Difference between "Released state" and "Obsolete state" for lifecycle control?

[tfrohe_LSI]

Can anyone explain the difference between these 2 settings in the Control Tab for behaviors in Vault?

This is a "Released" state

This is an "Obsolete" state

For some reason obsolete files in my Vault are set to This is a "Released" state. I wanted to know if this is, or could be, causing issues with obsolete files in the Vault. I have not seen any errors or problems but it just seems odd that it would be set this way. I did not configure these behaviors. I inherited Vault administration duties and no one here can answer why this was setup this way.

What would be the ramifications of changing this now? Does it even need to be changed?

Thank you.

[tfrohe_LSI]

Can anyone explain the difference between these 2 settings in the Control Tab for behaviors in Vault?

This is a "Released" state

This is an "Obsolete" state

For some reason obsolete files in my Vault are set to This is a "Released" state. I wanted to know if this is, or could be, causing issues with obsolete files in the Vault. I have not seen any errors or problems but it just seems odd that it would be set this way. I did not configure these behaviors. I inherited Vault administration duties and no one here can answer why this was setup this way.

What would be the ramifications of changing this now? Does it even need to be changed?

Thank you.

[gandhey]

Hello,

Can you please explain what do you mean by obsolete files in my Vault are set to This is a "Released" state. How do you make this out ? Are you using out of the box lifecycle process OR a custom LC process? And just to highlight the lifecycle state name can be any string and underneath in the setting it could be set to 'This is Released' or 'This is Obsolete' state.

To answer the difference in the states : the intention of these 2 states itself is different. For eg. 'Obsolete' state files could be the orphaned files which user no more use in any of their active projects. 'Released' state in most cases indicates that the design is frozen and no more change in design files is expected and the design can be released to manufacturing.

Please note different users may use these 2 states with different interpretation too as per their needs.

To answer "What would be the ramifications of changing this now? Does it even need to be changed?" - sorry but i think this cannot be answered without knowing how it is being used. Please note usually companies have security  for access controls for files / objects in vault, based on different lifecycle states of the LC process. for eg. 'Released' state files are locked, different users/groups could only access (readonly/modify) 'Released' files and not any other files.

So in short you need to know how/why are the lifecyles states used in your company. That will help answer your question - if you change the administration from 'Obsolete' to 'Released' state, what impact it will have.

regards,

Yogeshwar

(Vault team)

[gandhey]

Hello,

Can you please explain what do you mean by obsolete files in my Vault are set to This is a "Released" state. How do you make this out ? Are you using out of the box lifecycle process OR a custom LC process? And just to highlight the lifecycle state name can be any string and underneath in the setting it could be set to 'This is Released' or 'This is Obsolete' state.

To answer the difference in the states : the intention of these 2 states itself is different. For eg. 'Obsolete' state files could be the orphaned files which user no more use in any of their active projects. 'Released' state in most cases indicates that the design is frozen and no more change in design files is expected and the design can be released to manufacturing.

Please note different users may use these 2 states with different interpretation too as per their needs.

To answer "What would be the ramifications of changing this now? Does it even need to be changed?" - sorry but i think this cannot be answered without knowing how it is being used. Please note usually companies have security  for access controls for files / objects in vault, based on different lifecycle states of the LC process. for eg. 'Released' state files are locked, different users/groups could only access (readonly/modify) 'Released' files and not any other files.

So in short you need to know how/why are the lifecyles states used in your company. That will help answer your question - if you change the administration from 'Obsolete' to 'Released' state, what impact it will have.

regards,

Yogeshwar

(Vault team)

[tschaeferZNBXX]

@tfrohe_LSI 

Obsolete files (at least in my opinion) are files that you want to control who can see them and they are normally not used anymore.  I have used this state to keep from deleting files from Vault, because once deleted the files are gone forever.  Normally I set the settings to allow only Admins to see files that are marked as obsolete. 

Released is for files that are still in production and can still be seen by everyone with permission.  These files can also be revised or walked through whatever life cycle you have set up.

Does that make sense?  

Basically if the files cannot be produced anymore then they are obsolete for audit trail purposes.  Released is used for files currently still being used.

[tschaeferZNBXX]

@tfrohe_LSI 

Obsolete files (at least in my opinion) are files that you want to control who can see them and they are normally not used anymore.  I have used this state to keep from deleting files from Vault, because once deleted the files are gone forever.  Normally I set the settings to allow only Admins to see files that are marked as obsolete. 

Released is for files that are still in production and can still be seen by everyone with permission.  These files can also be revised or walked through whatever life cycle you have set up.

Does that make sense?  

Basically if the files cannot be produced anymore then they are obsolete for audit trail purposes.  Released is used for files currently still being used.

[tfrohe_LSI]

I understand the fundamental differences between the 2 states, what I am having trouble with is the interface selections that are highlighted in the screenshot I posted in my OP. Permissions are set so that obsolete files are not visible to most users. I was just curious as to what those 2 interface options really "do" inside of Vault and if having the selected entry (This is a "Release state") set for "obsolete" files is causing any problems that might be going unnoticed. I apologize if my question is not clear enough. I'm not sure how else to ask.

Tom

[tfrohe_LSI]

I understand the fundamental differences between the 2 states, what I am having trouble with is the interface selections that are highlighted in the screenshot I posted in my OP. Permissions are set so that obsolete files are not visible to most users. I was just curious as to what those 2 interface options really "do" inside of Vault and if having the selected entry (This is a "Release state") set for "obsolete" files is causing any problems that might be going unnoticed. I apologize if my question is not clear enough. I'm not sure how else to ask.

Tom

[gandhey · Accepted solution]

Sorry. Posting my reply using my appropriate user ID 

Hello,

I am not sure if I got your question completely, but to answer " what those 2 interface options really "do" inside of Vault " :

• Yes, there are a few things the 'This is Released' and 'This is Obsolete' doing in Vault.
• Specifying access is one thing which you seem to already use. This could well be done using any state though.
• Another important part is for example - actions OR criteria checks that are done while a state transition is done from one state to a 'Released' state. OR from one state to a 'Obsolete' state.
  • You can see the this by opening the Lifecycle definition, selecting a state, select 'Transitions' tab, and 'Edit' a transition to 'Released state and see 'Actions' tab. See the same for a transition to a 'Obsolete' state.
  • Out of the box there are different actions that are done on transitions to 'Released' and 'Obsolete' states.
  • And users can ofcourse have custom actions like 'PDF creation'  - where the lifecycle state of the pdf will be set to released when a state transition is done for a drawing from any state to a 'Released' state. (supported starting Vault 2018)

And as indicated earlier, the string name may be anything it is the underlying 'This is Released' OR 'This is Obsolete' that is considered in above LC transition actions.

Hope this is something you are looking for.

Regards,

Yogeshwar

(Vault team)

[gandhey · Accepted solution]

Sorry. Posting my reply using my appropriate user ID 

Hello,

I am not sure if I got your question completely, but to answer " what those 2 interface options really "do" inside of Vault " :

• Yes, there are a few things the 'This is Released' and 'This is Obsolete' doing in Vault.
• Specifying access is one thing which you seem to already use. This could well be done using any state though.
• Another important part is for example - actions OR criteria checks that are done while a state transition is done from one state to a 'Released' state. OR from one state to a 'Obsolete' state.
  • You can see the this by opening the Lifecycle definition, selecting a state, select 'Transitions' tab, and 'Edit' a transition to 'Released state and see 'Actions' tab. See the same for a transition to a 'Obsolete' state.
  • Out of the box there are different actions that are done on transitions to 'Released' and 'Obsolete' states.
  • And users can ofcourse have custom actions like 'PDF creation'  - where the lifecycle state of the pdf will be set to released when a state transition is done for a drawing from any state to a 'Released' state. (supported starting Vault 2018)

And as indicated earlier, the string name may be anything it is the underlying 'This is Released' OR 'This is Obsolete' that is considered in above LC transition actions.

Hope this is something you are looking for.

Regards,

Yogeshwar

(Vault team)

[clastrilla]

Does the "This is an 'Obsolete' state" control option affect the Thin Client, and if it does, how?

For example, we know that the "This is a 'Released' state" also affects the Thin Client as it, by default, only shows "Released" files.

I was wondering what other effects does this "Obsolete" flag have? Does it affect how children/parents are resolved?

[clastrilla]

Does the "This is an 'Obsolete' state" control option affect the Thin Client, and if it does, how?

For example, we know that the "This is a 'Released' state" also affects the Thin Client as it, by default, only shows "Released" files.

I was wondering what other effects does this "Obsolete" flag have? Does it affect how children/parents are resolved?

[f_calebh]

If you have your Thin Client set to Released Only, it won't show the Obsolete states, which is currently affecting our own viewing access.  Users who search a file in Thin Client are finding a previously released state without indication that the file was made Obsolete. You just get the cookie cutter "Not the Latest Version" flag. It's possible someone set up the state as "Released" to give Thin Client visibility.

As I looked into this further, the Obsolete and Released options aren't exclusive. You can have both Released and Obsolete settings applied. I have updated our settings to include our Obsolete files as Released file to fix our Thin Client issues.

[f_calebh]

If you have your Thin Client set to Released Only, it won't show the Obsolete states, which is currently affecting our own viewing access.  Users who search a file in Thin Client are finding a previously released state without indication that the file was made Obsolete. You just get the cookie cutter "Not the Latest Version" flag. It's possible someone set up the state as "Released" to give Thin Client visibility.

As I looked into this further, the Obsolete and Released options aren't exclusive. You can have both Released and Obsolete settings applied. I have updated our settings to include our Obsolete files as Released file to fix our Thin Client issues.