been downloaded and installed.

2. You have the password for the “sa” or another highly privileged account for your SQL instance if you plan to use an existing one.

3. Your Windows account has administrative permissions.

Installation of PDM Standard Server Components

1. Insert and run the SOLIDWORKS Installation disc 1, or run the “Setup.exe” file inside your downloaded installation folder. 

2. Select “Server Products” > Install SOLIDWORKS PDM Server, and “Next”.

3. Enter your PDM serial number in the appropriate field and press “Next”.

4. Select “Change” next to “SOLIDWORKS PDM Server”.

5. Select “SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard”, check both “Archive Server” and “Database Server”, input your SQL server login information to either use an existing instance or create a new one, and then select “Back to Summary”. We recommend checking the box to “Install MS SQL Management Tools” when installing a new instance.

• Note that you can also choose to install the Client component here if needed. Please see the guide for that product for more information.

6. Select “Change” Next to “Download Options” to verify that your download options are correct. Adjust these if/as needed and select “Back to Summary”.

7. Accept the terms of the SOLIDWORKS License Agreement and select “Install Now”, or “Download and Install”, depending on your selection in “Download Options”.

8. If the installation prompts a restart of the computer, that should be followed accordingly. After this is finished, the PDM Standard server installation should be complete.