Log into PDXpert

Your security account determines your permissions to system functions and database records within the context of a PDXpert database (server). Your account has two elements: a user account name and a password.

1. From the Windows Start menu, select the PDXpert program folder, and then the PDXpert PLM program. (Or, double-click the PDXpert PLM desktop icon.)

2. When the Welcome to PDXpert PLM dialog shows, enter your account name.

   If no user accounts have been set up, use the default account name Admin.

   If your user account is configured to use domain authentication, then include the domain (and perhaps port number) with your user name domain:port\username, such as engineering\lee. See the Add a new user account help topic for details.

3. Enter your account password.

   The password is case-sensitive, so enter the password exactly.

   If no user accounts have been set up, use the default account password        (blank).

4. Enter the computer name or IP address of your PDXpert application server into the Server computer's machine name control. If the PDXpert Application Server is installed on your local workstation, use the default value localhost.

5. You may select Options:

   • Mark Encrypt my connection to this server when using an untrusted connection, such as the public internet or a Wi-Fi network. Encryption affects data transfers only; the server's database remains unencrypted. If your PC is connected to the server using a VPN or wired LAN, encryption may not be needed.

     PDXpert implements a Transport Layer Security (TLS) application-specific VPN using forward secrecy. The PDXpert server and each client generate a unique public key security certificate. These are used to negotiate a shared symmetric security key that has a relatively short lifespan, and is then replaced. Transfer rate is similar to, and data security is often better than, using a normal VPN.

   • Mark Reset my account settings to clear the client local cache. This resets your window locations, search terms, previously-opened items list and the client cache. It does not affect the User Settings... tool settings.

     The client local cache contains summary data from each system you use. A reset forces the client to delete and rebuild the cache. This may take a few extra seconds to several minutes, depending on the cache size and your network speed. If you use more than one system, each cache is rebuilt when you next connect to that system.

   • Click the Save Log Files button to save the PDXpert client's diagnostic file to a convenient location.

6. Click the OK button.

   If this dialog opens again after clicking the OK button, refer to the help topic Solve client log-in problems.

   There's a normal start-up delay the first time you log into PDXpert, and whenever you connect to a different or upgraded server. The client must build its local cache, and may need to download new code compatible with the server.

PDXpert Server and the PDXpert client §

Server computer (localhost) clients §

The PDXpert Server installer automatically installs its own PDXpert client into the All Users (machine) profile on the server computer. This client is called the localhost client because you log into PDXpert using the localhost value in the Server computer's machine name control (step 4, above).

The client is updated by the PDXpertSystemSetup installer, not by the PDXpert Server.

Do not connect one server's localhost client to another other server unless both servers have the exact same PDXpert release.

Network-attached (remote) clients §

Any other PDXpert client on the network is called a network client (or "remote client"), because it must connect to a PDXpert Server using the server's machine name or IP address.

Network clients can connect to any server on the network. A PDXpert Server with a different software release sends its own client code to the network computer. The network client keeps each server's code for future use.

Do not install the PDXpert network client software on the server computer.

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